Skip Bolen/The CWKlaus (Joseph Morgan) is on his way to becoming king!
The CW has officially ordered The Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals to series, the network announced on Friday. Freshman series Beauty and the Beast and Rachel Bilson's sophomore charmer Hart of Dixie were renewed for additional seasons as well.
Starring fan favorites Morgan, Daniel Gillies and Claire Holt, The Originals' backdoor pilot aired on Thursday, taking the hit series' fans to New Orleans and delivering quite the shocking twist.
"As soon as we saw last night's episode of The Vampire Diaries, we knew we wanted more of The Originals—Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson have done a fantastic job with The Vampire Diaries, which is as fast-paced and well-written as ever, and Julie has created an equally compelling world for The Originals," the network's president Mark Pedowitz said in a statement.
Of the two renewals, Pedowitz adds, "We're also very excited to bring back Beauty and the Beast and Hart of Dixie for next season—both series continue to be creatively strong and compelling, and their fans are incredibly passionate. I'm very happy to have all three series on the schedule for next season."
The CW has yet to make a decision on the future of Nikita and The Carrie Diaries; freshman drama Cult has already been canceled by the network. The Vampire Diaries, Arrow and Supernatural all received early pickups.