Before hitting the Ballroom 20 stage for their panel on Saturday, the cast of the CW’s The Vampire Diaries:  Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, Matt Davis, and executive producer Julie Plec, sat down with press for round table interviews.  During our conversation, they discussed the new threats in Season 6, the emotional state of the characters, and the excitement of new relationships.  Hit the jump for more.

While at The CW portion of the TCA Press Tour, President Mark Pedowitz took some time to talk about new and returning programming.  During the interview, he spoke about why he decided to let go of the Supernatural spin-off, Tribes, and that he’s still hoping to expand the franchise, at some point, how Jane the Virgin came to the network, what made them decide to bring back Beauty and the Beast and where it’s headed in Season 3, why Star-Crossed and The Tomorrow People ultimately didn’t get renewed, what made The 100 a success, and where things are headed on The Vampire Diaries Season 6 and The Originals Season 2.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

San Diego Comic-Con bags aren’t really good for everyday use beyond Comic-Con, but every single year I still manage to squeeze it into my suitcase so I can take it home and never use it again.  Perhaps it’s a little silly, but the designs tend to be pretty cool and when I score one for a show I like, I’m hanging on to it.  And this year will probably be no different; I’ve already got my eye on a few.

For the fifth year in a row, Warner Bros. Entertainment teamed up with Comic-Con to create 13 different bags to be distributed upon check-in.  This year, the line-up includes designs for Arrow, Constantine, The Flash, The Following, Gotham, iZOMBIE and The Originals.  Hit the jump to check out all 13 Comic-Con 2014 bags.

The CW Network has set the premiere dates for their fall slate of shows:

• The Flash series premiere will air Tuesday, October 7th, at 8pm
• Jane the Virgin series premiere airs Monday, October 13th, at 9pm
• Arrow returns for its third season Wednesday, October 8th, at 8pm
• The Vampire Diaries and Reign return Thursday, October 2nd at 8pm and 9pm respectively.
• The Originals returns Monday, October 6th at 8pm, followed by a retrospective of the past nine seasons of Supernatural, which has its tenth season premiere on Tuesday, October 7th, at 9pm
• The 100 returns Wednesday, October 22nd, at 9pm

Hit the jump for more.

TV ratings for Thursday, May 15th are in.  Here’s a brief rundown:

• The season finale of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory scored the comedy’s most-watched finale ever, hitting a 4.8 rating in the 18-49 demo and scoring 16.29 million viewers.  That’s up 26% from last week’s rating and even with last year’s season finale.  Elsewhere on the network, The Millers rose 26% to a 2.4 rating and 9.88 million viewers, Bad Teacher was up 8% to a 1.4 rating and 5.53 million viewers, and Elementary’s finale was down 7% to a series low 1.4 rating and 7.34 million viewers.
• The season finale of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy was even with last week’s 2.5 rating and garnered 8.61 million viewers.
• NBC’s second installment of Rosemary’s Baby dipped 9% from Sunday’s episode with a 1.0 rating and 3.31 million viewers.
• Over on The CW, The Vampire Diaries was up 14% to a 0.8 rating and 1.57 million viewers, though it was down 27% from last year’s season finale. Reign matched last week’s 0.5 rating and scored 1.26 million viewers.

Now that NBC, Fox, ABC, and CBS have unveiled their 2014-15 schedules, it’s time for the last of the network channels, The CW, to do the same.  Here are the highlights:

• The new comic book series The Flash (click here for the trailer) will play on Tuesdays at 8:00pm followed by Supernatural at 9:00pm.
• The Originals will move to Monday nights at 8:00pm.  It will be followed at 9:00pm by the new comedy series Jane the Virgin.

Hit the jump for The CW 2014 fall schedule.

TV ratings for Thursday, May 8th are in.  Here’s a brief rundown:

• CBS’ The Big Bang Theory dropped eight tenths to a season low 3.7 rating in the 18-49 demo and scored 14.17 million viewers.  Elsewhere on the network, The Millers was even with last week’s 2.0 rating and 9.15 million viewers, Two and a Half Men matched last week’s 2.1 rating and scored 8.49 million viewers, the new comedy Bad Teacher dipped a tenth to a 1.3 rating and 5.84 million viewers, and Elementary closed out the night down a tenth with a 1.5 rating and 7.5 million viewers.
• ABC’s recently renewed Grey’s Anatomy fell three tenths to a 2.3 rating and notched 7.47 million viewers.  Black Box dipped two tenths to a 1.1 rating and 4.41 million viewers.
• Fox’s recently cancelled Surviving Jack was up two tenths to a 1.2 rating and 4.1 million viewers.
• Over on The CW, The Vampire Diaries (also renewed) was down a tenth to a 0.7 rating and 1.6 million viewers, while Reign matched last week’s 0.5 rating and garnered 1.47 million viewers.

TV ratings for Thursday, May 1st are in.  Here’s a brief rundown:

• A Star Wars Day-themed episode of The Big Bang Theory dipped 2% to a 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demo and scored 15.68 million viewers.  Elsewhere on CBS, The Millers dropped 13% to a 2.1 rating and 9.58 million viewers, Two and a Half Men was down 16% to a 2.1 rating and 9.16 million viewers, new comedy series Bad Teacher fell 29% from its premiere to a 1.5 rating and 6.52 million viewers, and Elementary was even with last week’s 1.6 rating and notched 7.81 million viewers.
• ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy rose 13% from last week’s series low to a 2.6 rating and 8.69 million viewers, while Black Box was down 13% to a 1.3 rating and 5.41 million viewers.
• Over on The CW, The Vampire Diaries dropped 13% to a series low-tying 0.7 rating and 1.82 million viewers.  Reign matched last week’s 0.5 rating and garnered 1.42 million viewers.
• Fox’s Surviving Jack was even with last week’s series low 1.0 rating and scored 3.91 million viewers.

TV ratings for Thursday, April 24th are in.  Here’s a brief look at the highlights:

• The excellent (and surprising) hourlong season finale of Parks and Recreation ticked up a tenth from last week’s series low to a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and scored 2.71 million viewers.  While those aren’t exactly sky-high numbers, NBC has already renewed the show for a seventh—and likely final—season.
• The new CBS comedy Bad Teacher got off to an iffy start with a 2.1 rating and 7.87 million viewers, which is an improvement over The Crazy Ones’ most recent performance in the time period but still CBS’ second lowest rated comedy debut ever, next to We Are Men.

Hit the jump for the rest of the TV ratings report, including The Big Bang Theory, The Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy, and more.

With just a handful of episodes left to Season 5 of The CW series The Vampire Diaries, there’s no way to predict who will make it out alive.  Enzo is seeking an eye for an eye, The Travelers sole focus is on finding a permanent home, the Other Side is disintegrating, and Caroline is suppressing a crush that could hurt a friendship.  And in Episode 19, “Man on Fire,” viewers will get to flashback to 1960 and finally learn what really happen to Enzo’s true love, Maggie.

During this recent interview to discuss what’s still to come this season and into the next, actor Ian Somerhalder (“Damon Salvatore”) and executive producer/writer Caroline Dries talked about how the events of this episode will affect the friendship between Damon and Enzo (Michael Malarkey), where Damon and Elena (Nina Dobrev) will be for the rest of this season, where The Travelers are at, at this point, what the disintegration of the Other Side will mean for those already dead and the deaths still to come, that there will be at least three character deaths before the end of the season, how these characters will have to form a united friend to fight for a common cause, the fate of Tyler (Michael Trevino) and where Caroline’s (Candice Accola) love life is headed.  Check out what they had to say about The Vampire Diaries after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Thursday evening’s TV ratings are in.  Here’s a brief look at the highlights:

• The season five finale of NBC’s Community saw a slight ratings uptick, rising 11% from last week’s series low 0.9 rating to a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and scoring 2.9 million viewers.  It barely edged out Parks and Recreation for the night, but that’s still far from a “solid” ratings performance.  And yet, a sixth season renewal is actually looking pretty likely since it would put the series in a lucrative position for syndication.  If NBC doesn’t renew Community and “Basic Sandwich” ends up being the series finale, we’ll all just have to assume a giant asteroid destroyed all life on earth.  It is canon, after all.
• Over on ABC, Scandal closed out its buzzworthy third season with a 3.4 rating and 10.45 million viewers, rising 13% from last week and marking the show’s highest rated season finale yet.  A fitting end to what’s been a breakout season for the Shonda Rhimes soap.

Hit the jump for the rest of the TV ratings report for Thursday, April 17th, including Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, The Vampire Diaries, and more.

TV ratings for Thursday, March 27th are in.  Here’s a brief rundown:

• NBC’s tear-factory drama Parenthood ticked up one tenth to a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demo and scored 4.39 million viewers, marking a six-month high for the show.
• The CW’s The Vampire Diaries, meanwhile, dropped four tenths to a series low 0.7 rating and scored 1.71 million viewers, while Reign dipped one tenth to a 0.6 rating and 1.51 million viewers.
• Over on ABC, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (which has now been officially canceled) ticked up one tenth to a 0.9 rating and scored 3.30 million viewers, Grey’s Anatomy was up a tenth to a 2.5 rating and 8.13 million viewers, and Scandal was up two tenths to a 3.1 rating and 8.84 million viewers.
• The Fox premiere of the Christopher Meloni comedy Surviving Jack got off to a disappointing start with a 1.3 rating and 5.12 million viewers.

On The CW drama series The Vampire Diaries, currently nearing its Season 5 finale and already picked up for Season 6, things are really heating up, with the appearance of the Travelers’ mysterious leader, Markos (guest star Raffi Barsoumian), and an unexpected show of power with Luke (guest star Chris Brochu) and Liv (guest star Penelope Mitchell), all while Elena (Nina Dobrev) is still trying to sort out her love life.  In Episode 17, “Rescue Me,” Caroline (Candice Accola) agrees to make a trip to Atlanta to find Stefan’s (Paul Wesley) newly discovered doppelganger with and Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey), but is surprised when he decides to open up to her about his past.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actress Candice Accola talked about actually getting to take a road trip, learning about Enzo’s past and why he’s in Mystic Falls, finding out why Stefan’s doppelganger is valuable to the Travelers, a really nice upcoming moment between Caroline and Stefan, how their friendship is in a really great place, her surprise at how much the Caroline and Klaus (Joseph Morgan) relationship took off, that viewers will be getting a further education on the mythology of the Travelers, what it was like to have Paul Wesley direct an episode this season, how this season’s finale will be on par with previous finales, and how special it was to hit the 100 episode milestone this season.  Check out our Candice Accola Vampire Diaries season 5 interview after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

For more than 30 years, PaleyFest has held panel sessions and screenings that connect the worldwide community of television fans with the casts and creators of their favorite TV shows.  One of the evenings was to celebrate the popular CW series The Originals, which has already been picked up for Season 2.  Collider was there to catch up with the cast and creative team, and we’ve compiled highlights from both the red carpet and panel.

During the evening, executive producers Julie Plec and Michael Narducci, as well as actors Joseph Morgan (“Klaus Mikaelson”), Daniel Gillies (“Elijah Mikaelson”), Claire Holt (“Rebekah Mikaelson”), Phoebe Tonkin (“Hayley”) and Danielle Campbell (“Davina”), talked about how the actors find out they’re going to get killed off, what’s to come for their characters, how the show is creeping towards the redemption of Klaus and the undoing of Elijah, what led to Rebekah’s hopefully temporary exit, whether the biggest challenge for Elijah will be trying to keep peace with his family or trying to keep peace with the supernatural community, why fans love the Elijah-Hayley relationship, possible cross-overs with The Vampire Diaries, what things are like for Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) in exile, and what fans can expect from the finale.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

From writer/director Shawn Christensen, the indie drama Before I Disappear (playing at the SXSW Film Festival) tells the story of Richie (Christensen), a man at the lowest point of his life who gets a call from his estranged sister (Emmy Rossum), asking him to look after his eleven-year old niece (Fatima Ptacek) for a few hours.  As the night progresses, Richie finds himself caught in a battle between his two bosses, Bill (Ron Perlman) and Gideon (Paul Wesley), and soon figures out that maybe there is something else to live for.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Paul Wesley, who also served as a first-time producer on the film, talked about how he came to sign on for this project, how gratified he feels about the positive response the film is already getting, how involved he was in stretching the story from a short film (which won an Oscar) and shaping it into a full-length feature, how he also came to be acting in the movie, how different this character is from what he’s known for, how collaborative Shawn Christensen is, as a filmmaker, and how involved he was in the post-production process.  He also talked about trying his hand at directing, for the first time, with an episode of his CW series The Vampire Diaries, the experience of directing himself, that he’d like to direct a feature once his time on the show is done, and the type of projects he’s looking for.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.