The Vampire Diaries (TV series)

The Vampire Diaries is a TV drama filmed in Covington, Georgia, based on the book series of the same name by L. J. Smith. The plot revolves around Elena Gilbert, a young heroine who is the object of passion for two vampire brothers—one good, one evil—who are at war for her soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.

The series premiered on The CW on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 8 p.m., filling the network's previous Smallville slot, and on CTV at 7 p.m. The show will premiere in early 2010 on ITV2 in the UK and from December 2009 on Mya in Italy. It will be paired with Supernatural as part of a horror-themed night.The show will also be screened on GO! in Australia from October 2009.

Development

On February 6, 2009, Variety announced that The CW greenlit the pilot for The Vampire Diaries with Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec set as the writers and executive producers. On May 19, 2009, the pilot was officially ordered to series for the 2009-2010 season.


Cast and characters

Principal cast

Actor -Character
Nina Dobrev -Elena Gilbert
Paul Wesley -Stefan Salvatore
Ian Somerhalder -Damon Salvatore
Katerina Graham -Bonnie Bennett
Steven R. McQueen -Jeremy Gilbert
Sara Canning -Jenna Sommers
Zach Roerig -Matt Donovan
Candice Accola -Caroline Forbes
Michael Trevino -Tyler Lockwood
Kayla Ewell -Vicki Donovan

Recurring
Actor -Character
Chris William Martin -Zach Salvatore

Changes from the novels

The television series has changed many things in adapting the novels to screen. Some minor changes include characters' last names being changed and their relationships to each other somewhat altered. Some major changes include renaming the town the story is set in. Fell's Church was changed to Mystic Falls, as producers were unable to get legal clearance for the name. Also, Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's younger brother, is not a character in the novels (Elena instead has a little sister named Margaret). Similarly, the character of Jenna Sommers, Elena's aunt, was originally named Judith Gilbert in the novels. The character of Bonnie in the novels was a red head and a descendant to the Druids, in the TV series she appears African-American and is a descendant of the Salem witches. Also Vicki and Matt are brother and sister in the TV series but aren't in the novels.

Both Damon's and Stefan's back stories have also been changed. Instead of hailing from Renaissance Italy, Stefan and Damon appear to be from Civil War-era Mystic Falls. Another addition is Zach, Stefan and Damon's human relative, as this character never appeared in the novels. Also, in the novels, Elena is described as a blonde, blue-eyed, "ice princess", whereas in the show she is a brown-eyed brunette. In the books, Caroline is also depicted as an "Egyptian Princess", where in the show she has blonde hair and blue eyes. Elena's other best friend Meredith from the novel is not in the TV series. However, it has been hinted that she will eventually appear.