The CW Network has announced the 2013-2014 schedule. The Originals will be on Tuesdays and will premiere in October.

Monday
8 p.m.: Hart of Dixie
9 p.m.: Beauty and the Beast
Tuesday
8 p.m.: The Originals
9 p.m.: Supernatural
Wednesday
8 p.m.: Arrow
9 p.m.: The Tomorrow People
Thursday
8 p.m.: The Vampire Diaries
9 p.m.: Reign
Friday
8 p.m.: The Carrie Diaries
9 p.m.: America’s Next Top Model

The CW Network has given early pickups to three additional dramas for next season, including the first new series order of the season with THE ORIGINALS, the highly anticipated spin-off of The Vampire Diaries, which was introduced during last night’s episode. The network also gave advance orders for the second season of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and the third season of HART OF DIXIE. The pickups were announced today by Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW.

“As soon as we saw last night’s episode of ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ we knew we wanted more of ‘The Originals’ – Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson have done a fantastic job with ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ which is as fast-paced and well-written as ever, and Julie has created an equally compelling world for ‘The Originals,’” said Pedowitz. “We’re also very excited to bring back ‘Beauty And The Beast’ and ‘Hart of Dixie’ for next season – both series continue to be creatively strong and compelling, and their fans are incredibly passionate. I’m very happy to have all three series on the schedule for next season.”

All three of these series see big lifts in Live+7 Day delayed viewing versus Live + Same Day, with THE VAMPIRE DIARIES jumping 52% increase among adults 18-34 and a 56% gain among women 18-34 once all time-shifted viewing is included. HART OF DIXIE averages a 53% increase among adults 18-34 and a 61% gain among women 18-34, and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST seeing a 43% jump in adults 18-34 and a 45% bump in women 18-34 from the overnight Live+SD to Live+7.

The CW has already given advance orders to ARROW, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and SUPERNATURAL for next season.

Source: www.blog.cwtv.com

JustJaredJr.com: Rebekah has really grown on us over these past two seasons. She’s probably the most relateable character on the show right now. Have you noticed any difference in the feedback you get?
Claire Holt: The fans have always been really loyal to Rebekah, I think, whether she’s the mean girl or the nice girl. There’s always a fan base for both. But I’m had such great support and definitely felt the love all throughout my journey on the show, but especially recently with the new spin-off and the potential for a new show.

JJJ: Right now, she’s very intent on getting that cure to become human again. How do you think human Rebekah would compare to vampire Rebekah? Are her expectations too high?
Claire Holt: I don’t know if Rebekah would do so well as a human, to be fair. I think she’s become very used to the benefits of being a vampire and the privileges of being a vampire. I think she’s in love with the idea of being a human, but in reality, I’m not so sure it would work out so well for her.

JJJ: Agreed. Her brother Klaus always seems to stab her in the back and never feels guilty about it! But we’ve seen him be vulnerable and forgiving where Caroline is concerned. Do you think at some point we’ll see him extend that to his sister?
Claire Holt: I hope so, because I love the relationship they had when Rebekah first came to Mystic Falls. I love the dynamic they had. I think there’s still a lot of story to tell there. I hope that after this journey to New Orleans, he feels a little more loyal toward his family and they can work on their relationship. And maybe he can apologize for betraying her so many times.

JJJ: We get a glimpse of Rebekah in the promo, but we don’t know why she goes to New Orleans with her brothers, especially given how Klaus has treated her. What can you tell us about her journey there?
Claire Holt: In this episode, Rebekah is still in Mystic Falls and Elijah is trying to convince her to come to New Orleans, so it’s all about the decision that she makes, whether she feels that she’s going to remain loyal and follow her brothers, and stay true to her family and her beliefs, or whether she’s going to lead her own life. I think that’s the decision she has to make in this episode. She really loves [Elijah] and respects him. I think they have a great dynamic. She trusts him a little more than she trusts Klaus. So if anyone’s going to convince her to make it to New Orleans, it’s going to be Elijah.

JJJ: Definitely. Rebekah has also been pretty unlucky when it comes to love. Are you hoping she finds someone who actually likes her for her?
Claire Holt: I’m hoping Rebekah finds someone, definitely. That’s been a huge part of her journey over the last two seasons. Although, I really do like the fact that she gets the dalliance with the many different hunky men in Mystic Falls (laughs). I, as Claire, am not so bothered by it, but I think for Rebekah, it would be nice for her to have someone.

JJJ: Last week, she told Matt that Elena was up to something. Do you think she did that because of Elijah’s test or because she genuinely cares for these people now?
Claire Holt: I think she’s starting to really care about them. I don’t know whether that’s what she truly wants, but I do think that was genuine and that was really her trying to help out.

JJJ: Rebekah and Matt had some great scenes last week too. It seems like his opinion of her is changing for the better. Are we going to get more scenes with them coming up?
Claire Holt: There’s going to be a development in their relationship and it’s going to start to grow. I think the fans will be happy with the outcome. Whether he falls madly in love with her – the way she thinks she is with him – or not, it remains to be seen. She’s definitely going to make some progress.

JJJ: What about Rebekah and Stefan? They hooked up and then it was kind of dropped…
Claire Holt: I think that’s sort of been put to bed now. They’ll always have a history and a chemistry. Whether I’ll have more time on screen with Paul Wesley, I’m not really sure that’s going to happen in the near future.

JJJ: What about Phoebe Tonkin? You guys are besties in real life, but you’ve never even had a scene together! Are you excited for the potential in the spin-off?
Claire Holt: We haven’t! Oh my god, yes! We did our very first show together, grew up together, and learned the ways of world together, so it will be a real joy and a treat to get to work with her again.

JJJ: This season has been pretty crazy. What was your favorite scene to film?
Claire Holt: My favorite was the classroom scene, when I tortured them all in the classroom. They sort of set it up as a big play, and it was a really great episode for Rebekah, I think. For me, as an actor, to be trusted with all of that dialogue and all that power in the scenes… that was the most fun, for sure.

Source: www.justjaredjr.com

TVLine chatted with the actress to get the answer, as well as intel on Matt and Rebekah’s evolving relationship and how the offshoot will differ from The Vampire Diaries. (Make sure you read all the way to the bottom so you don’t miss Holt’s tantalizing tease about the upcoming season ender.)

TVLINE: Last week, Rebekah both passed and failed Elijah’s test. Where does that leave her in regard to wanting to be a human?
This episode is less about Rebekah’s race for the cure and more about Klaus’ story and his reasons for going to New Orleans. So it’s kind of sidelined in this one, and with good reason. Rebekah is also coming to terms with the fact that the cure may not be hers anymore. She’s learning to move on and deal with the immediate issues that she is faced with… I don’t know that she’s necessarily given up on [being human], but she’s come to realize that it may not be in the cards for her. Now that Silas is in possession of the cure, she’s going to have to accept that.

TVLINE: Matt and Rebekah had a big turning point in the last episode. How will their relationship change going forward?
Matt’s starting to realize that Rebekah has some redeeming qualities, that she really, truly just wants to be loved and feel normal. When push comes to shove, she’s starting to make decisions that are less in line with how she used to behave and more in line with the new person that she wants to be. He’s still angry at her for the way that she’s behaved in the past and how she betrayed a lot of his close friends. And yet, he feels something that draws himself to her and he doesn’t know what it is. It may be worth investigating.

TVLINE: Does she really like him romantically — or just the idea of what he represents for her?
To be fair, I think she likes the idea of him. There was a line in the prom episode where she says, “You’re so beautifully human.” That’s everything that she wants to be, and so she’s projecting that a little and almost convincing herself that those are her true feelings when in fact they may not be. But whatever makes her change her ways is a good thing.

TVLINE: I feel like the Original vampires are the most unlucky-in-love characters on the show.
[Laughs] Well, when you screw a lot of people over, it’s probably pretty hard to find people to love you in return.

TVLINE: Very true. But are you hoping that if The Originals goes to series, you will get a nice, steady love interest on there?
You know what, it’s not the hardest thing in the world to have a line of good-looking men to go through like I have on The Vampire Diaries – Stefan and Damon and now potentially Matt. It’s not so hard the way it’s been. But sure, I’d love her to have someone to really connect with.

TVLINE: In setting up this potential spin-off, does this episode feel different?
It absolutely looks and feels different. Just shooting in New Orleans makes it different. There’s so much production value there. Everything looks beautiful. It’s so historic. The colors are vibrant. It really elevated the episode. And then tonally, it’s a different feel. It’s a little darker. The voodoo and the witches of New Orleans add a new element to the show. And the character dynamics are different. It’s still in keeping with The Vampire Diaries and what makes that show popular. [But] it’s taking it to a new level. I’m really excited for fans to see it.

TVLINE: You didn’t get to film in New Orleans yet, so what is Rebekah up to in Mystic Falls?
She’s faced with the decision of whether to follow her brother and remain loyal or lead her own life in Mystic Falls. She’s felt very betrayed by Klaus, and he’s said some awful, horrible things to her. She’s not one to forgive too quickly or easily. That’s definitely going to be on her mind when Elijah pleads with her to follow them and help our brother. But then she’s also been really loyal and valued her family for a very long time. It’s going to be a tough decision for her — and maybe the decision won’t be made. It’s going to be a long journey of repairing their relationship.

TVLINE: Klaus runs into his old protégé Marcel (played by Charles Michael Davis) in New Orleans. Does Rebekah also have a history with him, since the Original family helped build the city?
I imagine that she would. That’s not something that we’ve gotten into yet… But I feel if Klaus knew Marcel, and I was there when we settled in New Orleans, then I probably have a history with him, as well.

TVLINE: I have a challenge for you: Give us your best season finale tease.
There will be a lot of characters from the past that will potentially come back into the fold somehow.

TVLINE: Julie Plec did tell me that we’re going to be getting a surprise visit from an Original. Should Rebekah and her siblings be worried?
I’m not sure that any of the family members that are deceased are really in the good books of the family members that are still alive. [Laughs] So I can’t imagine that it would ever be a welcome visit.

TVLINE: Have you been given assurances by Julie that you’ll finally get to share a scene with Phoebe Tonkin?
I haven’t been given any assurances! If that doesn’t happen, we’re both not going to be very happy. [Laughs] I’d love to! I’m waiting and waiting and waiting. I’ve been waiting the whole season. Hopefully, next season.

Source: tvline.com

You can watch the Zap2It interview here.

In case we haven’t made it abundantly clear, we’re pretty obsessed with Claire Holt from “The Vampire Diaries.” Holt was brought on to the show as a recurring guest star and quickly climbed the ranks — she recently signed on reprise her role as Rebekah on the spin-off “The Originals.” Rebekah has proven to be one of the most nuanced and dynamic characters on the show, straddling the line between vicious villain and vulnerable teenager with grace and wit.

Like we said… we’re obsessed.

We recently had the chance to sit down with Claire on set, while she was shooting an upcoming scene with Nina Dobrev… and Nina Dobrev’s body double.

Yes, Katherine and Rebekah will finally come face to face, and we can expect some fireworks.

“It’s kind of funny,” Claire tells us. “They’re so similar in a way, but so different in a way. I think Rebekah likes having the power. She likes controlling situations. I think she’s liked to play that sort of vixen role in Mystic Falls, and Katherine has been the ultimate vixen, so I don’t think they’re going to be the best of friends, that’s for sure.”

Now that the cure for vampirism is in play, Rebekah is on a single-minded mission to become human, despite warnings that an ordinary life may not be what she’s looking for. “She wants to take it. She wants the cure, she wants to be human. This whole hype has been, since we found out there was a cure, Rebekah has been destined to take it. So I think that’s what she wants right now. Who knows, if and when she gets the cure, if that happens, if it comes into her possession, whether she’ll really pull the trigger. But I think she thinks it’s a really nice romantic idea,” Claire says.

Speaking of romance, Paul Wesley seems to think that there’s potential for some genuine affection between Stefan and Rebekah — he even called her his “main squeeze.” Claire, on the other hand, thinks that the relationship is doomed for failure.

“I would love for it to [continue] because I absolutely adore Paul Wesley, he’s one of my favorite people on the planet,” she says. “People don’t know this about him but he’s so funny. Probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life … I think we had some really great chemistry, it harkens back to the 1920s episode, but like, really? I don’t think anybody really wants to be with Rebekah forever unless she changes her ways.”

Tune in to “The Vampire Diaries” Thursday night at 9 p.m. EST to see how Rebekah’s search for the cure continues.

In the meantime, you won’t want to miss our video interview below, in which Claire talks about working with Phoebe Tonkin on “The Originals,” shooting scenes with double Dobrevs, and what she’s most looking forward to exploring when Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah are reunited.

Source: blog.zap2it.com