"The Vampire Diaries" is ending with its eighth season, and "The Originals" season 4 has been shifted from a fall premiere to a mid-season release, meaning it won't premiere until January 2017 at the earliest. This has sparked rumors that the show is getting canceled, and now, the CW President Mark Pedowski has addressed these possibilities.
According to Inquisitr, Pedowski explained that the reason "The Originals" was shifted was because The CW wanted to keep their fall lineup very powerful and to strengthen their mid-season lineup at the same time. It is also allegedly going to make it easier to make a crossover between the show and "The Vampire Diaries."
Season 4 is also going to be shorter, and the report points out that this is often a sign that a series is possibly getting canceled. However, it is also pointed out that this can be done to wrap up several key plot arcs, and this may be the reason why season 4 is shorter. By doing so, there will be fewer fillers and the focus would be entirely on the main plot arc.
Pedowski also stated that the rest of the executives at the CW network have yet to announce if there are indeed plans of canceling the show. He did express hope that "The Originals" is still going to move forward with more seasons.
Other shows that have stuck with the mid-season schedule, such as "Suits," have prospered and it is possible that "The Originals" will succeed as well. The report states that the fate of the show will be determined by the success or failure of season 4. However, the show will be at a disadvantage, given that the mid-season period normally sees a decrease in viewers.
"The Originals" season 4 will premiere in early 2017. No official premiere date has been announced, although it is speculated to air sometime in January.
