Spotlight: The Vampire Diaries

One of the reasons I decided to start blogging is to expose viewers to new shows that I feel are really worth watching.  The Vampire Diaries was a freshman hit in the 2009-2010 season, and it's without a doubt the best show airing on The CW right now (not that that's saying much).  The premise is familiar thanks to the ridiculous post-Twilight vampire craze sweeping the nation, (Moonlight gets cancelled after one flawless season, and yet Vampires Suck is the #2 movie this week...?) but the difference is that it's done better.  ABC airs jokes like The Gates and HBO has its megahit True Blood, but The Vampire Diaries is its own genre.  Yeah, it's a show about vampires.  But it's also a show about a love triangle, friendship, family, and high school.  Obviously, on paper it's just another ripoff of Twilight.  What people don't realize is that TVD is based on a 1990 book series written by L.J. Smith.  The similarities are abundant - both are love stories about a beautiful heroine and a brooding mystery guy who our lead can't seem to stay away from, both feature a love triangle between two gorgeous males who despise each other, and both feature an adorably clueless parental figure.  But that's where the similarities end.  Where Stephenie Meyer drifts off into poorly written werewolf lore, Smith incorporates ancient Druid witchcraft (Salem witches in the TV version) and much more complex and realistic friendships than the one between Bella Swan and Jacob Black.  So now that you have this information, keep the Twilight craziness out of your mind as I explain to you why I'm right, and that there is actually a vampire show worth watching on the air today.

TVD stars Nina Dobrev as Elena (Mia, that chick with a kid J.T. dated on Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley as Stefan (8 Simple Rules) and Ian Somerhalder as Damon (sexy-as-hell Boone from Lost), as your token attractive actors in a love triangle.  Seems pretty Bella-Edward-Jacob at present, but get this: Stefan and Damon are brothers!  So not only is there Elena-related animosity between these gorgeous men, but there's decades of mysterious vampire family animosity, which all centers around another girl the brothers Salvatore both loved: Katherine, a vampire who turned both the brothers in an effort to keep all three of them together for good.  The drama intensifies when we learn that upon realizing what a stupid-ass plan that was, Katherine committed suicide.  The brothers blame each other for her death, haven't spoken in years, yada yada yada.  I don't want to give too much away, because otherwise why would you watch it?  I just have to note that the dynamic between Stefan and Damon makes for some fantastic television, and the team of Dobrev/Wesley/Somerhalder does a fairly fantastic job of accurately portraying a young adult in this kind of situation in 2010.

Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder for TV Guide

Another factor of TVD's greatness is its ensemble.  Elena has a lot of people in her life - best friends Bonnie and Caroline (Katerina Graham and Candice Accola, respectively), ex-boyfriend/friend Matt (Zach Roerig, aka "Cash" from Friday Night Lights), aunt/guardian Jenna (Sara Canning), and a younger brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen).  Other main cast members are Matt's younger sister, Vicki (Kayla Ewell, who we know as "Casey" from Marissa Cooper's Newport Union days), her boyfriend Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino), and history teacher Alaric Saltzman (Legally Blonde's Matt Davis).  The first season also includes some kick-ass guest appearances by Marguerite MacIntyre (Kyle XY), Melinda Clarke (The O.C., CSI:), gorgeous Sean Faris (Never Back Down, TV's Reunion), and Malese Jow (Unfabulous).

Nina Dobrev, Kayla Ewell

Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Matt Davis

What sets TVD apart from other shows (not just vampire ones!) is its fast-paced storytelling.  Not a week goes by where we don't learn something new about one of these characters, their pasts, or their futures.  The show is constantly fresh, exciting, and unexpected.  There were no filler weeks, no episodes that could be summed up with a "Previously On...", and definitely no unnecessary tribute episodes (One Tree Hill) that did nothing to advance the plot.

One piece of what keeps TVD fresh is its music.  The series has featured Mat Kearney, Lifehouse, 3OH!3, Moby, Keane, and more awesome artists that don't get nearly enough TV airtime.  Lots of cool moments have taken place on the show that were made perfect because someone made the right music choice.

With so many rad features of this show, it's hard to pick what I like best about it.  But one reason a lot of people watch, quite frankly, is that it is So. Damn. Hot.  Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Matt Davis, Michael Trevino, Zach Roerig, and Steven R. McQueen are undoubtedly some of the best-looking people on television, and I challenge you to find another show where there are SIX series regulars this attractive.

The first season will be released on DVD & Blu-Ray August 31, 2010.  Buy it from Amazon here.

The second season premieres Thursday, September 9th at 8pm on The CW: