“The Originals” fans are keeping an eye out for news about the cancellation or renewal of their favorite show. Right now there is little to go on, but the ratings are certainly going strong. The CW will likely make the decision for the show in May 2017. Fans just need to keep tuning in to make “The Originals” season 5 a definite.

‘The Originals’ moved to a spring start

Fans of “The Vampire Diaries” spinoff were initially outraged at the CW’s decision to move the show’s season premiere. After three years of being a strong fall show, season 3 saw some of its poorest nights.

The CW didn’t help things by moving the show to a Friday night, which is considered in TV as the death slot.

As the ratings dropped, fans continued to fear that the show would be cancelled. However, it was given an early renewal for season 4. The CW dropped the bombshell in June that it wouldn’t be a fall show anymore. “The Originals” season 4 got a 13-episode order and was moved to a midseason premiere date. It wasn’t until December that fans found out the exact date: March 17.

Cancellation rumors spread right away

Once fans learned of the 13-episode order, fans started to worry that their favorite vampire program was going to be cancelled at the end of the year. It didn’t help that “The Vampire Diaries” season 8 was confirmed as the last ever.

However, the CW never confirmed or denied the rumors, and continues to keep an open mind about the show.

CW president, Mark Pedowitz, remains optimistic about the show. He would like to see it succeed and says that performance in March and April will affect the decision whether to order “The Originals” Season 5 or not. Julie Plec will also have a say, but she has said that the Mikaelson’s story isn’t over just yet.

Good following already

The ratings have been extremely good for a Friday night spring show. So far, the ratings have held steady and some weeks jumped up, with some ratings being much higher than the average for season 3. This is a good sign for renewal, as it shows the CW made the right call renewing the program but holding off the start date.

It is possible that the CW will decide to renew “The Originals” but keep it with a shorter episode arc midseason. Shorter episode arcs can fair better, as there are fewer filler episodes and more high-intense storylines.
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