Prior to an engaging, entertaining, revealing Vampire Diaries panel at PaleyFest, TV Fanatic was on the red carpet of this annual event, chatting up various members of the show's cast.

What did we gather from Matt Davis, Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Candice Accola, Ian Somerhalder and Executive Producer Julie Plec? Watch the following video interviews to learn...

... what title Davis would green light for an Alaric/Damon spinoff, as well as what kind of consequences the former may suffer as the result of his ring:

... why Dobrev considers Stefan's hair to be a negative attribute, and why - thanks to the aid of a TV Fanatic pros/cons list - she understands Elena's difficulty in choosing between brothers:

... whether Accola will sing again on the and whether Tyler will return to make everything right in the world of Forwood:

... what this Thursday's new episode will reveal about Stefan and how Wesley views his character's dark side:

... who the heck this Sage person is and why she's so integral to Damon:

... why Plec and fellow producers chose to expand the Original family (hint: you can thank Daniel Gillies) and whether any more villains are on the way this season:

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.