# The Vampire Diaries (2009)

> Two vampire brothers compete for the affection of a young woman who looks exactly like the lost love they shared in 1864.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/16826

## Facts

- Seasons: 8
- Episodes: 171
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: fantasy, drama, romance, horror
- Created by: Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson
- Network: The CW
- Cast: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Sara Canning, Kat Graham, Candice King, Zach Roerig
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405406/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: romantic, melodramatic, emotional, tense, dark

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with viewers praising the emotional romance and the dual vampire-brother dynamic while finding the teen soap elements and loud music uneven.

## Synopsis

The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017) is an American supernatural romance series created by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson for The CW. Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) is a high school student in a small Virginia town whose life is upended when the vampire brothers Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) arrive, both drawn to her because she bears a striking resemblance to Katherine, a ruthless vampire they loved in 1864. Elena wants a normal teenage life with her friends Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham), Caroline Forbes (Candice King) and her brother Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen), but each season pulls her into a tangle of supernatural threats, werewolves, witches and old grudges that test her loyalties. The engine is romantic tension sharpened by danger, with the brothers' rivalry shaping nearly every episode. Told as a serialized eight-season run, the show mixes melodramatic soap storytelling with flashbacks into the past and a steady stream of gothic set pieces. The tone is romantic, emotional and frequently melodramatic, with moments of dread and bloodshed. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood and Teen Wolf will find resonance in its blend of teen angst, supernatural mythology and swooning love triangles.

## Shows like The Vampire Diaries

- [Fallen (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/135625)
- [Roswell (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/4402)
- [Heirs of the Night (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/79371)
- [The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/1104988)
- [Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/83)
- [Bitten (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54072)
- [The Originals (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/42473)
- [Vampire Academy (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/104411)
- [Vampires (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/83984)
- [V Wars (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/69771)

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