The Vampire Diaries spinoff project is currently titled The Originals, but there’s still time to change that. Should they?
If The CW picks up The Originals for the 2013 fall season, the show will follow The Vampire Diaries characters Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) as they head to the French Quarter of New Orleans, where Klaus’ old protege Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) is running the supernatural community.
Julie Plec will be in charge of this spinoff series, which will be introduced to fans of The Vampire Diaries in the April 25 episode.
On our most recent episode of the Vampire Hype podcast, Selina and Sonya debated whether the working title The Originals will remain the official title of the spinoff show, and decided to expand their opposing views in an article on Hypable.
Read the arguments for and against, and vote in the poll whether or not you think The Originals is a good name for the show!
Selina says: Stick with ‘The Originals’
Why fix something that isn’t broken? The Originals is a brilliant name, not only because it appeals to fans of The Vampire Diaries, but also because it is vague and mysterious enough to intrigue new viewers.
There’s a reason why fewer and fewer television series get spinoffs these days. A few decades ago, some of the most iconic series were actually spinoffs of existing shows – Frasier, The Simpsons and Melrose Place key among them, and a bit more recently Angel.
But these days, viewers want something fresh. Shows like Joey and The Lone Gunmen had a fraction of the viewership of the shows they were spun off from, and both got cancelled fairly quickly. Gossip Girl never got its prequel series off the ground, and we’re still waiting for the verdict on The Carrie Diaries. Because as popular as the original series might be, if you don’t watch the main show, chances are you won’t be interested in its spinoff.
The Originals has a chance be different. “Hey, what’s that new CW show?” someone might ask. “The Originals?” someone else might reply. “Yeah, that sounds awesome!” Because it does. It sounds, well, original. This name holds mystery, and there will be people who tune in just to find out what exactly is so original about this show – and then hopefully it’ll be fresh and interesting enough to actually hold their interest.
Considering that there are only two Originals on the show (so far) and that they’re going to be sharing the screen with witches and werewolves and other vampires, some might argue that the name is misleading. But if the main character is Klaus, and if he and Elijah share a sufficient amount of time reminiscing about and/or flashing back to the past, there is no reason why the title couldn’t refer directly to them. It isn’t going to be The Hayley & Marcel Show, after all – as much as we might want that to be the case. (Although, spoiler alert: we don’t.)
Plus, we’re already referring to this show as The Originals – wouldn’t it just be confusing to change it now?
Sonya says: ‘The Originals’ is a bad name, change it
The Originals – okay I get it, the show will be about the Mikaelson family also known as the Original family, right? Wrong. This is my main issue with the title of the show. When one hears about it they instantly think about that family, when in actuality it looks like only two members of the Original family will be on the show. So far it’s only been confirmed that Klaus (played by Joseph Morgan) and Elijah (played by Daniel Gillies) will be appearing on the show. Leaving out Mikael (RIP), Finn (RIP), Kol (RIP), and as far as we know Rebekah.
With the way that The Vampire Diaries is leading Rebekah’s character closer to other characters (Stefan, Elena, Damon) and further away from her family, it doesn’t seem likely that she will be heading to New Orleans with her brothers. And even if she does join the spinoff – that would still only make three Originals.
Another issue: The Originals makes it sound as though the show could be a period piece, taking fans back to a time when it was just the Mikaelson family. Instead we’re going to be introduced to a whole new supernatural community in New Orleans.
Although the title makes it seem like the focus of the show will be on the family itself, it seems to be more concerned with Klaus’ new journey to his old home in New Orleans. According to The CW, he will be going back to solve a mystery in which he believes someone is trying to make a move against him but isn’t sure who. That’s when he runs into his old protégé Marcel.
If you’re going to go that route, why not just call the show Klaus?
Overall, I just think the name sounds cheesy. It’s fine as a reference to the family that started the vampire race. But as the name of a TV show? It hardly sounds interesting.
Now it’s your turn! Do you think the name is right, or should it be changed – and if so, what should it be called?! Vote in the poll and share your thoughts in the comments:
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