The CW Picks Up Vampire Diaries Spin-Off

The Originals, the Vampire Diaries spin-off set in New Orleans, has been picked up by The CW for a series as the broadcaster also renews Hart of Dixie and Beauty and the Beast.

A “back-door” pilot for The Originals aired last night on The CW as part of The Vampire Diaries fourth season. The episode saw Klaus (Joseph Morgan) travel to New Orleans to unravel a plot against him; he was joined by family members Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Rebekah (Claire Holt).

The episode received so-so ratings as far as Vampire Diaries goes but compared to some of The CW’s other output it rated very well. Unsurprisingly The CW has given the spin-off a series order; The Vampire Diaries has already been renewed for a fifth season.

The CW has also renewed freshman drama Beauty and the Beast as well as bubble show Hart of Dixie. The renewals follow the early pick-ups of Arrow and Supernatural as well as Vampire Diaries as mentioned above.

The fates of Nikita and The Carrie Diaries, the prequel to Sex and the City, remain unclear although the broadcaster has stated decisions regarding those shows will be announced in due course. It is widely expected one of the shows will be cancelled following in the footsteps of Cult and Emily Owens M.D which have already been canned so far this season.