CW Vampire Diaries - Preview Video, Cast Information and Some Early Reviews

With all the hub bub about the Twilight Movies and the success of 'True Blood' on HBO, it's no wonder that there will be a TV series coming this Fall to a major network that has to do with Vampires. And CW is the perfect home for such a show. The same station that is home to Melrose, 90210, One Tree Hill and other heavy teen demo'd shows. From the early preview posted above, Vampires should do well and make a perfect fit.

If you are unfamiliar with 'The Vampire Diaries' as I was until now, the show is based on a series of young adult fiction books by L.J Smith. The first three books in the series were released in 1991. Below is the networks description of the show

Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, "DeGrassi: The Next Generation") and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, "Everwood") are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, "Army Wives"). Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, "Lost") is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers - one good, one evil - are at war for Elena's soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Alloy Entertainment and Bonanza Productions Inc in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek," "I Know What You Did Last Summer"), Julie Plec ("Kyle XY," "Wasteland"), Leslie Morgenstein ("Gossip Girl," "Privileged") and Bob Levy ("Gossip Girl," "Privileged"). Marcos Siega ("Dexter") directed the pilot.

Obviously this show isn't geared toward my age group. That's okay. I think I will still watch it. I do watch 90210 and I will be tuning into Melrose Place. Perhaps these shows appeal to me because it seems to take what happens in any one's adult life but applies them to H.S. What appeals to me in the preview is the entire back story of where Stefan came from, how he became a vamp and why does Elena look so much like a girl from Stefan's past. I think those are elements that we can all find interest in, regardless of the age of the characters. By the way, guys were NOT that hot in High School. Ah.. only on TV.

Early reviews of the pilot are mixed. The Futon Critic (thefutoncritic.com) feels that he would not watch it but that it will find it's audience. One review I read said that it was like a Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Dawson's Creek, if I am remembering what I read correctly. I believe that this is a cleaner version of a vampire show perfect for the teen demographic they are going for. If you've seen 'True Blood' you know that that is not a show for kids, so this allows them to have their version of the adult hit and an extension of what they love in the 'Twilight' movies.