The Vampire Diaries and Being Human Offer Vampires and Werewolves and Ghosts … Oh My!
Posted 07.28.09 by reelz
Since Twilight, there seems to be a resurgence in the popularity of Vampire mythology and nowhere was this more evident than at Comic-Con. Not only did rabid Twi-hards camp out almost two days just for Summit’s New Moon presentation, a couple of panels featuring TV series about vampires were also big draws.
Premiering on the CW this fall, The Vampire Diaries seems to be positioning itself to fill the gap for vampire fans needing a more frequent fix. While based on a books series of the same name from the early 90’s, long before many Twilight fans were even born, it was hard not to draw comparisons between it and Twilight while watching the pilot. The Vampire Diaries' leads bear striking resemblances to their Twilight counterparts. Many shots of Edward Stefan were eerily similar to shots from Twilight and New Moon and more than a few of the characters feel very familiar to Bella’s Forks friends ... not to mention that Stefan refuses to drink human blood.
Some of the differences may be key to distinguishing Diaries from Twilight if the show is allowed to develop. The antagonistic relationship between Stefan and his brother Damon (played by Lost’s Ian Sommerholder) could provide for some exciting battles and Elena’s friend with psychic abilities Bonnie will be able to add new intrigue as she discovers the depth of her abilities.
Across the pond, the BBC has found huge success with their series Being Human. The premise is about a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost sharing a house together in Bristol. George the Werewolf and Annie the Ghost are newer to their situations and still coming to terms with them, while Mitchell, the Vampire, has been undead long enough that he is now trying to come to grips with his "addiction" to human blood.
The first season was only six episodes, which is normal for British television. Season two is still being plotted out but has already been expanded to eight episodes. Creator Toby Whitehouse joked that they are working their way up to an American-style season ... very slowly. The fist season has only just begun to air in the US, but the series already has a devoted follow of American fans thanks to YouTube.