Vampire Diaries Delivers
When "Vampire Diaries" debuted, a lot of people decried the CW's offering by describing it as Twilight Lite. I wasn't one of them, and not just because I believe the Twilight movies are a bit, well, laughable. To me, "Vampire Diaries" had that same magic that drew viewers about a decade ago to the hot teen drama "Roswell," written and directed by Jason Katims of Friday Night Lights fame. In case you don't know, that magic is smoldering sexuality, charismatic actors, and really good, sexy music.
Roswell's Formula
That combination created a cult following for the often-flawed and inconsistent plots of Roswell and its actors. Who cared if the stories didn't make sense? Millions tuned in to see Jason Behr as Max, Shiri Appleby as Liz, Brendon Fehr as Michael, Majandra Delfino as Maria, and Katherine Heigl as Isabel. When Dido's song "Here With Me" was introduced in season 2 as the theme, that was just musical icing on the cake. All that kept the series alive despite its bouncing from Fox to WB to UPN.
Audience For Diaries
The creators of Vampire Diaries, Kevin Williamson of Dawson's Creek and Julie Plec, know what it takes to draw in their target audience. And, guess what? That target audience isn't just teens. Sure, there are probably millions of Angel, Buffy, Moonlight, and Roswell refugees watching, but there are also viewers who like a life-and-death immediacy to their drama, fast pacing, and well-developed characters who have more to offer than just their eye-candy appeal.
A Lot To Love
Great writing. Great emotion. Solid production values that make you feel as if you're watching a cinematic release, not a TV show. Great theme music "Help I'm Alive" by Metric and all the other offerings too that just fit so very well with the storyline.
Interestingly, the main characters Stefan (Paul Wesley), Damon (Ian Somerhalder), and Elena (Nina Dobrev) bear a striking physical resemblance to Michael, Max, and Liz of the Roswell series. What's not to love?
No Spoilers
If you haven't seen this, I don't want to spoil the shocks of the premiere episode that begins where last season's cliffhanger left us hanging. Suffice it to say, you'll be rattled. The creepy ending scene of the episode will give you goosebumps.
The good citizens of Mystic Falls might well heed what Bette Davis said in the classic film All About Eve: "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride."
(Joan Reeves is published in book-length fiction and in periodicals, in print and online all over the web, under her own name, various pseudonyms, and as a ghost.)