Parents' Guide to

The Vampire Diaries

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Blood, violence are the real draw in angsty vampire drama.

TV CW Drama 2009
The Vampire Diaries Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 128 parent reviews

age 15+

Loved it, but definitely 15 yrs +

Absolutely LOVED this show. I thought it was going to be like Twilight (which I didn’t like) so I was skeptical. But I ended up loving it. I love the positive messages of family & the love/sacrifice they have for each other. The messages of friendship and, again, more sacrifices for those they love. It teaches that mistakes happen, but you learn from them and better yourself—you do what you can to fix them. The things you should be cautious of are the underage drinking and drug use. (The use age of drugs was a smaller amount in the first season, but they were taught not to do them and encouraged to stay away from them.) However, the drinking is very consistent. Another thing that made me hesitant to watch the show was sex. The books were violently sexual—I did not read them myself but have friends who did and said it was quite explicit. However, the tv show is not like that. There is lots of kissing and make out scenes (one or two where a girl is in her bra and panties) but no sex scenes or nudity in that regard. Obviously there are implications of sex (guy & girl in a bed together) and some mentions of “hooking up” but no graphic or explicit content. There isn’t a ton of language and there’s lots of blood and death. But nothing super gory.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
4 people found this helpful.
age 10+

would deffinitly recomend for tweens

great show!

This title has:

Great messages
2 people found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (128):
Kids say (518):

Fans of vampires and young adult dramas might enjoy this show's style and themes, which include teen angst, dramatic tension, and conventionally attractive characters who become more complex in each season. The Vampire Diaries took off as a hit with teens and young adults, and maybe even a few of their parents. While there are obvious parallels to the Twilight storyline, it's worth noting that the book trilogy that inspired this series was originally released in 1991, predating Stephenie Meyer's Twilight bestsellers by nearly 15 years.

The Vampire Diaries delivers better-than-average entertainment, boasting a soundtrack that includes songs from artists like The Killers and MGMT. This Teen Choice- and People's Choice-nominated series also gets props for maturing along with its characters, expanding the plot to include much more about Mystic Falls' fascinating past.

TV Details

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