The Originals is an American horror fantasy drama series that aired on The CW from October 3, 2013 to August 1, 2018. It is a spin-off of the supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries, which aired on the network from 2009 to 2017. Spin-off series Legacies serves as a continuation of the two series.
Summary[]
The Originals is a spin-off from The Vampire Diaries which centers around the Mikaelson siblings, Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies), and Rebekah (Claire Holt). The backdoor pilot, which aired on April 25, 2013, also revealed that the werewolf Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) is pregnant with Klaus's child and would, therefore, join the cast. The show begins with the original siblings returning to the city of New Orleans for the first time since 1919. Having originally built the city, they had been forced to flee from their vengeful father. In their absence, Klaus's protégé, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis), took charge of the city. Klaus resolves that they must take down Marcel and get back the city that once belonged to them. While doing that they must also protect their city from a war brewing between vampires, werewolves and witches. Over time new and old friendships are formed, love is in the air, death surrounds them and most of all they learn more about their own family past. The first season describes how Klaus's mystical child is going to be born and speaks of the threats that the family together must keep away from her. The second season deals with the return of Klaus' parents, and the arrival of an aunt who threatens the baby's life. The third season shows the Mikealsons facing a prophecy that speaks of their downfall, and the first sired vampires who've wanted revenge for a millennium. The fourth season jumps ahead five years, with the Mikaelsons returning to NOLA, and a new, powerful, and ruthless menace set on destroying anything in its path.
Cast[]
- Joseph Morgan as Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson (seasons 1-5)
- Daniel Gillies as Elijah Mikaelson (seasons 1-5)
- Michelle Grigg as Elizabeth Mikaelson (Season 1-5)
- Claire Holt as Rebekah Mikaelson (season 1, special guest seasons 2-5)
- Phoebe Tonkin as Hayley Marshall-Kenner (seasons 1-5)
- Charles Michael Davis as Marcel Gerard (seasons 1-5)
- Daniella Pineda as Sophie Deveraux (season 1)
- Leah Pipes as Camille O'Connell (seasons 1–3, special guest seasons 4-5)
- Danielle Campbell as Davina Claire (seasons 1–3, special guest seasons 4-5)
- Yusuf Gatewood as Vincent Griffith (seasons 2-5, guest season 1)
- Riley Voelkel as Freya Mikaelson (seasons 3-5, recurring season 2)
- Steven Krueger as Joshua Rosza (season 5, recurring seasons 1-4)
- Danielle Rose Russell as Hope Mikaelson (season 5)
Series overview[]
- Main article: List of The Originals episodes
| Season | No. of episodes | Originally aired | Time slot | Average ratings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Rating (18-49) |
Viewers (millions) | |||
| 1 | 22 | October 3, 2013 | May 13, 2014 | Tuesdays 8/7c | 0.9 | 1.98[1] |
| 2 | 22 | October 6, 2014 | May 11, 2015 | Mondays 8/7c | 0.6 | 1.31[2] |
| 3 | 22 | October 8, 2015 | May 20, 2016 | Thursdays 9/8c | 0.4 | 0.93[3] |
| Fridays 9/8c | ||||||
| 4 | 13 | March 17, 2017 | June 23, 2017 | Fridays 8/7c | 0.3 | 0.94[4] |
| 5 | 13 | April 18, 2018 | August 1, 2018 | Wednesdays 9/8c | 0.83[5] | |
Production[]
On January 11, 2013, it was announced that a back-door pilot focused on the Originals, starring Joseph Morgan as Klaus and titled The Originals would air sometime in April for a potential series pick-up for the 2013–2014 season. On April 26, 2013, The Originals was confirmed for a full series. This second spin-off attempt will be overseen by Julie Plec, with no involvement by Kevin Williamson. The Originals was officially picked up by The CW on April 26, 2013, for the 2013–14 season. Season one of The Originals was set to premiere on Tuesday, October 15. However, on July 29, 2013, The CW announced that the series premiere would instead air on October 3, 2013, following the fifth-season premiere of The Vampire Diaries in order to attract fans of the series. On October 10, 2013, the CW ordered three additional scripts for the series. On November 11, 2013, the CW decided to order a full season for The Originals.
Following her March 11 episode Claire Holt left the main cast. Holt confirmed that she will be returning to the show, but she needs to spend time with her family first.
Reception[]
External links[]
- Vampire Diaries/The Originals on Fandom
- The Originals on Wikipedia
- The Originals on Facebook
References[]
- ↑ Season 1 (2013-14) - Ratings - List of The Originals episodes
- ↑ Season 2 (2014-15) - Ratings - List of The Originals episodes
- ↑ Season 3 (2015-16) - Ratings - List of The Originals episodes
- ↑ Season 4 (2017) - Ratings - List of The Originals episodes
- ↑ Season 5 (2018) - Ratings - List of The Originals episodes