Now that The Vampire Diaries franchise is officially done (at least for now) with the end of Legacies, creator Julie Plec is seemingly putting The CW all the way in her rearview mirror. Over the last several months, she has gradually added new shows to her repertoire, such as another vampire series in the Vampire Academy adaptation, and now she is developing a whopping five additional new shows at Universal Television, on top of other projects already in the works.
According to THR, Plec has five new scripted shows in development at Universal Television, the studio that her production banner My So-Called Company has been based at for two years now. The new shows — Clifton, Douglass Medical, Freeman, Stay Gold, and This Savage Song — are part of her overall deal with Universal TV, where she already has four other shows in development, and likely more on the way. Her first show as part of the deal, The Endgame, was canceled in May, but that setback obviously isn't stunting growth anywhere else. Now let's take a closer look at everything on Julie Plec's plate going forward.
Clifton
In development at Peacock, Clifton is based on the Margaret Peterson Haddix novel Running Out of Time, and will be adapted by Briarpatch writer/Aisha Porter-Christie. The series centers on teenager Jazzie Smith, who lives in the the titular village of Clifton, which was previously used as a sanctuary at the height of the Civil War. After a mysterious visitor washes ashore, Jazzie soon begins learning more than she ever thought about all of the island’s secrets. Julie Plec and Emily Cummins are set to executive produce through My So-Called Company, with Misher Films also on board.
Douglass Medical
Because we can never have too many medical dramas, it was only a matter of time before Julie Plec hopped on the hospital train. Douglass Medical centers on Dr. Vanessa Pilgrim after she's forced to return to the nation’s capital following a teaching scandal. She finds herself in the position of Associate Chief of Emergency Medicine at the struggling teaching hospital set on an HBCU campus. And it doesn’t help that her mother is Dean of Douglass’ Medical School, and there’s a secret nearly two decades old that's just waiting to be told. [Dramatic music.] Ayanna Floyd, a former writer/producer on series such as Private Practice, Hannibal, and The Chi, will serve as creator and writer of Douglass Medical.
Freeman
The mystery-driven drama Freeman will show audiences that even the simplest and smallest of towns could be far more complex than they appear. After receiving a lucrative inheritance, a family moves to Georgia and into a mysterious house known as Freeman Manor, whose walls contain secrets and mysteries meant to be shielded from fjuture inhabitants. Though in a town which has its own mysteries that span generations, secrets aren't meant to stay that way forever. Lace creator and On My Block writer Adam Starks is noted as being the creator and head writer of Freeman.
Stay Gold
No, this isn’t a reference to The Outsiders, though it is an adaptation of a popular novel. Bringing Tobly McSmith's novel of the same name to life, Stay Gold follows the story of a transgender teen in the throes of navigating his senior year of high school with a new identity, all while trying to make magic happen with the girl of his dreams. The romantic dramedy is adapted by Drew Greenberg and the author McSmith himself, with both set as writers.
This Savage Song
Last but not least, we're going back to darker subject matter for This Savage Song. The romantic horror fantasy is based on the novel of the same name by Victoria Schwab, and the TV series will follow two teens in a world where violence is responsible for bringing literal monsters into existence. Schwab is set to adapt This Savage Song alongside Julie Plec, who will executive produce with Emily Cummins and Gina Marcheschi.
Julie Plec’s Previously Announced Peacock Shows
While four of Julie Plec’s above new shows don’t have a confirmed home, we do know that Clifton will be on Peacock, where it will join Vampire Academy and Dead Day. First announced last year, Vampire Academy is adapted from the young adult book series by Richelle Mead, with Plec and her longtime collaborator Marguerite MacIntyre serving as co-showrunners. The series is set to premiere on September 15 on Peacock and will consist of 10 episodes for the first season, starring Sisi Stringer, Daniela Nieves, Kieron Moore, and André Dae Kim.
Plec’s other Peacock series, Dead Day, was announced in January of this year. The series, which comes from her and TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson, is an adaptation of Ryan Parrott’s comic book. As of now, not much is known about Dead Day, but it will be coming to Peacock sometime in the near future, so hopefully more news is announced soon.
Other Julie Plec Projects Currently In The Works
It’s hard to believe, but those aren’t the only projects Julie Plec has in the works. She also has The Girls on the Bus coming to HBO Max. The series is inspired by the chapter of the same name in Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns and One Intact Glass Ceiling. Earlier this week, it was announced that Christina Elmore will star in the series, opposite Melissa Benoist and Natasha Behnam.
Plec is also working on a new show on Netflix, Confessions of a Drug-Addicted High School Teacher. The series will reunite her with TVD vet Paul Wesley. The dark comedy is set to premiere later this year, though no official date has yet to be announced.
While Legacies’ surprise cancellation was a heartbreaker, it seems to have been a blessing in disguise for Julie Plec. And it’s still possible she could return to the TVD franchise someday, but for now, it seems like she is focused on her many other projects.
Keep an eye out for more news on Plec’s shows but for now, be sure to sign up for a Peacock subscription and other services since it looks like she is sticking with streaming.
