8.6 /10 1 Votes8.6
8.8/10 Original language(s) English | 8.3/10 Country of origin United States First episode date 3 October 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre HorrorFantasySoap opera Starring Joseph MorganDaniel GilliesClaire HoltPhoebe TonkinCharles Michael DavisDaniella PinedaLeah PipesDanielle CampbellYusuf GatewoodRiley Voelkel Cast Profiles |
The Originals is an American television series that began airing on The CW on October 3, 2013. Created as a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries, the series follows vampire Klaus Mikaelson as he and his family become embroiled in the supernatural politics of New Orleans.
Contents
- Series overview
- Cast and characters
- Production
- The Originals The Awakening
- Principal cast
- Novels
- References

The series premiere aired after The Vampire Diaries on Thursday, October 3, 2013. A week later, on October 8, 2013, it moved to Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern (7:00 p.m. Central) in its regular timeslot where it led into Supernatural.

On March 11, 2016, The CW renewed the series for a fourth season consisting of 13 episodes, which premiered on March 17, 2017.

Series overview

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 2nd season, describes how Klaus's mystical child is going to be born and speaks of the threats that all of the family together must keep away from her. The 3rd season shows the Mikealsons facing a prophecy that speaks of their fall.
Cast and characters

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.
The Originals: The Awakening
The Originals: The Awakening is a webseries. The series explores the character Kol Mikaelson and his relationships with his siblings. Flashing back to 1914, Kol is on a quest to form an alliance with the witches of the French Quarter. Awakening gives answers to some questions about Kol's past, including the origins of his rivalry with his family and the unique backstory he has with the New Orleans witches. Each webisode is approximately two minutes long.
Principal cast
Novels
On January 27, 2015, the first book in a series of novels based on the show was released. The Rise, The Loss, and The Resurrection are the three novels in The Originals Series Written by Julie Plec