‘The Vampire Diaries’ season 4 spoilers: Joseph Morgan confirms start of ‘Originals’

In case you have been eagerly awaiting the beginning of the “Vampire Diaries” backdoor pilot for “The Originals,” we have some rather great news coming in now: production is officially under way.

In a series of posts on Twitter, both executive producer Julie Plec and series star Joseph Morgan have confirmed that today is the day that work really begins on what is easily the most ambitious episode of season 4. Not only is there a need to tell a story here that fits in with the “Vampire Diaries” universe, but they also need to introduce a heap of new characters, explain why Klaus, Elijah, and possible Rebekah are leaving Mystic Falls, and establish a story arc that viewers will want to check out on its own moving forward until the fall. It’s likely that The CW will air “The Originals” right after the flagship show, that way it can capitalize on the familiar lead-in.

While “The Originals” has not necessarily picked up for the new TV season yet, it is probably as close of a lock as one can get. After all, the network needs hits more than anything, and why would you pass on something featuring popular characters that extends an already-established (and extremely successful) franchise? Expect a decision here to be announced before the upfront presentation in May, which is generally when we find out about a number of shows that are more or less on the bubble.

What do you want to see happen during this spin-off? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below, and you can see what character is surprisingly not going to be a part of the backdoor pilot by heading on over to the link here.

Photo: The CW