The CW's 2009/2010 Schedule
News from the Upfronts /
Seth Freilich
Trade News | May 21, 2009 | Comments (21)
And so the week of network TV news ends with the ultimate whimper as the also-ran network, the CW, gets its day in the sun.
“Reaper” isn’t quite dead yet. Yes, it’s canceled by the CW. However, the show is produced by ABC Studios, which is in talks with some of the CW’s affiliates about taking “Reaper” into syndication, for Sunday night airings. This is possible because the CW has given up on Sunday night programming of its own, after last year’s debacle. So the individual affiliates are free to air whatever they’d like. However, this is still pretty unlikely, so I wouldn’t get your hopes too high if you’re a fan of the show, because there are still plenty of roadblocks, including the costs of filming and the fact that Tyler Labine (Sock) is signed on to Fox’s new “Sons of Tucson.” Hopefully, next week’s season finale will also serve as a satisfying-enough series finale.
The network also canceled “Privilege,” whatever that is. It also canceled “The Game” and “Everybody Hates Chris,” which means there’s not a single comedy in the network’s schedule anymore.
“90210,” “Smallville,” “Supernatural,” “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill” are all coming back, as is “America’s Next Top Model.” The network also has some new shows. First and foremost, the CW realized that you needn’t only have one 90’s remake when you can have two, so it’s ordered up the “Melrose Place” reboot, which joins other new shows “Vampire Diaries” and “Beautiful Life.”
Sunday. Nada. As I mentioned, the CW has given up on original programming on Sunday nights, and control has been handed to the individual affiliates. Hopefully, we’ll get to say, at some point, that this is where we can catch “Reaper.” But beyond that, no hint yet of what the affiliates are thinking of doing with this free block of time.
Monday. “Gossip Girl” at 8, followed by “One Tree Hill” at 9. Nothing really to say about either, though I will note that the CW did not pick up that “Gossip Girl” spinoff that was in development.
Tuesday. “90210” followed by “Melrose Place.” Ahhhh … it’s like 1995 all over again, although shinier, thinner, and with more makeup.
“Melrose Place,” of course, is about an apartment complex in “the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles” (whatever) where everyone sleeps with everyone, and some people are evil and there are shenanigans. Laura Leighton returns as Sydney Andrews, who is the landlady of the building. Thomas Calabro also returns as Dr. Michael Mancini. Beyond that, there will be a bunch of young pretty people sleeping with each other, betraying each other, and generally not being nice to each other. Oh, and it also stars Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. But that’s not the most ridiculous thing about the show. Rather, the most ridiculous thing is that the pilot was directed and exec-produced by Davis Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning director of An Inconvenient Truth.
Wrap your head around that one.
Wednesday. “America’s Next Top Model” makes wannabe models cry at 8, and it’s followed by “The Beautiful Life,” a new series, at 9. This new show makes sense for pairing up with “ANTM,” as it’s about models and how their glamorous world is really “a world of insecurity and cutthroat competition.” It focuses on two teenage models who fall into the bigtime and stars Mischa Barton, Elle Macpherson and a whole lot of other people I don’t know. And I get that I am in no way the target demographic for the CW and will admit that, for that target demo, this show sounds right in line with stuff like “Gossip Girl” and “90210,” so it may not be a bad addition for the network.
Thursday. “Supernatural” returns at 9 p.m., but its lead-in is no longer “Smallville” (whch has been tossed to Friday night). Instead, at 8 p.m. it’s the new “The Vampire Diaries.” The show focuses on a teen brother and sister who have lost their parents in a car accident. A new boy shows up to school, and he’s mysterious and handsome and, of course, a bloodsucker. He’s a good vampire, but his brother (played by Ian Somerhalder, Boone from “Lost”) ain’t quite so nice. And so a battle for people’s souls commences. Again, I’m not the target demo here, but this seems like it could potentially be a good pairing with “Supernatural.” It seems like the CW has come to accept what it is, and is trying to play to its strengths.
Friday. “Smallville” at 8. That’s it. Dunno what happens at 9.
Saturday. Nada.
The network also has one midseason show up its sleeve, “Parental Discretion Advised.” It’s about a girl stuck in the foster system who becomes emancipated. And winds up finding her biological father. Who tells her who her mom is. And then a judge winds up granting her real parents joint custody of her, and they try to create the family they never were. Touching.
Comments
Posted by: VeinsRHiways at May 21, 2009 3:06 PM
-thumb-260x173-8899.jpg)
The Vampire Diaries is based off a young adult series of books that I loooved when I was growing up. They were my precursor to Anne Rice. And now CW is shitting on them. Shit on my childhood, CW, just shit on it.