News Bites

Much like green is the new black, it seems that witches are the new vampires.

A renewed interest in vampires really picked up about five years ago thanks to a book series, movie franchise and a certain British actor. And now a new crop of supernatural beings is coming to the forefront.

I’m a fan of the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, and one of my favorite characters is Bonnie, the BFF of vampire lookalike Elena. But Bonnie has some secrets of her own – she comes from a long line of witches. As she has grown into her powers, it has been interesting to see how these witches and vampires can work together toward a common goal, despite their natural inclination not to trust each other.

The CW will add to its paranormal activity next season – hopefully – with the addition of The Secret Circle. The pilot was filmed recently in Vancouver, and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing it on the small screen in the fall for a couple of reasons.

First, the series is based on a series of L.J. Smith novels, just like The Vampire Diaries. And also just like The Vampire Diaries, Kevin Williamson serves as executive producer. The story is different, of course, but if Williamson can create the same magic he has on The Vampire Diaries, I think he’ll have a dedicated following.

The Secret Circle tells the story of a young girl who moves to a new town only to discover not only that she’s a witch, but that she’s also a main player in a good-versus-evil battle. Sounding vaguely familiar, Vampire Diaries fans? Looks like the girl in the middle will have some power of her own this time around.

I’m also excited about the casting of this pilot. The cast includes Britt Robertson as Cassie, the lead character; Shelley Hennig as Diana; Louis Hunter as Nick; and Phoebe Tonkin as Faye, among others. But the one name I was ecstatic to see on the cast list was Gale Harold. His is a name you might not know, but he’s one of my favorite actors, so I’m thrilled to see with his addition to the cast. He might be familiar to the CW audience as a recurring character on Hellcats, Julian. He might also be familiar to audiences as Susan’s love interest on Desperate Housewives. But he’s probably most well-known for his role as Brian Kinney on Queer as Folk. He’s a subtle but dynamic actor, and I think he’ll make a fantastic addition to this show.

The Secret Circle will be on the CW in the fall. Show your support by tuning in with the pilot airs!