The Twilight Saga vs. The Vampire Diaries: Part I

As a celebrity gossip site that dutifully follows the Twilight Saga, we've been receiving numerous emails that essentially ask the same questions:

What's the deal with The Vampire Diaries? Is this upcoming show just a rip-off of the Stephenie Meyer-based franchise?

The answer is: yes and no. It's hard to believe The CW would air The Vampire Diaries if not for the recent success of blood suckers on the big and small screen, from Twilight to True Blood.

But The Vampire Diaries is actually based on a series of books that came out long before Twilight, as author L.J. Smith published The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening in 1991.

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Do these stories have a lot in common with the Twilight Saga? Should fans of Edward Cullen and company tune in to the pilot of The Vampire Diaries on September 10?

Over the next few days, we'll preview the highly-anticipated show by comparing aspects of it to the beloved big screen world inspired by Meyer's novels. First up: Edward vs. Stefan Salvatore.

SIMILARITIES:

• Both are vampires; possess similar facial features (high cheekbones, angular jaw, wavy hair); seriously crush on a human high school student; neither drinks human blood.

DIFFERENCES:

• Edward is physically unaffected by his disdain for human blood, Stefan is noticeably slow and weak; Edward's family supports his love for Bella, Stefan's brother is vehemently against his feelings for Elena; Edward can read minds, Stefan cannot; Edward is played by a Brit (Robert Pattinson), Stefan's portrayer is from New Jersey (Paul Wesley).

Coming tomorrow: Part II of this comparative series - Jacob Black vs. Damon Salvatore!