DVD Reviews: 2010 Rookie TV Seasons Including ‘The Good Wife,’ ‘NCIS: Los Angeles,’ More

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The Vampire Diaries: Season One”

HollywoodChicago.com DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0
DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0

I have honestly tried very hard to find out why “The Vampire Diaries” has become something of a cult hit. The obsession with everything bloodsucker from “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” to “True Blood” seems to have fueled interest in the show because it’s certainly not the writing or the acting. The most interesting thing about “The Vampire Diaries” is that it seems clear that The CW is becoming a network of solely genre product. “Smallville,” “Supernatural,” “The Vampire Diaries,” and this fall’s “Nikita.” Sure, there’s the occasional soapy hit like “Life Unexpected,” but the breakouts on this network are all built around fantasy characters and creatures. They should rename it the “Guilty Pleasure Network.”

The Vampire Diaries: Season One was released on DVD on August 31st, 2010.
The Vampire Diaries: Season One was released on DVD on August 31st, 2010.
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Home Video

Because you have to feel guilt to really love “The Vampire Diaries.” Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, the show is cut straight from the “Twilight” cloth with a similar blend of teen angst and eternal damnation. Set in Mystic Falls, VA, the show centers around two brothers (Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder) and a girl (Nina Dobrev) who looks exactly like a crucial figure from their past. As a fan of “Supernatural,” I’m all for some creature-feature action, but you can cut the melodrama on “The Vampire Diaries” with a stake. The show is just baked in “Twilight”-esque cheese and most of the cast, with the exception of Somerhalder and partially Dobrev, is simply not that interesting. To be fair, while I’m not a fan of the show itself, the DVD set is notable with a strong video transfer and an extensive collection of special features. Even if I don’t like a program, it’s always nice to see its fans treats this well.

“The Vampire Diaries: Season One” is presented with a matted widescreen transfer and with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Track.

Special Features:
o “Into Mystic Falls”
o “When Vampires Don’t Suck!”
o “The Vampire Diaries: A New Breed of Vampires”
o Unaired Scenes
o “The Vampire Diaries: Vampires 101”
o Creator/Director Pilot Commentary
o “The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth” Webisodes
o “Second Bite: Gag Reel”
o Downloadable Audiobook of the Bestselling Novel “The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening” by L.J. Smith

‘The Vampire Diaries: Season One’ is released by Warner Brothers and stars Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder. It was released on August 31st, 2010. It is not rated and runs 925 minutes.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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