New Season of ‘Vampire Diaries’ Will Be Final One

The Vampire Diaries will conclude its eight-season run on The CW following the upcoming season. The announcement came during Comic-Con in San Diego, with executive producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec breaking the news to fans.

The Vampire Diaries has meant so much to so many fans around the world, and has meant so much to all of us at The CW,” said Mark Pedowitz, president, The CW. “I am a huge fan of the show, so I am very happy that we can give Julie and Kevin the chance to finish their story the way they have envisioned, and to give viewers a fantastic conclusion to eight spectacular seasons.”

The supernatural drama is based on the series of novels by L.J. Smith, about two brothers living as vampires.

“It’s so rare for a show to get to last this long, and what a privilege that (CW President) Mark Pedowitz and (Warner Bros. Television President) Peter Roth have allowed us to choose the time to end the journey on our own creative terms,” said Plec. “It’s been eight of the best years of my life. I will miss it terribly, but I’m so proud to be here to see it to its proper end.”

The 16-episode season premieres Oct. 21. The series is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios.

“I feel so blessed to have been a part of The Vampire Diaries. It has been a magical, thrilling, life-changing experience,” said Williamson.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.