What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Vampire Diaries
Julie Plec · Series · 2009
If you loved The Vampire Diaries, start with The Originals (Julie Plec, 2013) — a series from the same story. Below: 2 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Vampire Diaries across media.
If The Vampire Diaries hooked you with its blend of supernatural stakes and complicated romantic entanglements, these picks will satisfy your craving.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Originals
Julie Plec · Series · 2013
Books on the same thread
The Struggle
L. J. Smith · Book · 1991
Shares a thread with The Vampire Diaries: Forbidden Love.
As the original source material for The Vampire Diaries, this trilogy offers a deeper look at the supernatural romance and moral struggles that defined the brothers' complicated journey.
The Twilight Saga
Stephenie Meyer · Book
Explores: Supernatural Destiny, High School Drama, Protective Love.
Much like The Vampire Diaries, this series centers on high school drama and the intense, protective love between humans and immortals caught in a web of supernatural destiny.
Films on the same thread
Twilight
Catherine Hardwicke · Film · 2008
Shares a thread with The Vampire Diaries: Forbidden Love.
Fans of The Vampire Diaries who enjoyed the forbidden love between humans and vampires will find a similar magnetic tension in this story of a girl and her immortal.
Interview with the Vampire
Film · 1994
Explores: Immortality, Existential Loneliness, Moral Ambiguity.
If you appreciated the existential weight and moral ambiguity found in The Vampire Diaries, this film provides an epic, character-driven exploration of the burden of living an eternal life.
Daybreakers
Michael Spierig · Film · 2010
Explores: Vampire Society, Blood Shortage, Search for a Cure.
While The Vampire Diaries focuses on small-town secrets, this film expands the scope by imagining a society struggling with the consequences of vampirism and the desperate search for humanity.
The Lost Boys
Joel Schumacher · Film · 1987
Explores: Coming of Age, Brotherhood, Good vs Evil.
This film mirrors the brotherhood themes found in The Vampire Diaries, capturing the same tension between outsiders and blood-thirsty creatures within a small, unsuspecting town setting.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
Those who loved the serialized small-town secrets and layered community drama of The Vampire Diaries will find a similar focus on long-running personal relationships in this rural soap.
Hablando en Serie
Podcast
Explores: television analysis, pop culture, fan discussion.
If you miss the deep-dive analysis of The Vampire Diaries, this podcast offers the same kind of passionate, spoiler-filled discussion about your favorite television shows and pop culture moments.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Vampire Diaries related to The Originals?
Yes, The Originals is a television series that serves as an expansion of the world established in The Vampire Diaries. Both shows were developed by Julie Plec and share a common supernatural universe, with The Originals focusing on characters introduced throughout the run of The Vampire Diaries.
What order should I watch The Vampire Diaries and The Originals?
You should watch The Vampire Diaries first, as it introduces the foundational lore and characters that eventually appear in The Originals. The Originals premiered in 2013, four years after The Vampire Diaries began, and follows the narrative progression established in the earlier show.
How long has The Vampire Diaries been running?
The Vampire Diaries premiered in 2009. The series follows the story of two vampire brothers who are obsessed with the same girl, who bears a striking resemblance to a vampire they knew in 1864. It serves as the primary series before the 2013 spin-off, The Originals.
Should I watch The Vampire Diaries before starting The Originals?
It is recommended to watch The Vampire Diaries before starting The Originals. Understanding the complex history of the vampire brothers and the girl they are obsessed with provides necessary context for the events and character dynamics explored in the 2013 spin-off series created by Julie Plec.