Ditching the costumes makes this series seem more realistic? I see people walking around in costumes all the time! (Even when it's not halloween; I live in a weird area).
As for the episode I watched of this show: I hated it. I guess that's to be expected, though, since movie theaters and commercials fed the same teaser to me over, and over, and over again. "I walked through fire and didn't get burned..." Everytime I hear that shit, I not only cringe for the utterly horrible acting, but I can't help but wonder: "Good. You want a cookie or trophy for that?"
They advertised it so much in my area that I'll probably never bother watching it again.