Thanks to Christine of Warner Brothers for sending us these photos from the Paley Fest! Photos include Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson, Bob Levy and also Dawn Ostroff, President of Entertainment, The CW and Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth. And per my request and as a special treat she included two photos of Melinda (@paulwesleylover)!

(L-R): Dawn Ostroff, President of Entertainment, The CW, series start Ian Somerhalder, and Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth. (C) Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/ Mitch Haddad.

(L-R): Series star Nina Dobrev and Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth. © Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/ Mitch Haddad.

(L-R): Executive Producer Bob Levy, series star Paul Wesley, series star Ian Somerhalder, Executive Producer Julie Plec, Executive Producer Kevin Williamson, Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth, and series star Nina Dobrev. © Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/ Mitch Haddad.

(L-R): Series stars Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, and Ian Somerhalder. © Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/ Mitch Haddad.

(L-R): Series star Ian Somerhalder and Executive Producer Kevin Williamson. © Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/ Mitch Haddad.

(L-R): Series stars Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, and Paul Wesley. © Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/ Mitch Haddad.

Melinda Miller (@paulwesleylover) at Paley Fest

Melinda Miller (@paulwesleylover) and Paul Wesley

SPOILER ALERT! Here’s an exclusive first look from EW! Damon and Kelly Donovan, aka Matt’s mom who is portrayed by Melinda Clarke from the March 25th episode A Few Good Men. And below, Julie Plec sheds some light on their “hook up”.

he Vampire Diaries‘ brooding bloodsucker Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is in for one hell of a tasty treat when The O.C.’s Melinda Clarke blows into Mystic Falls as Matt’s hard-partying, absentee mother, Kelly, on March 25. “The two of them hit it off instantly and form a bond that results in some hard-core flirtin’ and sexin’,” coos exec producer Julie Plec, who notes that “Damon isn’t just about the high school girls. He’s a worldly guy, so watching him sex it up with a real woman was very exciting.”

I’ve known about this since my set visit, but wasn’t given the go ahead to post about it. But now, since it’s pretty much been announced by all the other fansites and Julie Plec mentioned in the Episode 14 “Fool Me Once” preview video that the episode will be their “winter finale”, I’m sure it’s safe to go ahead and mention it. Yes, after Episode 14 that will air on February 11th, The Vampire Diaries will go on a 6 week hiatus, and will not return until March 25th. Trust me, I’m not happy about this either. These hiatuses are no fun at all. But the Winter Olympics will be going on and this will also ensure that the show will be on air during May Sweeps. Go ahead and get all your frustrations out in the comment section…

We have another great episode preview from Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, this time for “Children of the Damned”.

Awesome new videos with Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson explaining what we can expect when The Vampire Diaries returns January 21st and in the second video they talk about the fans!

Today was Day One of the Television Critics Association Press Tour.  The Vampire Diaries Panel included: Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley and executive producers, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec and Bob Levy.  There were all kinds of tidbits of info floating all over the Twitterverse and Internet during the panel discussion.  I tuned in to a live blogging via Cover It Live on TVTango.com.  Also, we got several juicy bits of info via @KristinAlert and @theTVaddict.  Here are some pics from the panel.  You can view the rest of the pics here on Zimbio!  And here’s an excerpt from Kristin’s post today, after the panel discussion was over.

It seems Katherine (Nina) and Damon (Ian) will share some hot and steamy screentime in an upcoming episode.

“There’s a big episode coming up that’s all about Katherine,” Nina told me exclusively after the panel session with reporters. “I love playing her because she’s everything I’m not and I can get it all out of my system. I actually have modeled the character after Ian’s performance of Damon, because he does it so well.” So the chemistry is palpable, friends!

“I think what Elena will learn,” Ian (Damon) tells me, “is that even though he is a diabolical jerk, Damon speaks the truth. He does lot lie. And Stefan (Paul Wesley) has lied to her. So Damon will win Elena over in that capacity. And who’s to say Stefan isn’t a little bit evil anyway? He definitely has some evil in him.”

Here’s what else we learned:

“The cork will be pulled on the whole basement thing,” boss Kevin Williamson teases. “Before the first season is over.”

“Vicki is definitely dead and won’t be coming back,” Kevin said when a reporter asked why Kayla Ewell (Vicki) said she wasn’t really dead.

The IMDB synopsis that says Elena will become a vampire in the next episode “is completely false,” boss Julie Plec said. “That happens in the books but it won’t happen on this show til like season 37.”

Yay! You mean we get 37 seasons? You better get your non-aging, vampalicious cast some face cream, stat.

Damon and Elena are on! The road, anyway. As I teased a few weeks back, the unlikely pair will be taking a road trip (against her will) and it will lead to the blossoming of the full-fledged love triangle, with the first glimmers of a possible Damon and Elena pairing. “It’s not a love triangle with only two people and,” Nina says. “And now that the necklace is off, she’s very vulnerable. In the next episodes we’re going to see there’s going to be a lot of Damon and Elena.”

Thanks to Vampire-Diaries.net for the heads up on these CW Source videos of Nina Dobrev and Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec.

I heart Julie Plec so much! From her subtle spoilers she gives us on Twitter, to this great Q & A with TV Guide Magazine packed full of juicy tidbits.  And I’m gonna tell you right now….if you don’t want to know, then don’t read any further.

Will the November 19 Vampire Diaries cliffhanger “keep fans a little bit crazy in the head during” the show’s winter break? That’s what coexecutive producer Julie Plec tells TV Guide Magazine she hopes for the shocking ep that featured Elena (Nina Dobrev) finding Katherine’s photo after spending the night with Stefan (Paul Wesley). She takes off, crashes her car and is trapped as a shadowy figures approaches. Will she survive? Plec also gives us a peek of what to expect when the show returns in January. SPOILER ALERT!

What’s happening when Diaries opens its pages again in January?
Our first episode back is a very Damon and Elena-centric story. The two of them go off on a little adventure and bond in a way she didn’t think they were capable of. Having left her necklace behind with the vervaine, the question is: is Damon taking Elena along of her own free will or is he controlling her to enjoy the experience. Also, Gina Torres (Firefly, 24) guest stars as a witch that Damon goes to visit.

Sounds like you’re building toward a romantic triangle?
Yes. The interesting thing about the Damon/Stefan/Elena triangle is that Damon’s heart belongs to Katherine forever and always. But as we go through the rest of the season, he’s going to get to know Elena better and better. And can Elena and Stefan’s relationship survive her learning the truth about Katherine? Damon never lied to her and didn’t’ have sex with her. At least not yet.

Please click through for even MORE spoilerific goodness!

Radar Online has a really cute video of @kevwilliamson and @julieplec chatting about the whole crazy ridonkulous “flashing incident” with @tylershields on that dang bridge in Georgia. I wish I could embed the video but unfortunately I can so all I gotta say is that I think me and Kev and Juls need to hang out. They are so cool! And I only like to hang out with cool people….