Legacies

Bibliographic Information:  

Title: Legacies  

 TV Show Creator: Julie Plec  

Producer: Gina Girolamo, Brett Matthews, Leslie Morgenstein and Julie Plec.  

Production Company: My So-Called Company, Alloy Entertainment, CBS Television Studios, Warner Bros. Television 

Copyright: 2018.  
 

Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Science Fiction  

Awards or Honors: Teen Choice Award Nomination 

Watching Level: TV:14. This watching level is more for older teenagers, as there is some violence, swearing, and scenes for kids 14 and above.  

Plot Summary: Legacies follows the journey of magical kids who attend the Salvatore School for magic in Mystic Falls, Virginia. All these children have special abilities as witches, werewolves, vampires or other magical beings, but are often feared and rejected from the rest of society. The school offers the kids the chance to harness their abilities for good and learn how to control their powers and emotions for the betterment of society. One of the main characters is Hope Mikaelson, an orphan who is both a witch, werewolf and vampire, the first tribrid in existence. She and her friends at the school grow up together and fight monsters and evil creatures who want to take over the school and the world. The first season of the tv show focuses on a monster named Malivore, who wants to destroy all magical creatures. The second season deals with the Necromancer and the effects of dark magic on students.  

Television Creator Background: Julie Plec is the creator and executive producer of Legacies. Prior to Legacies, she was a co-creator of the hit series Vampire Diaries and was the creator of the Vampire Diaries spinoff, The Originals (Andreeva, 2020). She has also been involved as an Executive Director on other CW television shows like Riverdale.  

Plec recently left Warner Brother Studios in 2020 and signed a four-year-deal with Universal Television to make content for them. She will be responsible for creating television series as well as overseeing content from other writers on television shows. Her reported contract at Universal Television was valued at more than $60 million (Andreeva, 2020). 

Critical Evaluation: Legacies follows along the lines of its predecessors like The Vampire Diaries and the Originals. Each episode deals with its own subplots and issues, which address themes that appear throughout the season. The show is fast-paced and has clever writing that is designed for a teenage audience. It also addresses topics of bullying, LGBTQ representation, feminism, gender equality and double standards, and making amends for past mistakes. The music is modern and includes lots of indie rock and indie pop music. The cast is diverse and includes many characters who have made previous appearances in the Vampire Diaries and The Originals. The show is a fun, modern show that acknowledges the history and expectations it follows while also creating its own voice.  

Creative Use: A program idea would be to have kids watch a set number of episodes of Legacies and then pick and discuss some of the real-world teenage topics they address. Topics can include bullying, fitting in at a new school, anger management, PTSD, and gender equality. Have the teens provide examples of characters who handle the issues well and what they can emulate, and whose characters still have work to do and what changes they can make. Ask the students how they would handle certain scenes in the series, and what misconceptions or aspects about does the show get right or wrong.  

Speed Talk: Life as a teenager is hard, especially if you are a supernatural magical being. Hope Mikaelson is a powerful witch, werewolf, and vampire, and the only one of her kind in existence life. Hope is the daughter of the notorious but charismatic hybrid Klaus Mikaelson, who was known for being “the most ruthless, vicious beast to ever live.” Hope must adapt and survive after her parents died to save her life. As she grows up at the Salvatore School, she must fight monsters and her own personal demons to create a world safe for the people she cares for.  

Potential Challenges: There are no known historical challenges for the show. If the show was challenged, it would likely be for its representation of LGBTQ relationships and kissing scenes during episodes, which some groups and people have challenged in the past.   

Reason for Inclusion: I included the show because it is a modern, popular show on the CW that continues the Vampire Diaries Universe, well-known television genre. It follows the next generation of Vampire Diaries Universe characters and addresses modern teenage topics. It is popular on Netflix and is also available to watch for free on the CW website, making it more accessible for all teens. The show is fun and a great way to introduce new teen fans to the Vampire Diaries genre.  

Andreeva, Nellie. (2020, January 30). Julie Plec Inks Mega Overall Deal with Universal Television. Deadline. https://deadline.com/2020/01/julie-plec-multi-year-overall-deal-universal-television-1202846959/ 

Legacies. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8103070/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt