The Vampire Diaries (TVD) franchise began as a series of novels written by L.J. Smith, first publicised in 1991. The story is set in a small town called Fell’s Church and follows Elena Gilbert, a teenager who, after losing her parents, becomes involved with Stefan and Damon Salvatore—brothers and rival vampires. The novels garnered significant attention, especially with the success of its genre, which blends supernatural elements with romance and thriller genres. However, L.J. lost her creative rights to her story due to her publishing contract with Alloy Entertainment. Warner Bros—parent company of Alloy—acquired the rights to adapt the novels into a television series.

L.J. Smith faced legal disputes over creative ownership. Smith’s publishing contract with Alloy Entertainment, which packaged her books for sale, resulted in her losing control over her own intellectual property. In an interview, Smith described how her publishing contract led to the loss of her creative rights: “I am fired from writing my own books. But the truth is that they’re not mine, even though I write every word" (Thedarkeststar, 2025). Despite creating the original works, Smith’s role became increasingly limited after Alloy Entertainment hired a ghostwriter to continue the series (Lake, 2012). The issues surrounding the legal ownership of TVD serve as a cautionary tale for authors working under "work for hire" contracts, where corporations control the content and creative direction of a franchise.

The television show premiered in 2009. Although the TV show was inspired by Smith’s books, it diverged in certain ways, creating its own narrative universe. Warner Brothers adaptation of the franchise is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, a place steeped in supernatural history. The show explores themes of love, identity, and morality. The primary audience of TVD is women aged 16 to 30, with the show rated M for mature audiences due to its complex themes, supernatural elements, and mature content. Over time, the TVD universe has extended across different formats, ensuring its accessibility on various streaming platforms such as 9Now, Stan, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Apple TV, allowing fans to experience the series anytime, anywhere (Watch, 2025).

The franchise then expanded through two spin-off television series, featuring the Original Vampires, then another show featuring their children as well as a novel series titled Stefan’s Diaries, and video game adaptations, broadening its reach across multiple media platforms (Complex, 2023).

Stefan’s Diaries provides additional insight into Stefan Salvatore’s perspective within Warner Bros.' adaptation of the series. The books were ghostwritten after L.J lost creative rights. Serving as a tie-in to the show, these novels further immerse audiences in the Vampire Diaries universe. The series' expansion into different media forms—television, books, and video games—demonstrates how corporate interests can shape the evolution of a story, sometimes at the expense of the original creator’s vision.

The Vampire Diaries franchise encourages audience interaction through various platforms, offering a transmedia experience that includes novels, video games, and spin-off series.

Firstly in 1996, a video game inspired by Smith’s novels was released, developed by HeR Interactive, offering an interactive point-and-click adventure. Created by Sheri Garner, the aim was to increase interactivity. Nonetheless, it was not based on the published novels but featured characters from the TVD universe. With only 5000 copies produced the game became rare and valuable, with copies selling for up to $7000 (Drew, 2025). The video game required 3 game discs to play making it even more difficult to acquire. This made the game an incredibly rare and valuable relic not only among the HeR Interactive community, but the Vampire Diaries community as well. Conversely, despite the game’s connection to the books, it didn’t align with the TV series, limiting its relevance and appeal to fans of the show.

On May 25, 2011, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced the release of The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In, an interactive game available exclusively on Facebook. It expanded the show's narrative and allowed players to explore the town's mysteries in greater depth. The official announcement highlighted, “Based on the vamp-tastic show, the game is free and accessible to all Vampire Diaries fans with a Facebook account” (Moonlight, 2025). According to the official press release, The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In expanded upon the supernatural narrative of the original television series. Warner Brother’s Senior Vice President explained, “These missions lead players deeper into the mysteries and events that are unravelling in this pleasant, yet dangerous town,” adding, “Now players of the game will get to delve deeper into the engaging mysteries…” (Moonlight, 2025). The game was free to Facebook users, though its limited accessibility and eventual shutdown in 2013 restricted its reach. (Moonlight, 2025).

These elements of transmedia storytelling contributed to a richer, more immersive experience for those who were able to engage, underscoring the power of interactive media in expanding a franchise’s narrative across multiple formats. While The Vampire Diaries expanded its universe through these interactive experiences, the short-lived availability of the games and their divergence from the television series posed challenges in maintaining long-term audience engagement.

Interactivity enhances The Vampire Diaries transmedia experience. The franchise expands its narrative through supplementary content, such as the novel series: Stefan's Diaries. In the show, characters write in diaries, with entries referenced in flashbacks, creating immersion. The Stefan's Diaries novel series deepens audience engagement beyond the show, making fans yearn to gain insight. However, there are multiple barriers such as L.J Smith’s loss of creative control. Smith's name appears on the covers but they were actually written by a ghostwriter. As noted; “The book is written by a ghost writer. Origins is the first book from The Stefan’s Diaries series, which works as a tie-in to the TV series” (Becky, 2012). This led to significant controversy among the community. One fan, in a comment on a news article, exclaimed: “No Smith, no Vampire Diaries. I don’t pay companies to abuse power, or employees” (Nguyen, 2021). A Twitter petition began circulating, with supporters vowing: “You will NOT buy any future books as they will not be written by L.J. Smith! By signing this you are officially saying you will no longer buy another ‘Vampire Diaries’ book unless L.J. Smith is re-hired!” (Nguyen, 2021). Corporate influence altered the book series' tone, frustrating readers.

As well as not relating to the original story, Warner Brothers TVD television show has significant language barriers for non-English speakers. TVD was produced in English but struggled with consistent dubbing and subtitling. Poor translations impacted audience immersion.

The video games based on TVD significantly expanded the TVD universe, offering fans interactive experiences that extended the narrative beyond the television series. The 1996 interactive game, despite its limited release, introduced players to characters from the TVD universe through live-action sequences. Though not directly based on the novels or TV series, the game attracted fans eager to engage with the world of The Vampire Diaries. Its rarity and high demand made it a valuable piece of franchise memorabilia. The 2011 release of The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In tied directly into the TV show, allowing players to explore the town’s supernatural mysteries. By being a free game, it expanded the reach of the TVD universe to a broader audience. Nevertheless, the reliance on platforms like Facebook and the rare, niche nature of the earlier game limited the potential for broader fan participation.

While The Vampire Diaries became a successful franchise sustaining audience engagement, its full transmedia potential was not realised. Warner Bros. missed the opportunity to create a more immersive, interactive experience that could have further engaged audiences and strengthened the franchise’s impact across multiple platforms such as an official game where players can create their own characters and interact with TVD characters, live the life in Mystic Falls. This would be done with the intention of updating instead of shutting the game down. Despite barriers, The Vampire Diaries maintains a dedicated fanbase. Addressing localisation, streaming, and affordability challenges could further enhance engagement and solidify its legacy.

For over 34 years, The Vampire Diaries has remained a successful franchise, captivating audiences with its unique blend of supernatural elements, romance, and thriller-driven storytelling. While Warner Brothers' acquisition of the series contributed to its expansion, there was an untapped opportunity to further enhance audience engagement through transmedia storytelling. By incorporating more interactive content, such as modern video games or expanded digital experiences, the TVD universe could have offered fans a deeper and more immersive connection to its world.

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