Vampire Diaries will always be my number one favorite shows (even though I literally watch 50 other shows) and The Originals comes a close second. Please keep watching TVD because I promise you won't regret it. It sets up Klaus and the Original family's back story and the way all the characters are connected is really interesting. Even though TVD is my all time fave, I love the Originals for its maturity. The characters are a lot more mature than TVD which is a nice contrast.