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Lovesucks

The Vampire Diaries promotional poster

The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural–fantasy horror/drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name by L. J. Smith. The series follows the life of 17-year old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), who falls in love with a centuries old vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) and his brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), also a vampire. As a result, this draws Elena and her friends into the supernatural world of Mystic Falls, where it is plagued by vampires, werewolves, witches, doppelgängers and Original Vampires. As a result, Elena and her friends have made enemies including the Original Vampires/THE Mikaelson Family and Katerina Petrova and later on Silas and the Travelers. The series also focuses on the lives of Elena's friends and other inhabitants of the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. The series is a mix of teen drama and the supernatural.

When The Vampire Diaries premiered on The CW Television Network, on September 10, 2009, it attracted the largest audience of any series since the network began in 2006. Due to strong ratings, the series was given a full, 22-episode first season on October 21, 2009. The show's first season finale aired on May 13, 2010.

On February 16, 2010, The CW announced a renewal for a second season of the show that began airing on September 9, 2010.

The series mainly stars Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce, Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore, Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore, Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert, Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett, Candice Accola-King as Caroline Forbes, Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan, Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood and Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman.

Main Cast and Characters[]

Main article: Character Appearances

Crew[]

Showrunners[1]
Producers

Production[]

Initially Kevin Williamson had little interest in developing the series, finding the premise too similar to other vampire tales. However, at Julie Plec's urging, he began to read the novels and started to become intrigued by the story: "I began to realize that it was a story about a small town, about that town's underbelly and about what lurks under the surface." Williamson has stated the town's story will be the main focus of the series, rather than high school.

On February 6, 2009, Variety announced that The CW had greenlit the pilot for The Vampire Diaries with Williamson and Julie Plec set as the head writers and executive producers. On May 19, 2009, the series was officially ordered for the 2009–2010 season.

On the morning of May 10, 2012, a fire broke out in the building on Clark Street in Covington that was used as the setting for Mystic Grill on the show.

The series was given a full, 22-episode order on October 21, 2009 after strong ratings for the first half of the season.

On February 16, 2010, The CW announced that it had renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on September 9, 2010. On April 26, 2011, The CW renewed the show for a third season that aired in the 2011-2012 season. On April 2, 2012, the series was renewed for 4th season with 23 episodes.

President of The CW Mark Pedowitz said in an interview at the summer TCA's that The Vampire Diaries didn't receive an extra episode order [for third season] at the request of Kevin Williamson. "Kevin Williamson felt to do the best show possible he would rather do 22. I'd rather have a great 22 than a good 24 if Kevin couldn't do it," he explained. It has been confirmed to be moved to Fridays.[2] The CW has renewed the series for an eighth and final season.[3]

During its run, two cast members have directed a total of eight episodes.


Productions codes and taglines
  • Season 1 - (Pilot: 296766) (1x02-1x22: 2J5001 - 2J5021) - Love Sucks
  • Season 2 - (2J5251 - 2J5272) - The Year of the Kat
  • Season 3 - (2J6001 - 2J6022) - The Year of the Originals
  • Season 4 - (2J6651 - 2J6673) - The Year of Transition
  • Season 5 - (2J7501 - 2J7522) - The Year of the Doppelgänger
  • Season 6 - (2J7851 - 2J7872) - All Spell Breaks Loose
  • Season 7 - (3J5701 - 3J5722) - Heartbreak Is Eternal
  • Season 8 - (T27.13301 - T27.13316) - The End Awakens

Seasons[]

The Vampire Diaries[]

It has a Total of 171 Episodes.

The Originals[]

It has a Total of 92 Episodes.

Legacies[]

It has a Total of 68 Episodes.

The Vampire Diaries Universe has 331 episodes.

Filming Locations[]

The pilot episode was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, but the rest of the episodes have been filmed in Covington, Georgia (which doubles as the fictional small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia) and various other communities around Greater Atlanta, to take advantage of local tax incentives.

Critical Reception[]

Main article: Ratings

Metacritic gave the show a score of 50/100 based on 22 critical reviews, indicating mixed to average response. Its premiere on September 10, 2009 gave The CW its biggest series premiere scoring 4.9 million viewers. Adding in DVR numbers, the ratings for the premiere swelled to an official 5.7 million viewers. The first season had an average rating of 3.66 million viewers.

Many TV critics felt the series improved with each episode. Sarah Hughes of The Independent says The Vampire Diaries turns into "a well-crafted, interestingly developed series", despite a poor opening episode. The New York Post also praised the portrayal of Elena, finding the character to be a strong-minded woman who did not allow her feelings for her boyfriend to control her. Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune said that "the supernatural drama is a first-class production, featuring an insanely gorgeous cast, sharp scripts and a brooding vibe that is hard for even the most levelheaded adult to resist." Mike Hale of The New York Times gave the series an honorable mention on his list of the top TV shows of 2009. The show's second season opened to universal acclaim from professional television critics as it received a 78/100 score on Metacritic. As the series progressed and developed onto the third season, critics praised the portrayals of the main characters and the development of the female characters such as Elena Gilbert played by Nina Dobrev, Bonnie Bennett who is played by Katerina Graham, and Caroline Forbes who is played by Candice Accola. The third season finale, The Departed, opened to generally positive reviews. Diana Steenbergen of IGN praised the episode and the writers for clearing up a couple story lines and making all of them come to a head. She also praised Dobrev's performance in this episode, addressing her behavior as another reason the final revelation from Meredith was more shocking and believable. Similarly, Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly review praised the writer's skills in creating the more unexpected final twist. Several reviewers also addressed the dynamic of the show may change now with the character of Elena being transitioned. Keshaunta Moton of Poptimal refers to the upcoming changes as "huge" and notes the change as something that'll affect her relationship with other characters. Other reviewers, like Matt Roush of SeattlePi and Ben Lee of Digital Spy refer to the finale as a "game-changer" and one to set up a completely new storyline for the fourth season.

Trivia[]

  • Every season since its debut, it has been paired with a different show on The CW (except for seasons 5 and 6). During Season One, it was paired with Supernatural, during Season Two with Nikita, and during Season Three, it was paired with its sister show, The Secret Circle, which was cancelled after one season. During Season Four, it was Beauty and the Beast. During Season Five and Season Six, it was paired with Reign. It was paired with The Originals during Season Seven. During the final season it was paired with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
  • Apart from the seventh season, at least one main character is written off each season. In order:
  • Stefan and Damon are the only characters to appear in every episode.
    • Both have functioned as an antagonist at some point in the series.
  • Arrow and The Flash share similarities with The Vampire Diaries and The Originals in the fact one show is the spin-off of another, and the protagonist(s) in the spin-off are far more physically powerful than the ones in the original show.
  • The Vampire Diaries left streaming giant Netflix on March 1, 2019 due to an expired license.
  • The first season follows from September 6, 2009 til February 25, 2010, the second season continues moments after and follows the events til early May 2010. The third season follows the events from August 2010 til November 7, 2010, while the fourth season continues from that morning til Graduation in June 2011. The fifth and sixth seasons follow the events of the freshmen and sophmore years (September 2011-May 2, 2012 and September-June 2013 respectively). The seventh season starts in August, follows the events til March 2014, and then picks up three years later in March and April 2017. The final season follows the events from the fall 2017 til March 7, 2018.
    • Excluding the flashbacks, the show takes place from September 6, 2009 til March 7, 2018, which is exactly 8 and a half years.

Awards[]

Main article: The Vampire Diaries (Awards and Nominations)

Year Result Category Recipient(s)
2010 Won Breakout Show The Vampire Diaries
Won Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show
Won Breakout Star: Male Paul Wesley
Won Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Won Breakout Star: Female Nina Dobrev
Won Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Nominated Scene Stealer: Female Kat Graham
Won Villain Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Male hottie
2011 Won Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Paul Wesley
Won Ian Somerhalder
Won Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nina Dobrev
Won Scene Stealer: Male Michael Trevino
Won Scene Stealer: Female Katerina Graham
Nominated Villain Joseph Morgan
Nominated Vampire Nina Dobrev
Nominated Paul Wesley
Nominated Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Female Hottie Nina Dobrev
Nominated Male Hottie Ian Somerhalder
2012 Won Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show The Vampire Diaries
Won Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Paul Wesley
Won Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nina Dobrev
Nominated Katerina Graham
Won Scene Stealer: Male Michael Trevino
Won Scene Stealer: Female Candice Accola
Nominated Villain Joseph Morgan
Won Male Hottie Ian Somerhalder
2013 Won Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show The Vampire Diaries
Won Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Paul Wesley
Won Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nina Dobrev
Nominated Kat Graham
Nominated Scene Stealer: Male Steven R. McQueen
Nominated Scene Stealer: Female Candice Accola
Nominated Villain Joseph Morgan
2014 Won Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show The Vampire Diaries
Won Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Paul Wesley
Won Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nina Dobrev
Nominated Kat Graham
Nominated Scene Stealer: Male Michael Trevino
Won Scene Stealer: Female Candice Accola
Nominated Villain Paul Wesley
Nominated Male Hottie Ian Somerhalder
2015 Won Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Paul Wesley
Won Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nina Dobrev
Nominated Candice Accola
Nominated Scene Stealer Kat Graham
Nominated Villain Chris Wood
Nominated Chemistry Ian Somerhalder & Kat Graham
Nominated Liplock Paul Wesley & Candice Accola
Won Ian Somerhalder & Nina Dobrev
2016 Nominated Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Paul Wesley
Nominated Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Candice King
Nominated Kat Graham
Nominated Chemistry Kat Graham & Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Liplock Candice King & Paul Wesley
2017 Won Fantasy/Sci-Fi Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ian Somerhalder
Won Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Kat Graham

Year Result Category Recipient(s)
2010
Won Favorite New TV Drama The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite SCI FI/Fantasy Show The Vampire Diaries
2011
Nominated Favorite TV Drama The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite TV Drama Actor Ian Somerhalder
2012
Nominated Favorite TV Drama The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite TV Drama Actor Ian Somerhalder
Won Favorite TV Drama Actress Nina Dobrev
2013
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite TV Drama Actor Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Favorite TV Drama Actor Paul Wesley
Nominated Favorite TV Drama Actress Nina Dobrev
Nominated Favorite TV Fan Following TVDFamily
2014
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show The Vampire Diaries
Won Favorite TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actor Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Favorite TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actress Nina Dobrev
Won Favorite On Screen Chemistry Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert
2015
Nominated Favorite Network TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Vampire Diaries
Won Favorite TV Duo Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Nina Dobrev
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor Paul Wesley
2016 Nominated Favorite Network TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor Ian Somerhalder
2017 Nominated Favorite Network TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor Ian Somerhalder

Saturn Awards

Year Result Category Recipient(s)
2010
Nominated Best Network Series The Vampire Diaries
2011
Nominated Best Network Series The Vampire Diaries
2012
Nominated Best Youth-Oriented Television Series The Vampire Diaries
2013
Nominated Best Youth-Oriented Television Series The Vampire Diaries
2014
Nominated Best Youth-Oriented Television Series The Vampire Diaries

Young Hollywood Awards

Year Result Category Recipient(s)
2010
Won Making Their Mark Nina Dobrev
Won Cast to Watch Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder
2014
Nominated Fan Favorite Actor – Female Nina Dobrev
Won Best Threesome Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Best Cast Chemistry – TV The Vampire Diaries

J-14 Teen Icon Awards

Year Result Category Recipient(s)
2010
Nominated Iconic TV Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Iconic TV Actress Nina Dobrev
2011
Nominated Iconic TV Show The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Iconic TV Actor Ian Somerhalder
2012
Nominated Iconic TV Actor Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Iconic TV Actress Nina Dobrev
Nominated Iconic TV Show The Vampire Diaries

Do Something Awards

Year Result Category Recipient(s)
2012
Nominated Best TV Drama The Vampire Diaries
Nominated Best TV Star: Male Ian Somerhalder
Nominated Best Twitter Account

Ian Somerhalder

Multimedia[]

Pictures[]

More images

See also[]

References[]

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