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VAMPIRE DIARIES |
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Press Preview
Elena Gilbert - Nina Dobrev Stefan Salvatore - Paul Wesley Damon Salvatore - Ian Somerhalder Jeremy Gilbert - Steven R McQueen Bonnie Bennett - Katerina Graham Caroline Forbes - Candice Accola Matt Donovan - Zach Roerig Vicki Donovan - Kayla Ewell Tyler Lockwood - Michael Trevino Jenna Somers - Sara Canning 
OTHER VAMPIRE SHOWS Angel Buffy the vampire Slayer Blood Ties Moonlight True Blood Ultraviolet 
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PilotLife has not been treating Elena well recently. Her parents recently died in a car accident and her brother has taken it badly, turning to drugs and drug dealing. Now living with their young aunt, Elena puts on a brave face for the new school term, but finds matters complicated by the arrival of Stefan, a really hot guy who just appears to be fascinated by her. When the girl that her brother is interested in gets attacked, Stefan realises that it was a vampire attack, him being a vampire himself. Then his brother Damon shows up and proves to be little less scrupulous when it comes to feeding on innocent humans. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES has so much in common with TWILIGHT that it is surprising that nobody's sued yet. True, in that film the teenage girl hadn't lost her parents, but she was troubled, the vampire was troubled, there were family issues and whilst romance was blossoming people were dying in the background. All of this is the same in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES except that the principals are prettier and the dialogue is snappier in a Buffy the vampire Slayer sort of way. Oh, and the weather is better since Mystic Falls (yes, really) isn't the rainiest place in the continental United States of America. The teenage audience that the show is targeting will lap up the mix of pretty people, high school angst, hints of sex and occasional bloody violence, but it's a bit too slick and too polished and too shallow. This is only the opening episode and matters may improve (the US success suggests that it does), but it needs to do so quickly if it is not to go the way of other recent vamp shows. Top Night of the CometVicki, attacked by a vampire, is in the hospital and a threat to exposing Stefan's presence as a vampire, so he uses his mind control power on her, but since he is a vampire that doesn't feed on humans his abilities are weaker than his evil brother's. Damon has plans for his brother, plans he intends to put into practice on the night that a comet returns to the skies over Mystic Falls. Damon's a very bad vampire, but he's trying to be a good brother, bringing Stefan back into the fold of full vampirehood, whether he wants to or not. That's the background to the plot arc of the show as revealed here with Ian Somerhalder smouldering in his most evil fashion from every corner of the screen. He's certainly a good deal more fun than Paul Wesley's tortured Stefan or Nina Dobrev's vanilla-bland heroine. Thank goodness, then, that the plotting revolves around vamp attack victim Vicki and whether her memory loss is all that it needs to be to keep Stefan safe. That leads to another brotherly face-off, this time on a roof, before everything fizzles out. The lovers are now entwined in each others' arms, so it's hard to see where the tension is going to come from in the future. Top Friday Night BitesElena decides to go back to her cheerleading former life, but finds it harder than she thought. Stefan, though, signs up for the football team thanks to his inhuman skills. A meal that Elena holds to let Bonnie get to know Stefan is rudely interrupted by Stefan, who now controls Caroline and who is invited into Elena's home. The first football game, though, is where everything is going to kick off and you just know it's going to end in tears, and perhaps blood. The introductions have been made and the situations laid out and so it's down to business as Elena learns more about the enmity between Stefan and Damon. Damon loved Katerina and blames Stefan for it, causing him to wage a centuries old vendetta of pain against his brother. Elena is now the battleground, but both sides have some moves and she isn't going to lay down and take it meekly either. These revelations shade out the characters more, giving them more depth and meaning other than to serve the central love story and giving a wider audience something to appreciate in the show rather than it's teenage angst angle. Ian Somerhalder gets more screen time and his Damon starts to turn into a more rounded villain, more charming and more deadly because now he has a purpose, however twisted that might be. He's also having a good deal of fun with it, which makes him more appealing again. He's got a long way to go before rising to the ranks of the great vampires, but he's made a good start. Top Family TiesThe introductions have been made and the situations laid out and so it's down to business as Elena learns more about the enmity between Stefan and Damon. Damon loved Katerina and blames Stefan for it, causing him to wage a centuries old vendetta of pain against his brother. Elena is now the battleground, but both sides have some moves and she isn't going to lay down and take it meekly either. These revelations shade out the characters more, giving them more depth and meaning other than to serve the central love story and giving a wider audience something to appreciate in the show rather than it's teenage angst angle. This is pure glossy teen soap opera for the vast majority of its length. Sure it starts with vampires stabbing each other and sharing some witty banter (Ian Somerhalder getting all the best lines, of course), but then it settles down into the relationship issues. It's very well done glossy teen soap opera, however, which manages to stay on the right side of dull. Things pick up at the party as witches start to use their powers, Stefan borrows a trick from ANGEL to bring his brother down and a conspiracy is born. Things might be looking up for future episodes. Top You're Undead to MeStefan has Damon locked safely away, he thinks, and can get on with his life, which means trying to make things up to Elena and take part in a 'sexy' car wash. This episode is really all about Elena and Stefan dancing around each other as she comes closer to learning the truth and he desperately tries to hide it, though not desperately enough to stay away from her. It's obvious from the start that Damon is going to get out, that is what the show is about after all, so there's no real tension about it happening, just a sense of inevitability. The rest of the storylines are very much in the teen soap opera mould. As for getting the cast (except the principals) stripping off to wash cars, well that's a little bit obvious and below the show's quality. Top Lost GirlsElena demands to know what Stefan is and so he tells her everything, including how he and Damon came to be vampires. Damon, meanwhile, is partying with Vicki and decides to turn her, but it's a process that she will need to embrace freely. There is so much talking in this episode that information download fatigue sets in fairly quickly and severely. Stefan is finally opening up to Elena, but it takes forever and involves a whole load of flashbacks. Can there ever be a vampire show now that doesn't have ANGEL style flashbacks? Even with the information overload there isn't enough plot to fill out the whole episode so that Stefan has to stand moodily outside Elena's house to music, Damon and Vicki have a party moment to music and Elena has to deal with what she has learned to music. We need fewer musical montages and more actual plot please. In fact only the moments where Stefan gets shot and Damon sets Vicki on the road to vampirism rise above the a level of gloss that can't hide an empty centre and that's because they're suprise shock moments and so only last, well, a moment. Top HauntedNow that Damon has turned Vicki, she has a craving for human blood, but none of the control needed to feed without killing her victim. Stefan starts her on the long road to controlling her addiction, but the lure of the school's Hallowe'en party is too much. Vicki was always a bit of handful as a human, but as a vampire she's even harder to control. The main part of the story is the will she/won't she feed as the brothers squabble over the best way to help her through her change. Things liven up considerably when everyone goes to the fancy dress party. Unfortunately, it's all a bit shallow and dull up until the party shenanigans. The Vicki character is too petulant to sympathise with and everyone else is in a holding pattern. Top Press PreviewA young woman in a new place is torn between two men of supernatural origin, vampiric to be precise. Sound familiar? If you've managed to miss the whole TWILIGHT phenomenon then (a) you've been living in a cave in darkest Borneo with only the local wildlife for company and (b) you won't know that it's sparked off the biggest resurgence in the bloodsucker genre ever. We have the short-lived likes of "ITV2 presents 'The Vampire Diaries', a brand new and exclusive drama for viewers to sink their teeth into. Think you know vampires? Unsuspecting Elena Gilbert (NINA DOBREV) is about to get to know two when a pair of very different brothers; one good, one evil — go to war for her soul. Created by Kevin Williamson, the writer behind the iconic 'Scream' films and much loved TV hit 'Dawson’s Creek', 'The Vampire Diaries' is the story of a compelling love triangle with a dark, dramatic twist. How far will the vampire brothers take their sibling rivalry to win over Elena, the object of their obsession? The sleepy town of Mystic Falls will never be the same again." "Elena Gilbert’s life has been turned upside down since the tragic death of her parents in a car accident four months ago. Over the summer that follows, Elena tries her best to keep troublesome younger brother, Jeremy (STEVEN R. MCQUEEN) from spiralling out of control. He has turned to alcohol and drugs to hide his grief and trouble brews when he becomes infatuated with rebellious Vicki, (KAYLA EWELL) the sister of Elena’s former boyfriend Matt, (ZACH ROERIG) who still has feelings for his ex. Elena attempts to salvage what family life her and Jeremy have left, with the help of their Aunt Jenna (SARA CANNING), now the Gilbert’s legal guardian. " "On her first day back at Mystic Falls High School, Elena meets Stefan Salvatore (PAUL WESLEY), the devastatingly handsome but mysterious new boy at school. There is an instant attraction between the two lost souls and they form an immediate deep connection. However, Elena is unaware that her enigmatic new boyfriend is hiding a dark and deadly secret. Stefan is a vampire, continually resisting the urge to taste her blood. Elena’s best friend Bonnie (KATERINA GRAHAM) is coming to terms with her new found psychic abilities and the bad feeling she picks up from Stefan leave her deeply worried. There is also competition in store as Elena’s rival Caroline (CANDICE ACCOLA) sets her manipulative sights on Stefan." "When the residents of the usually quiet Mystic Falls become the victims of a series of violent attacks, Stefan’s suspicions are raised and it’s not long before his greatest fear is realised. His older brother and bitter enemy Damon (IAN SOMERHALDER) has followed him back to their childhood home to wreak havoc and claim Elena for himself." "The brothers have a turbulent, brutal past and Damon understands his brother's fixation with Elena better than anyone. She looks exactly like Katherine, a woman Stefan loved more than a century ago and who Damon tried to make his own. Now history is repeating itself and the immortal brothers are battling it out for Elena's soul." "The series was a ratings smash when it premiered in the US in September 2009 and is based on the bestselling series of books by L.J Smith. ‘The Vampire Diaries’ is packed with tension, drama, mystery, romance and plenty of bloodsucking!"
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