Julie Plec Reflects On 15 Years Of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ & Teases Upcoming YA Mystery Series ‘We Were Liars’
deadline.comFifteen years ago, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson thought that, on the heels of True Blood and Twilight, vampires were becoming a bit overrated.
Luckily, they didn’t listen to that instinct when they forged ahead with an adaptation of L. J. Smith’s fantasy horror novel, The Vampire Diaries, for The CW.
The pilot aired on Sept. 10, 2009, and, not only was it a resounding success, putting up what at the time was the largest premiere audience since the network debuted three years earlier, it also spawned an entire franchise that would last more than a decade.
The Vampire Diaries would also influence pop culture and the entire young adult genre in unpredictable ways — so much so that it’s still worth talking about seven years after the final episode. “It feels like blip, and yet, like the longest 15 years of my life,” Plec told Deadline this week, reflecting on the anniversary of The Vampire Diaries premiere. “I’m both proud and exhausted.” While The Vampire Diaries ended its run in 2017, Plec continued to shepherd the universe through two spinoffs, The Originals and Legacies.
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