There's Bad Blood on Bourbon Street Like practically any television show or movie set in New Orleans, "The Originals" works in a reference to gumbo within the first 10 minutes in an effort to establish its bayou bona fides. For this show, the wearying device is particularly apt because the series itself is a sort of gumbo. The creators tossed everything they could think of - vampires, witches, werewolves, an extra-human pregnancy, New Orleans itself - into a pot and hoped that something would bubble up that matched "The Vampire Diaries," of which this show is a spinoff. Fans of that show might well jump onboard this one, which begins on Thursday night. They'll recognize elements of the premiere from an episode of that show last spring, a so-called backdoor pilot. The title of the new series refers to the original vampire family, which staked out the New Orleans area centuries ago and built a city there. The premiere adds a lot of back story and cheeky humor that were not in the "Diaries" episode, which helps this series stand on its own. But the learning curve on who's who and what's what is still fairly steep. Klaus (Joseph Morgan, bringing his vampire-werewolf hybrid character from "The Vampire Diaries"), who left New Orleans at some point in the past, has returned, lured there by the city's witches. They need his help with Marcel (Charles Michael Davis, who raises the energy level of every scene he's in), a former Klaus protégé who now controls New Orleans and its witches and likes to kill for scant reason. Klaus also has something else to think about: Apparently he is the father of an unborn child being carried by Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin). His half-brother, Elijah (Daniel Gillies), is pushing hard for family unity, seeing the child as a possible new beginning. There are so many vampires and undeads and such on television these days that this crew is going to have a hard time getting attention, especially if the show continues to be as much of a grab bag as the pilot episode is. Some serious focusing - on specific story lines, specific characters - should be the first order of business. The series also needs to avoid the trap of relying on the tourist's-eye view of New Orleans. After Katrina, the city became a trendy place for filmmakers, TV script writers and documentarians. At this point, all the easy New Orleans imagery - the French Quarter streetscape, the festive funeral - is a collection of clichés, even for the presumably youngish target audience for this show. The Originals CW, Thursday nights at 9, Eastern and Pacific times; 8, Central time. Produced by Bonanza Productions in association with My So-Called Company, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Brothers Television and CBS Television Studios. Created by Julie Plec; written by Michael Narducci and Ms. Plec, based in part on the character Klaus from "The Vampire Diaires" novels by L. J. Smith; Ms. Plec, Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo, executive producers. WITH: Joseph Morgan (Klaus Mikaelson), Daniel Gillies (Elijah Mikaelson), Claire Holt (Rebekah Mikaelson), Phoebe Tonkin (Hayley Marshall), Charles Michael Davis (Marcel Gerard), Daniella Pineda (Sophie Deveraux), Leah Pipes (Cami O'Connell) and Danielle Campbell (Davina Claire).