What was fresh and exciting back then (a moody soap opera about an angst-ridden vampire) is now somewhat cliche. You can't just recreate the original show (for the third time!) and expect an audience raised on Anne Rice, Buffy, Angel, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Being Human, and Twilight to react the same way audiences did way when we were kids. Just having a soulful vampire hero is no longer unique or surprising.
This is true.