Vampire Diaries boss says she would "go in a different direction" for spin-off

It proved to be an enduring hit for the broadcaster, running for eight seasons and spawning two spin-offs in The Originals and Legacies, with the latter being cut short in its prime due to reasons beyond its control.

The CW had been co-owned by media giants Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, and had a valuable international distribution deal with Netflix that helped fund its numerous scripted shows.

But things quickly fell apart when that deal with the streamer ended and the network was sold to Nexstar, resulting in a vastly reduced budget for scripted fare, and thus the sudden cancellation of most of its original programming.

On the axing (or perhaps, staking?) of Legacies in the immediate aftermath, Plec admitted (via Deadline) to being "surprised" and "not entirely pleased" with the decision, describing it as "an incredibly short-sighted missed opportunity".

She explained: "There had been a Vampire Diaries show on the air for 13 years, and it seemed unfathomable to me that the studio wouldn’t want to keep that show going as long as humanly possible, knowing that we had plans in our minds for more spin-offs and more ways to keep the world going.

"Legacies, in particular, I felt like it was designed to go on for many, many years, and have new generations of cast come through. It just felt like an incredibly short-sighted missed opportunity all around."

The question is, in an era when revivals of well-known franchises are all the rage, could the world of The Vampire Diaries return some day? And what exactly would that look like?

Plec weighed in: "I think there are ways to keep the universe alive without having to go back and start over. So if somebody were to ask me my preference, I would definitely want to go in a different direction.

"But I think it is a testament to all these shows and the mark that they made in the moment of pop culture, in that moment in time, to the fan base that has aged up an entire generation and still wants more, and to the new fans that have been able to discover it."

Read more:

• Arcane season 2 unveils epic new trailer - and teases chaos from Jinx
• His Dark Materials' Ruth Wilson narrates Philip Pullman's iconic novel – listen now

She added: "There’s, in my mind, always a road to travel that could be another branch on The Vampire Diaries tree. I think that it’s a matter of timing, and the moment, and the idea.

"So hopefully the stars will align and someone will do it, hopefully with me. But you never know."

For now, Plec is busy working on young adult adaptation We Were Liars for Prime Video – a romantic thriller set on a private island owned by a wealthy family – which reunites her with The Vampire Diaries star Candice King.

The Vampire Diaries is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.