The Vampire Diaries: CW Adds to Its Thursday Horror Lineup

The Vampire Diaries is a new horror TV drama premiering on CW on September 10, 2009 and 8 PM Eastern, in the old time slot for Smallville, which is being moved to Fridays starting on September 25, 2009 at 8 PM Eastern. Following The Vampire Diaries is the returning horror series, Supernatural.

CW is trying to cash in on the popularity of the Twilight vampire movie series & books the popular HBO series, True Blood, with their own similar idea for a TV show. It will also fill the TV vampire void since Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Angel ended a few years ago. This is not to say that The Vampire Diaries is a Twilight clone because it was written over a decade before Stephenie Meyer cult phenomenon. The Vampire Diaries is based on a young adult horror series of novels written by the author of the popular Night World series, L.J. Smith. The novels include the original trilogy: The Awakening (1991), The Struggle (1991), The Fury (1991), the fourth volume: Dark Reunion (1992) and a new spinoff trilogy: Nightfall (February 2009), Shadow Souls (February 9, 2010) and Midnight (not yet released).

The background story is about two vampire brothers: Stefan Salvatore, who is good, and Damon Salvatore, who was evil. As human teenagers during the Civil War, they fought over Katherine, a vampire they both loved, who wanted to be with both brothers. The brothers kept fighting and drove her to suicide. They killed each other but woke up as vampires and Damon promised to make Stefan's life a living Hell. Stefan wants to peacefully live with humans, while his brother, Damon, uses violence against them.

The plot begins in the present time and is told through the writing in a diary of Elena Gilbert, a popular teenager and an excellent student in the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. Both of her parents and her only real family is her brother, Jeremy, who deals with his grief through drugs.

The show begins with the fall semester beginning for Elena at her high school and she becomes interested in a mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore, who, likewise, becomes interested in her. Damon wants to attack humans and ruin things for Stefan by also pursuing Elena.

So far, The Vampire Diaries has received favorable reviews. Entertainment Weekly rated the pilot as a B+ and said that the show "promises us a season of sharp-tongued amusement."

An online series based on The Vampire Diaries can be viewed on the CW website.

The CW is using a unique and original marketing campaign for The Vampire Diaries series with a blood drive, Called "Starve a Vampire. Donate Blood." The blood drive runs for five weeks starting on August 25, 2009 and is being done through the American Red Cross at 230 high schools and colleges all across the United States. Each location has The Vampire Diaries theme refreshment areas, exclusive footage shown on accompanying TV screens and clearly swag, including customized t-shirts.

Cast
Elena Gilbert: Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation)
Stefan Salvatore: Paul Wesley (Wolf Lake, 24)
Damon Salvatore: Ian Somerhalder (Lost, Smallville)
Bonnie: Katerina Graham
Jeremy Gilbert: Steven R. McQueen (Everwood):
Vicki: Kayla Ewell (The Bold and the Beautiful)
Zach: Chris William Martin (The L Word, Heartland)
Matt: Zach Roerig (Friday Night Lights, One Life to Live, As the World Turns)
Tyler Stratton: Michael Trevino (90210, The Riches, Cane)
Aunt Jenna: Sara Canning
Caroline: Candice Accola
Mr. Tanner: Benjamin Ayres (jPod, Smallville)

Executive Producers
Bob Levy (Gossip Girl)
Julie Plec: (Kyle XY, Cursed, Scream 2 & 3)
Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek, Scream 2-4, Venom, Cursed, Halloween H20)
Leslie Morgenstein (Gossip Girl, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants)

Director
Marcos Siega (Dexter, Cold Case, True Blood, Veronica Mars)

Sources: TV Guide, TV.com, Wikipedia, CW