For those looking for a little romance in their lives, look no further than "The Vampire Diaries." Right away you will be swept up into the warm and gentle embrace of an innocent love story of a young girl who unknowingly befriends a lonely newcomer in town with a dark secret: hes a vampire. Having survived a horrific auto accident that claimed the lives of her parents, our heroine bravely faces the first day back at school. Seeing her loneliness and pain, the vampire is drawn to her and their lives become forever intertwined.

Based on the books "The Vampire Diaries," this is a refreshing look at what is by now a classic tale: vampire falls for teenage girl. This series is not to be confused with either "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," last years rage "Twilight," nor even "True Blood." It may offer some of the same basic elements, but what sets it apart is its offering of pure innocence combined with light doses of romance and comedy. Think more along the lines of "Kyle XY" combined with "Moonlight" and you will be closer to what this vampire story portrays. It has lots of "heart," poignancy, humor and light-weight suspense.

What Worked

From the first moment when we are invited to fall in love with this dark, mysterious world, it seduces us with lush forests, thick swirling mists, twinkling starlight, and something very evil lurking in the shadows. And in the midst of all of this visually stunning backdrop and ambiance, we meet Elena, the charming heroine who smiles through her pain and discomfort. Sharing in her hidden pain is her younger brother, Jeremy, who is not coping as gracefully with their parents death, and they are carefully watched over by their cheerful college-age aunt. Their family interplay is surprisingly easy and refreshing; for despite their personal loss, they are still closely tied-together with love and affection. Also providing solid friendship and support is Elenas friend, Bonnie, who believes she may have inherited a gift for fortune-telling and her attempts to wield that psychic ability provides some of the better comedic moments.

Overall, I found all of these relationships to be strong and believable. In fact, I felt rather envious at their unusually warm, loving familial embrace and because of that, knew that from those first moments amongst them, that I had found a "home."

When we are introduced to Stefan, who appears to be a teenager, but who has clearly lived for many lifetimes, he appears self-assured, but reserved -- and, but for a chance meeting, he may have evaded Elenas notice for quite awhile. However, upon first encounter, he senses that she is different, and he cannot help but be drawn to her. He is not merely drawn to her out of blood-lust, but because there is something more about her that we are to discover in future episodes. And there is an inexplicable bond that draws them together -- whether it is destiny or something more, I am sure that is the secret the series will slowly unveil.

Also nicely rounding out the cast are the Elena and Jeremys classmates, Caroline the ditsy blonde who just wants to be loved; Vicki, the dark femme fatale; and Tyler, Elenas adorable ex-boyfriend. Unlike most teenage peers, these are characters that enhance the conversational exchanges of our heroine and hero. They provide enlightening and engaging foils to bring out other aspects of their characters that may otherwise remain hidden and untested. It is an art for supporting characters to bring something more to the table than just being background, so they are a delicious accoutrement.

Then theres Damon, whose relationship with Stephan goes beyond the obvious. Clearly, Stephan and Damon share a dark past, yet cannot stand to be around each other and are cursed to do so. And whenever one or both are around, there are some very scary black crows hovering nearby and willow-wisps that scintillate the presence of evil at its very core.

What Didnt Work

If you are not the type of person who enjoys Gothic-romance for the younger generation, the series may be too cloyingly sweet and innocent for your taste. Blatantly capitalizing on the rabid fan-base created by the "Twilight" film and books, "The Vampire Diaries" is clearly hoping to snag that same audience. While it will not be understood that "Vampire Diaries" pre-dated "Twilight," the fact it is being made into a TV show now will appear to be an attempt to ride the coat-tails of another vampire franchise -- which is a shame because "Vampire Diaries" deserves to be assessed on its own merits and holds its own appeal and charm.

Additionally, Ian Somerhalders portrayal of the devilish Damon is also lacking in surprise or depth. Yet that may be remedied by further exploration in subsequent episodes. His looks are cadaverous enough to immediately scream "vampire," which is also a draw-back. But I am sure those same looks will hold appeal for viewers with a bad-boy fetish.

Truly, this is a show for the younger audience, but if you are young-at-heart, it will entrance you too.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"The Vampire Diaries," based on the books written by L.J. Smith, premiers Sept. 10 on The CW. "Pilot" is directed by Marcos Siega and is written by Julie Plec ("Kyle XY") and Kevin Williamson ("Dawsons Creek," "Scream"). It stars Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore, Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert, Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy, Ian Somerhalder as Damon, Candice Accola as Caroline, Katerina Graham as Bonnie, Kayla Ewell as Vicki, Michael Trevino as Tyler, Sara Canning as Jenna, Zach Roerig as Matt.