The Vampire Diaries spin-off, Legacies, has been canceled by The C.W. following its fourth season.
The announcement was revealed among multiple other show cancellations on Thursday, May 12, thereby ending the vampire show’s 13-year run on the channel.
Here’s all you need to know about the show’s cancellation by The C.W.
Why is ‘Legacies’ coming to an end after four seasons?
Following the main program and its spin-off, The Originals, Legacies was the third show in The Vampire Diaries world.
Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) is a vampire-werewolf-witch “tribrid” who attends the Salvatore Institution for the Young and Gifted, a supernatural school run by Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis).
Legacies have more than one legacy to preserve in the franchise because Hope was originally introduced in The Originals (pardon the pun).
According to TVLine, the show’s cancellation was revealed with six others, including Magnum P.I. and Rosewell, New Mexico, and the decision appears to be tied to the network’s expected sale.
Legacies’ ratings for Season 4 were lower than for Season 3, with the show averaging 760,000 viewers and a 0.2 demo in total every week, compared to 1 million viewers and a 0.3 demo the previous season.
According to TVLine, the show’s fourth season had a 107 percent increase from DVR users, one of the network’s two highest, and even with the somewhat lower ratings, it trails only The Flash, Superman & Lois, and All American.
Julie Plec, the show’s creator and executive producer, compared The C.W.’s decision to cancel seven series to one of the most violent scenes in Game of Thrones: The Red Wedding.
In a tweet, she wrote: “It’s the Red Wedding at WBTV/CW today. Much more to say, but not today.
“Loads of gratitude coming for fans, cast, and crew in future tweets. But today, we lament.”
It’s the Red Wedding at WBTV/CW today. Much more to say, but not today.
Loads of gratitude coming for fans and cast and crew in future tweets. But today, we mourn.
— Julie Plec (@julieplec) May 12, 2022
Plec also worked on the development and showrunner of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals from 2009 to 2018.
Plec is also working on Vampire Academy for NBC’s streaming platform Peacock, another vampire-based property she has overseen.
Russell has not yet publicly commented on the show’s cancellation, nor have other key cast members such as Aria Shahghasemi and Jenny Boyd.
Legacies’ Season 4 finale will broadcast on Thursday, June 16, putting the franchise to a stop, at least for the time being, with its 20th episode.
Legacies will continue to run on The C.W. on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EDT.
