Breakdown/Shakedown
The Vampire Diaries premiered The CW Television Network on September 10, 2009; it is currently in its second season. The series was designed by Kevin Williamson and is based on the series of books of the same name, written by L.J. Smith. Leslie Morgenstein, Bob Levy, Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec are all head producers of the show. The CW airs both new and older episodes of the popular show; they also post the most recent episodes online.
Gossip Girl premiered on The CW Television Network on September 19, 2007, and is currently running its 4th season. The show was written by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, also based on the book series of the same name, written by Cecily von Ziegesar. Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Bob Levy, Leslie Morgenstein and John Stephens are the lead producers for the show. You can find current and old episodes on The CW and selection of the most recent episodes online.
Category 1: Main Cast
The Vampire Diaries
Elena Gilbert
Stefan Salvatore
Damon Salvatore
Jeremy Gilbert
Jenna Summers
Bonnie Bennett
Caroline Forbes
Matt Donovan
Tyler Lockwood
Alaric Saltzman
Katherine Pierce
Vicki Donovan (former main cast)
Gossip Girl
Blair Waldorf
Serena van der Woodsen
Dan Humphrey
Nate Archibald
Jenny Humphrey
Chuck Bass
Vanessa Abrams
Lily Bass Humphrey
Rufus Humphrey
Gossip Girl
Who Wins?
I say Gossip Girl wins on this level. They have a better cast, in my opinion–the characters seem more interesting. The storylines also seem more real than those of The Vampire Diaries’ fantasy storylines and characters. However, The Vampire Diaries does have some interesting options when considered for their characters–but I am sticking with my original choice.
Category 2: Secondary Characters
The Vampire Diaries
Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes
Mayor Richard Lockwood & wife Carol Lockwood
Sheila “Grams” Bennett
Emily Bennett
Annabelle (Anna)
Isobel Flemming-Saltzman
Pearl
Jonatham “John” Gilbert
Mason Lockwood
Elijah
Rosemarie “Rose”
Jules
Gossip Girl
Eric van der Woodsen
Dorota Kishlovsky
Eleanor Waldorf-Rose
Celia “CeCe” Rhodes
Carter Baizen
Georgina Sparks
Penelope Shafai
Howard “The Captain” Archibald
Anne Archibald
Anges Andrews
Cyrus Rose
Vanya
Jack Bass
Damien Dalgaard
William van der Woodsen
Juliet Sharp
Ben Donovan
Who Wins?
They both have a good mixture of related and individual characters. I think I will say that they both are tied on this level. Neither one stands out more than the other to me. For me it is too close to pick which one is the winner over secondary characters.
Guest Stars
The Vampire Diaries
Melinda Clarke
Michaela McManus
Gina Torres
Gossip Girl
Dreama Walker
Hilary Duff
Clemence Poesy
Sam Page
Who Wins?
Gossip Girl has been around longer and thus has had bigger names guest starring on their show. Yet that does make it a winner by default, since any show can get big guest stars if they are big and popular enough. With The Vampire Diaries you could even say that having lesser known stars is a high point. I will have to give The Vampire Diaries this one, just because it is refreshing that they gave lesser known popular stars a chance to appear on a big show.
Category 3: Over-All Concept
The basic plots of both shows are not similar, yet both have become very popular teen shows. The Vampire Diaries is not exactly a show most teens can relate with, since it’s about a girl with a vampire boyfriend, yet it does provide an exciting break from real life for them. Gossip Girl, on the other hand, is a show that most teens can relate with at one point or another. The drama and up/down relationships happen to everybody, but the show provides it from the rich point of view. Yet both shows do give viewers a great story that keeps people on their toes. Never-ending drama seems to be the main thread that runs in the shows, which can be fun for teens to watch and know that the drama is not their own.
Over-All Thoughts
The Vampire Diaries has gained some backlash over the maturity of the show, yet the show is still targeted to teens. I wouldn’t say that the show is not right for teens, but I will say that some of the elements might be cause for concern. All in all the show is entertaining, and that is what it comes down to, in the end. The writers do an excellent job with the plots and keeping the story twisting for fans to keep on their toes, which is not an easy job for writers to do. This is why I do think that show has some great points about it.
Gossip Girl
A show about rich kids and their issues may not sound like much of a show, yet surprisingly it has a large following. Dealing with frienemies to home life, the show covers many topics that today’s teens face. Perhaps this is the reason why many parents also do not support this show? I will add that the cast does an amazing job at the roles they play, and seeing the fashions is just a bonus. This show does a good job at being a show; something new always happens, and while it may not be surprising, it still is a lot of fun to watch.
Favorite Episode or Moment
The Vampire Diaries’ best episode had to be “Katerina,” just because we learn more about what happened to Katerina who is currently known as Katherine, which helps the viewers understand her more and thus helps give the story a new perspective.
“The Townie” episode of Gossip Girl is a perfect example of the drama that makes the show popular in the first place. On top of that, a lot of the truth comes out in it, and it answers a lot of questions about Serena.
Intangibles
Both shows cover drama and dangerous lives of characters. Also, the fact that they both happen to be on the CW is one of things they do have in common. That is where I find the commonalities end, though–in all reality, they are very different programs. One is considered a drama, while the other is fantasy. Thus, it makes it hard to find real intangibles between both shows.
Final Thoughts
Both shows are entertaining, yet Gossip Girl seems to be more original than The Vampire Diaries, even though it does follow the same kind of line that past popular shows from CW (and parent channels) have used. Also, the storylines are something that almost anyone can find themselves relating to. That is hard to do with a show where most of the characters are not mortal.
The Vampire Diaries in a lot of ways reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which makes the show feel like it does not have a whole lot of new things involved. But that does give the former Buffy fans and current Twilight fans a chance to see more of their favorite supernatural roles.
Gossip Girl really isn’t like any other show; it is unique, and while a show about rich kids is not a new concept, the series still brings more new elements into it than not. Drama, love and, of course, enemies seem to keep this show fresh and exciting for viewers, who keep on wanting more. I also think that the plot lines seem to work better, since they do not confuse viewers as the stories sometimes do in The Vampire Diaries.
So I have to say that Gossip Girl wins, just because I feel that it fits better with most viewers. Also, it doesn’t have scenes that might scare or upset some viewers, which is always a plus for any show. I wish I could say both win, but at this stage The Vampire Diaries lacks what Gossip Girl has.
Who do you think wins in this case?