The CW scheduled The Vampire Diaries season 8 premiere date

This article has the most up-to-date info on the status of The Vampire Diaries season 8 as we continuously monitor the news to keep you in the know. The CW has scheduled the premiere date for a new season for October 21, 2016.

Storyline and cast

The Vampire Diaries is an ongoing US television series that combines a variety of genres – fantasy, romance, horror, supernatural and teen drama. It is based on The Vampire Diaries by L.J.Smith. The show, developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec and produced for the CW by Outerbanks Entertainment, Alloy Entertainment, CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television. September 10, 2009 was the premiere date of the first season, and the current seventh season has been on the air since October 8, 2015.

The series is set in a fictional town with a history of supernatural events dating to 19th century. Elena Gilbert (NIna Dobrev) is a girl in her teens who finds herself in love with Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), a 162-year-old vampire. Stefan`s older brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) complicates the situation significantly with his malevolent plans and the love triangle that is formed when Elena and Damon also fall for each other. The dark side of the life of a small town is revealed as Elena`s hardships and romantic adventures unfold.

The long-running show received average reviews at first, but they improved greatly over the course of the first and subsequent seasons. Over the years The Vampire Diaries series have been nominated for and received a number of awards, including Teen Choice and People`s Choice. It has proven to be the most successful show for the CW network since its launch in 2006. Even though there hasn`t been a word from the network on their plans for a next season of the series, a prolongation is very likely, as both the critics and the viewers would vouch for it.

Season 7 recap

A 22-episode seventh installment of The CW network’s widely critically-acclaimed supernatural drama television series The Vampire Diaries wrapped up in the US on Friday, May 13, 2016. The good news is that the show has already been renewed for another round. The worrying news is that in its most recent seventh season the show has exhibited a very significant decline in the ratings of 26%, having dropped to an average audience of just 1.1 million viewers. Unless the numbers improve in season 8, it might very well become the final chapter of the riveting story. New episodes are slated to hit the small screen next fall, and according to Paul Wesley they will take viewers on a very dark journey. One of the lead writers has also hinted that the fates of two characters will be seriously challenged in a new season.

Latest news

Updated December 13, 2015: The second part of the current seventh season of Vampire Dairies is coming out on Friday, January 29, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT on The CW, relaunching after the Christmas break typically taken by most winter primetime series. The ratings are significantly lower than those of the last season – a decline of 16% is big enough for the network to possibly reconsider its plans, whatever they might be at this point. Sign up for our automatic notifications and receive an e-mail when a decision on the Vampire Diaries is made by The CW.

Updated March 12, 2016: Following an example set last week by the new President of ABC Entertainment, who pleasantly surprised viewers and showrunners with an unprecedented and early bulk renewal, The CW yesterday greenlit eleven of its currently airing scripted television shows. The renewed shows represent a lion share of the network’s primetime programming slate. Currently in its seventh installments, The Vampire Diaries has been officially renewed for another run. The renewal announcement comes as a relief, because after the departure of Nina Dobrev, the supernatural drama’s ratings have declined by more than 20%, delivering just an average of 1.2 million viewers per episode.

UPDATED June 18, 2016: A lot of rumors surround the return of The Vampire Diaries for the eighth season this fall. For example, there are hints of Nina Dobrev`s highly anticipated return. In fact, her return would be a gift both for the fans and for the network, which cannot be too happy about the viewership ratings decline following her departure. Tune in on Friday, October 21, 2016 at 8pm and see how the story continues to develop. Sign up for our automatic updates and receive a reminder of The Vampire Dairies season 8 premiere date.