The Vampire Diaries-New CW TV Series

New Series on Fall Lineup Bears Similarities to Film Twilight

Aug 3, 2009

A new TV series similar to the hit movie Twilight is scheduled to debut this fall on CW and CTV at 8 P.M. on September 10, 2009.

A pretty, popular high school girl from a small town falls in love with a smolderingly handsome vampire who refuses to drink human blood. Sound familiar? No, it’s not Twilight. The new television series The Vampire Diaries is reminiscent of Twilight, but it is not based on the Stephenie Meyers series. It is instead adapted from an earlier young adult novel series by L.J. Smith, which was first published in 1991.

Though there are similarities, they are entirely coincidental. No doubt, the popularity of Twilight is greatly responsible for the renewed interest in this comparable romantic vampire tale, which was published at an earlier date and now will enjoy a new popularity.

The Vampire Diaries Series

In The Vampire Diaries series, two vampire brothers (not a vampire and a werewolf) vie for the love and eternal soul of high school student, Elena Gilbert in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Stefan, a character who bears an uncanny resemblance to Edward, is a good vampire who doesn’t drink blood. His competition for Elena is his evil brother, Damon. Like Twilight, The Vampire Diaries explores the angst of teenage years, the sense of isolation and friendship and the temptations of good and evil.

Like Twilight, the Vampire Diaries is a continuing story that spans several books.The novels on which the series is based on started out as a trilogy. However, a fourth novel, Dark Reunion, was added to the original three in 1992.

The Vampire Diaries: the TV Cast and Changes from the Novels

Nina Dobrev will be playing heroine Elena Gilbert. The two Salvatore vampire brothers will be played by Paul Wesley (Stefan) and Ian Somerhalder (Damon). Steven R. McQueen, the grandson of famous actor Steve McQueen, will play the role of Elena’s brother Jeremy Gilbert.

Readers will notice several changes from the novel in the TV series. The town name Fell’s Church has been changed to Mystic Falls. Elena’s appearance is somewhat changed. In the books she had blonde hair and blue eyes, and in the TV series she has brown hair and eyes. In the novel, Elena had a sister, but in the TV series she has a brother, Jeremy. The vampire's background history has also changed. Instead of coming from Renaissance Italy, the vampire brothers have a Civil War era human past.

Watcher Expectations

The resurgence of popularity of vampire tales is evident by the success of Twilight. The renewal of the HBO series True Blood for another season and the upcoming filming of Dark Shadows indicates that there is a strong interest in the genre. However, the short-lived series Moonlight proves that only time will tell whether The Vampire Diaries will catch on and gain the strong audience it needs to survive the competition.

Vampire-Diaries --Click this link to find current information about the books and TV Series

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