The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the premiere episode of the CBS show, "Moonlight."

Joel Silver was right when he said "Moonlight" will not be "Angel." Unless there is a serious improvement in the writing, the new CBS vampire detective drama will never get out from under the shadow of its predecessor because it is too dull to be seen. Still, there is a slight gleam of potential in all the murkiness.

I have to say that I may be judging the show unfairly because a "vampire detective show," if it has become its own genre, has a lot to overcome with the legacy of the much under-appreciated "Angel." Fans of the critically-acclaimed Joss Whedon series, as the target audience for this kind of show, will be hard to win over with this bland, humorless contender.

It's "Angel" without the heart, brain or soul.

The first sign that this show was in trouble was it's opening with an "interview with a vampire" that serves as the setting for the clichéd noir narration that was clever sixty years ago, but has become worn out with too much wear since the 1940s. It comes off as an amateurish means of introducing viewers to the characters and the story.

Nick St. John is a "good" vampire who works as a private investigator to stop other vampires from preying on people. Alex O'Laughlin as Mick, works to give his vampire detective some depth, but his acting talent can't overcome the substandard dialogue and the generic murder mystery plot. The result is that he is pretty to look at, but doesn't have much going on inside. Again, the bland story makes his character bland -- which sort of undermines the whole purpose of making him a vampire.

It's "Angel" without a personality. Or interesting characters. Or original plots. Or good writing. Or: well you know what I mean.

The rest of the cast includes several actors who have proven they can be fantastic actors, but in "Moonlight," they all come off as dull and hollow. Sophia Myles, who was mesmerizing as Madame De Pompadour in the "Doctor Who" episode "The Girl In The Fireplace," came off as barely better than a nascent starlet or a member of the high school drama club as Beth Turner, an internet news reporter. In the episode, Beth quickly comes to the conclusion that the string of murders she is covering was committed by a vampire cult, to which various characters respond with the all-too-frequently uttered mantra (and title of this episode), "There's no such thing as vampires."

Jason Dohring, who captured hearts and an enthusiastic following during his run in "Veronica Mars" doesn't fare much better than Myles. While his character strives to be snarky, the snark simply sounds like snerk even as Dohring tries his best to add some personality to 400-year-old vampire Josef Konstantin. Still, I dont blame Dohring for the tepid delivery. He can only be as good as the material he has to work with.

Shannyn Sossamon ("A Knight's Tale") plays Nick's undead wife, Coraline with a crazed ferocity that hinted at what the show could be. She was the one actor who successfully brought her character to life. It may be because the story that she shares with Nick and Beth is far more intriguing than the vampire cult murder story that everyone else has to muddle through.

What Worked

The final scenes revealing Mick's and Coraline's past with Beth suddenly brought the show to life. Not only were they done artistically and dramatically, but they added a whole new level to the show that maybe -- just maybe -- indicates Moonlight could be redeemed.

What didnt work

The generic vampire cult crime saga dragged. I kept waiting for it to get more interesting. It didnt.

The acting was sub-par, especially considering the work the show's actors have done on other shows. Instead of vampires being slain by wooden stakes, these vamps and damsels gave wooden performances that made me want to slay my TV. I didn't.

The listless narration was more distracting than informative. The narration might have worked had other aspects of the story and its presentation been more interesting or entertaining. They weren't.

This series is white bread "Angel." It's been bleached out, genetically modified, leached of all it's nutritional value, pasteurized, homogenized, and packaged in a generic brand wrapper. I kept thinking to myself as I watched, "I can't believe I have to write reviews of this show. It means I'll have to watch it again!"

Still, if the writers come up with more creative stories and give me reason to care about the characters, I can see it running as long as six episodes.

"There's No Such Thing As Vampires" was written by David Greenwalt and directed by Scott Lautanen. It stars Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles,Jason Dohring and Shannyn Sossamon.

"Moonlight" airs on CBS Fridays at 9 p.m. ET.