Fresh off NBC’s drama renewals earlier today, the CW has announced a few pickups for its network.  The CW has officially greenlit the spinoff of The Vampire Diaries, titled The Originals, to series.  Last night’s episode of TVD acted as a backdoor pilot for The Originals, and the new show will premiere this fall seemingly under the tutelage of The Vampire Diaries executive producer Julie Plec.

Additionally, the network has renewed the drama series Hart of Dixie and Beauty and the Beast for a third and second season, respectively.  While not a ratings juggernaut, the CW has carved out a niche market with its original programming geared towards a younger audience.  The network has already renewed The Vampire Diaries, Arrow, and Supernatural for the fall.  Read the full press release after the jump.

Only a handful of episodes into Season 4 and already things are ramping up on the popular The CW drama series The Vampire Diaries. New mythologies are being explored, characters have died, love triangles have shifted and, yet again, everyone’s future is in question.

During this recent interview to promote the show, executive producer/writer Julie Plec and co-producer/writer Michael Narducci talked about the decision to bring back the actual diaries, what Elena (Nina Dobrev) will be going through now, the hunter tattoo affecting Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), the need for a human foil, how Elena’s predicament could affect her relationships with Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder), what consequences a cure for vampirism could have on everyone in Mystic Falls, possibly meeting the rest of The Brotherhood of The Five, when the other Originals might return, what the holiday episode will focus on, and the importance of giving big reveals throughout the season. Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are spoilers.

In the final episodes of Season 3 of The Vampire Diaries, things are ramping up in major ways and, as per usual with the popular show, everyone is in jeopardy.  Love triangles will come to a resolution, heroes and villains will be tested, some big mythology moves will happen, and there’s likely to be tears.

During this recent interview to discuss where things are headed for the end of this season, executive producer/writer Julie Plec and co-stars Candice Accola, Michael Trevino and Zach Roerig talked about the extraordinary changes that the characters will be going through in their own emotional lives, personal lives, romantic lives and supernatural lives, along with what to expect from the finale.  Julie Plec also shared that she and show co-creator Kevin Williamson already know how they would like the show to end, whenever that ends up being.  Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers:

On the last episode of The CW drama series The Vampire Diaries, called “Dangerous Liaisons,” viewers learned that the mother of the Original vampires is not quite as loving of her children as she appears. With her nefarious plan set in motion, thanks in part to Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and the blood of the doppleganger, things are sure to get more intense, leading up to the Season 3 finale.

During a recent interview to hint at what’s to come, executive producer/writer Julie Plec talked about the Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) love triangle that Elena is stuck in, exploring Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) humanity, whether or not any of the Originals will survive what’s been set in motion, where the Klaus and Caroline (Candice Accola) relationship could be headed and where that leaves Tyler (Michael Trevino), the unique position that Matt (Zach Roerig) is in as one of the only humans left in Mystic Falls,  what’s in store for Bonnie (Kat Graham) and her mother, how Alaric’s (Matthew Davis) ring failing is going to be causing some problems, that Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) will return before the end of the season, and that viewers cannot be certain about the fate of anyone. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

A show like The Vampire Diaries is easily dismissed; there seems to be no reason at all to tune in unless you’re a fifteen-year-old girl who really loves Edward Cullen, or a cable-less vampire lover. The latter might even be a bit of a stretch. What you’d be missing while under that assumption, however, is one of the most consistently good shows on network TV. Though the premise might be a little hard to swallow at first – especially if you’re not the target demographic of anything else the CW puts out – the show is worth the effort. Hidden behind a trite storyline is solid writing, intriguing storytelling, and one of the most frivolously addictive shows on air right now. Hit the jump for our review of The Vampire Diaries season two Blu-ray.

In this week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, entitled “The End of the Affair,” family ties will be revealed, relationships will be explained and familiar faces will return, and it’s only the third episode into Season 3. Collider was one of a handful of outlets invited over to The CW offices to view the episode and all of its edge-of-your-seat moments a day early, and see what hints we could get executive producer/writer Julie Plec to tease, in regard to the upcoming season.

While she didn’t give any specifics or major reveals, Julie Plec did talk about how this episode is just the beginning of what viewers will see of the Originals’ history and origin, what these revelations will do to the relationship between Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Elena (Nina Dobrev), that the chemistry between Elena and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) will be illuminated more as a result, what the true agenda of the ghosts visiting Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) is, when Bonnie (Katerina Graham) will return, how things will develop between Caroline (Candice Accola) and Tyler (Michael Trevino), and that viewers should always dread character deaths. Check out what she had to say after the jump.