5 Ways The Vampire Diaries May Take a Bite out of Twilight

[Mr. Television]

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5 Ways The Vampire Diaries May Take a Bite out of Twilight
by Nadya Vlassoff




As the twilight of summer draws near, September is almost upon us and with it comes a new season of Fall television. With the Twilight sequel, New Moon, leading the vampire charge in theatres, several similarly themed projects have piqued the interest of many over the summer, including upcoming CW show, The Vampire Diaries. Another vampire-themed adaptation, you ask? After months of steady Vampire Diaries publicity, the pilot airing at Comic-Con, and leaked information about the potential break-out hit of The CW Fall season, The Vampire Diaries is poised to take a bite out of the popularity of Twilight and New Moon at the right time.

Based on the best-selling novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries follows the story of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) who lives in the small town of Mystic Falls. Elena begins an unlikely relationship with Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), a new student at Elena's school who remains guarded, which only serves to intrigue Elena even more.

The TV adaptation of The Vampire Diaries has undergone a few storyline changes for the sake of bringing the novel series to life, from the omission and addition of several characters as well as the background stories of Stefan and his vampire brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder).

With all eyes on the Twilight Saga as fans get set to sink their teeth into New Moon, here are five reasons how we think The Vampire Diaries could take a bite out of Twilight.

The Love Triangle

The concept of a love triangle in The Vampire Diaries is very similar to that of the Twilight Saga but the differences lie in the character development. Elena likes Stefan, Stefan is attracted to Elena, and Damon simply wants to have his kicks with the both of them.

In The Vampire Diaries novels, Damon does develop true feelings for Elena but it will be interesting to see what route the writers decide to take with the show. It's clear Twilight Saga fans have fallen head over heels for the love triangle between Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

With so much time in between Twilight films, The Vampire Diaries could fill the love triangle void that Twilight Saga fans will be missing once New Moon leaves theatres. After all, nothing says love like two vampires squaring off to the death over a human girl. Oh, the irony. But remember, there was also a love triangle in Buffy the Vampire Slayer between Angel, Buffy, and Spike, which proved to be more successful than anyone could have imagined.

The Buffy Factor

One of the biggest things to jump out at us after the first photos for The Vampire Diaries hit the web was how much the stills looked and felt similar to the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer at first and second glances. Of course we're not saying The Vampire Diaries will be Buffy reincarnate, but the more we saw of The Vampire Diaries, the more the imagery appeared to have a similar spirit or tone akin to Buffy. Since Buffy the Vampire Slayer left the airwaves in 2003, no other vampire themed show has been able to fill the void left behind by either Buffy or its spin-off, Angel.

Although Buffy had her day in the TV sun from 1997 to 2003, there was still huge demand for teen vampire drama when it left the airwaves and in the five years in between Buffy and the Twilight Saga. Obviously Twilight tapped into a similar teen vampire well in the absence of a show that still had legions of worldwide fans.

Although The Vampire Diaries won't be Buffy reincarnate, the upcoming CW series could very well fill a certain unseen Buffy void while also luring Twilight fans since The Vampire Diaries will most certainly be running during the gap between New Moon and Eclipse. It's also interesting to note that The Vampire Diaries airs on the very network where Buffy had its early roots from the days of running on The WB before heading to UPN.

The Vancouver Factor

Who knows just how much this will play into the pilot success of The Vampire Diaries, but it's hard not to mention that The Vampire Diaries (the pilot) and New Moon were shot in the same city. Coincidence? Perhaps. But like other vampire-themed films or television shows shot in Vancouver, The Vampire Diaries certainly took advantage of the dreary Vancouver atmosphere, the same environment and weather conditions that New Moon experienced since both projects were shooting in the city at the exact same time.

Although The Vampire Diaries pilot was shot in Vancouver, just like New Moon and currently Eclipse, the Diaries and producers capitalized on Vancouver's lush foliage and never-ending rain to create the perfect atmosphere full of late night wanderings through thick forests and seemingly endless, desolate trails just ripe for vampires to make a foggy killing. In the end, the bottom line of shooting in Vancouver comes down to just that, "the bottom line," since it offers cheaper production costs.

But when you look at the production locations of both The Vampire Diaries (the pilot) and New Moon, there may be more than meets the vampire eye, which can only benefit the debut of The Vampire Diaries in terms of a relatable reality for Twilight Saga fans.

Dramatic Irony

One of the biggest assets in developing strong teenage angst in The Vampire Diaries is creator Kevin Williamson's ability to blend dramatic irony with quick wit. Sarcasm is often the lowest form of it if not done right, but it is an integral part of teen life from 2000 and beyond and The Vampire Diaries characters, Stefan and Damon have had centuries of experience honing it from the pages and mind of author L.J. Smith.

The inevitable comparison to Buffy the Vampire Slayer is most evident with the creative flow of dialogue, but the relationship between Elena and Stefan is rooted in two equal characters as compared to a damsel-in-distress storyline.

By all accounts, Vampire Diaries actress, Nina Dobrev, does a good job of making sure that Elena remains strong and keeps Damon interested without being too, for lack of a better word, girly. Since vampire lovers who cross over from Twilight will get a weekly fix on The CW, The Vampire Diaries may be more relatable in using sarcasm in a much more believable manner than Twilight as the series evolves.

The Characters, Cast, and Room to Grow

The final, if not most important part of The Vampire Diaries could hinge on the characters and development of Elena, Damon, and Stefan. Unlike the stand-alone Twilight Saga movies, The Vampire Diaries has more room to work with since we'll get to know the characters throughout weeks rather than years before another two-hour Twilight shot.

Think about this for a second: The entire Twilight Saga on film - Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn - will clock in at approximately eight hours in total, two hours per movie (give or take), over a three year period. With thirteen one-hour episodes ordered for The Vampire Diaries in its first season, viewers will see thirteen hours of character development in one year (season, give or take) of The Vampire Diaries. If all goes well with The Vampire Diaries, The CW series will be steadily building upon its fan base while the Twilight Saga sits idle between theatrical releases.

Nina Dobrev is no stranger to playing strong characters after her success on Degrassi as Mia, a teen mother. Faced with adversity in The Vampire Diaries due to the loss of her parents in a car accident while dealing with a drug addicted younger brother, Elena also battles her own demons, which helps to lure viewers into the character with a sense of curiosity. It may be through those very demons that viewers come to care about Elena most.

Paul Wesley takes on the role of brooding and withdrawn, non blood drinking vampire Stefan, the character foil to his older brother Damon, who's looking to start anew. Wesley has appeared in other high profile shows, including 24 and American Dreams, so the new CW vampire is no stranger to a dramatic role. All of that experience will be necessary to balance the conundrum that is Stefan Salvatore who battles inner demons of guilt and shame of being a vampire. But can handsome and hot Wesley become the TV equivalent of former Buffy beau, Angel, or more importantly the small-screen version of Edward Cullen in terms of popularity?

What appears to be the strongest acting asset of The Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder steps into the shoes of Damon, the more evil inclined vampire brother of Stefan who takes full advantage of his supernatural abilities for his own gain. Interestingly, The Vampire Diaries has the wolf aspect of Twilight covered since Damon can transform into a crow or a Lycan. The novels tell the tale of Damon's deep love for Elena, which gives rise to passionate devotion and a strong sense of loyalty. It could very well be a cliché gone wrong unless the writers of The Vampire Diaries falter and Somerhalder doesn't have the proper script and story ingredients to balance the right amounts of evil and wiles.

The Final Bite

Much like the Twilight Saga, even The CW hit Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries already has a built-in fan base from its legacy as a literary property. Although Twilight Saga fans will always be fans of the Stephenie Meyer penned series of novels and subsequent Twilight films, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, The Vampire Diaries could very well lure Twilighters into its weekly coffin. Although there's more global money to be had with the stand alone Twilight films, The Vampire Diaries on TV will see the characters and audience reaction change, which will impact the direction and development of future storylines. Small changes to certain characters will already facilitate that change. From our standpoint, there's no doubt in our minds that if The Vampire Diaries is as good as it looks, the new CW series will definitely take a bite out of the popularity of Twilight.

-- Nadya Vlassoff