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© 2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved
After watching a screener for The CW’s new fall drama The Vampire Diaries, I predict the show will be a hit.
Is it following in the footsteps of Twilight and True Blood? Well, as far as timing, yes. It’s the perfect time for this type of show.
But actually, The Vampire Diaries is based on a series of YA books by L.J. Smith which were written before Stephanie Myer’s Twilight books.
And while there are differences and similarities, mostly the reason they are alike is because of the vampire angle. But I think Twilight fans will like The Vampire Diaries because it has a lot of the same elements and you get to watch it EVERY WEEK! What’s better than that?
The Vampire Diaries centers aroufnd two rival sibling vampires who have come home to their hometown of Mystic Falls, Virginia – Stefan (Paul Wesley, Army Wives, Everwood) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder, Tell Me You Love Me, Smallville) for different reasons. Stefan is the good vampire who now refrains from killing humans for blood. Bad vampire Damon is the exact opposite. When Stefan refers to how he kills people, Damon says “that’s a given.”
By the way, in the first two minutes of The Vampire Diaries, people die, setting a tone that something evil is lurking nearby, something this town hasn’t seen in years.
Both vampire siblings are drawn to popular and dark-haired beauty Elena (Nina Dobrev, Degrassi: The Next Generation), who has a striking resemblance to Katherine, who both brothers at one time loved in the 1800s. Yes, our hot vampires are old!
Making the story interesting is the stage that Elena is in her life. A new school year has started, but she’s having a hard time coping, writing in her diary that she will tell everyone that she’s doing okay, that she’s fine. But inside she’s not.
Her parents died from a recent car accident and those of us who have lost a family or loved one know, you can’t set a time limit on loss. You can’t snap your fingers and be over the grief. It happens when it happens. And for Elena, it hasn’t happened yet. This point is made in the pilot when an English teacher reprimands her for not knowing the history lesson, telling her he’s done giving her a break. Another words, he thinks she has had enough time to deal with her grief. But Stefan comes to the rescue and puts the teacher in his place.
As far as the deep attraction the main characters have to each other, it’s totally there. Though in the first episode, you see that with Stefan and Elena. There’s more mystery to the other brother Damon, as he seems to bring all of the bad with him. That doesn’t set well with Stefan who had wanted to start his life over without his past interfering.
The pilot also is creepy at times with a scary crow that follows Elena. At one point she is in the cemetery visiting her parents’ grave writing in her diary. This place at one time was a soothing environment, but now a crow and a thick fog bring danger in the cemetery.
The Vampire Diaries also has great supporting characters that really makes the show worthwhile. There’s Bonnie (Katerina Graham), Elena’s best friend who may be psychic; Caroline (Candice Accola), the blonde beauty who wants what Elena has; Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), Elena’s troubled brother who has turned to drugs and alcohol to fight his grief; Vicki (Kayla Ewell), the kinda slutty girl who Jeremy likes, but she likes Tyler (Michael Trevino), the good-looking jerk; Matt (Zach Roerig), Elena’s jock ex-boyfriend and brother to Vicki; and Zach (Chris William Martin). In addition, there’s Jenna (Sara Canning), aunt to Elena and Jeremy who is in her 20s and attending college while serving as their guardian; and Mr. Tanner (Benjamin Ayres), who pretends to be Stefan’s uncle for school-related purposes, though really Stefan is the uncle.
[...] The New to TV blog (”the best and worst of new TV shows”) has posted their take on The Vampire Diaries pilot. [...]
[...] El blog New to TV (”lo mejor y lo peor de los nuevos TV shows”) ha publicado su crítica sobre el piloto de The Vampire Diaries [...]
Mr Tanner is the uncle?! Heaven help us all if this is true- I can accept that changes from the books have been made but if this is true then I think there will be some serious bloodshed from us long running fans!
UMMM, I really excited for the show, cause I LOVE THE BOOKS…….But as for the characters,,,,I’m not remembering Elana having a troubled brother, I remember a little sister- I am currently reading The Fury so its all still fresh in my mind…Maybe he comes along later, but i doubt that if he hasn’t been mentioned yet- and i totally understand that there are going to be changes that don’t exactly match the book in the show, that’s all good….BUT WHERES MEREDITH? I love her character in the book, the stronger friend that Elana has to lean on, then there’s sweet Bonnie, the “weaker” one who’s quoted saying “I’ve never had to take care of anyone, I’m the one that’s always been taken care of” and then i totally agree with Emma on mr.tanner being the UNCLE!!!! That’s way off!! still cant wait to see it, it WILL be my new fav show…i am a also a DIE HARD Twilight fan. so this will help my withdrawals from it a bit!!
I’ve never read the books… and maybe I won’t. I keep reading all the complaints… complaint complaint complaint about what they have changed. Adaptations never make people happy… But the extended trailer I watched online (not the stupid commercials they are playing on TV) got me really interested and I think I’ll enjoy the show. Maybe I’ll give the books a try after the show’s over so that it won’t ruin anything for me.
It’s just an adaptation, fans of the the books! Of course they will change things, as do ALL adapatations…
[...] Vampire Diaries is based on author L.J. Smith’s books. Click here to read a review of The Vampire Diaries’ pilot episode. Share and [...]
[...] a few new promos for the show. Having watched a screener of the pilot episode (read the review here), I notice scenes that I don’t remember in the [...]
[...] Vampire Diaries was scheduled to start filming in Covington, N.M. on July 21. (Read a review of the The Vampire Diaries pilot episode here). ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved. ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All rights [...]
[...] The Vampire Diaries was scheduled to start filming in Covington, N.M. on July 21. (Read a review of the The Vampire Diaries pilot episode here). [...]
well i’m really excited i luv this book…but the changes r weird but i cant wait till september now im sp very happy and the a couple of weeks ago i wrote ljsmith and asked her if she would turn this into a movie and i aslo said that it would be good enough….. but never got a response …so wow how much of a coincidence
[...] But his brother Damon has resurfaced and the two brothers have quite a shaky past together. Read my review of the pilot for more details about this new show. Share and [...]
[...] watched the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries and plan to watch the new show this fall (read my review here). One of my favorite parts was the creepy cemetery scene with [...]
[...] The Vampire Diaries will debut at 9 p.m. ET/PT after the return of Supernatural at 8 p.m./ET. (Read a review of The Vampire Diaries pilot here). [...]
[...] a strong attraction to Elena, who looks just like the woman they fought over years before. Read my review of the pilot episode for more [...]
[...] a strong attraction to Elena, who looks just like the woman they fought over years before. Read my review of the pilot episode for more [...]