Is ‘The Originals’ Leaving Netflix in 2021?
The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, and Legacies are all on Netflix, but they have a shelf life. Some countries already lost The Vampire Diaries and The Originals from the streaming platform, but is The Originals leaving Netflix in 2021? Here’s when fans can expect to see the show leave the streaming platform in the United States.
Is ‘Vampire Diaries’ on Netflix?
The Vampire Diaries is the show that started it all. The CW hit series ran for eight seasons and spurred two spin-offs: The Originals and Legacies. Unlike Legacies, The Originals started halfway through the plot of The Vampire Diaries, making their timelines connected.
One Originals and The Vampire Diaries lover laid out their idea of the perfect order to watch both of the shows in to accommodate for the combined timelines. You can check out the full list here.
The plot of Legacies starts when Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore have long since taken the cure for vampirism and are living their adult lives in Mystic Falls. Their daughter, Stefanie Salvatore, made a small appearance in Legacies as a student at Mystic Falls High. The series also aired a musical episode, and the musical was an homage to the plot of The Vampire Diaries.
All three of the shows are currently on Netflix in the U.S., but The Vampire Diaries was taken off the platform in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Nov. 1, 2020. Fans had to rent the show on Amazon Prime if they wanted to watch, but it was returned on Feb. 1, 2021.
Will all CW shows be on HBO Max?
Netflix has a longstanding contract with The CW that guarantees its shows are quickly available for streaming. That deal was made when Netflix was still the primary streaming service, however. Now, just about every major studio has its own platform.
The CW is co-owned by WarnerMedia and CBS, and Warner owns HBO Max. That means The Vampire Diaries franchise will likely eventually make its way to HBO Max, but the contract with Netflix has to expire first.
Some CW shows are already on HBO Max, like Batwoman and Katy Keene. The CW has already began co-creating original shows with HBO Max, like the DC comics-inspired Stargirl.
Is ‘The Originals’ leaving Netflix?
The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies have a different deal. The shows are added to Netflix one week after a season ends, and then they stay on the platform five years after.
The Vampire Diaries aired its last episode on March 10, 2017, which means it has one year left on Netflix. Based on the agreement, The Vampire Diaries could leave Netflix in March 2022.
The Originals ended on Aug. 1, 2018, which means it could leave Netflix in August 2023. Fans of the Mikaelson family will be able to continue to binge the story of their (long ass hell) lives for a couple more years. Once its time on Netflix is up, it will likely be added to HBO Max.
As for Legacies, only seasons 1 and 2 are currently on Netflix. Its third season will be added eight days after the season finale airs.
