The Vampire Diaries was on the CW.
The Vampire Diaries . The series premiered on The CW on September 10 , 2009 and concluded on March 10 , 2017 , airing 171 episodes over eight seasons . The pilot episode attracted the largest audience for The CW of any series premiere since the network began in 2006 . On April 26 , 2013 , The CW officially announced that the spin-off The Originals , which focuses on the Original family of vampires , had been ordered to series , and the show began airing during the 2013 -- 14 American television season . On March 11 , 2016 , The CW renewed the series for an eighth season , but on July 23 , 2016 , announced that the eighth season , which would have 16 episodes , would be the show 's last .