We’ve been looking at the fall line-ups for all the networks this week, and with the CW this is the end of that, until next year.
The CW is in severe trouble. It probably seemed like a merger of UPN and the WB couldn’t help but result in a strengthened, single fifth network. After you, you were able to cherry pick from the most popular shows of either (although for UPN this largely involved their wrestling package and America’s Next Top Model). If nothing else, you would shed the true dross, and if the only result was to draw as many viewers as the two networks each got separately, well, that was betting then the way things were.
Only that wasn’t what happened. The CW doesn’t draw many more viewers than the old WB did, and there was a reason the WB merged itself out of existence. Desperation moves like bringing back the once cancelled 7th Heaven didn’t help, and 7th Heaven is finally, without reprieve, been put down. Also gone are such cult shows as Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars, the latter a show that never pulled numbers to match the intensity of its fans adoration. Well loved, it was, but by too few.New shows didn’t work out much either. The first (if I’m remembering right) program cancellation from any network last fall was a show called Runaway, which I think only lasted two or three episodes.
As such, even with their short schedule (like Fox, the CW only shows two hours of primetime programming each night, but two-thirds of what the former big three networks provide), the fledgling CW is offering up 6 new shows.America’s Next Top Model remains the network’s most popular show, and will naturally return on Wednesdays this fall. It will be followed by Gossip Girl, another teen soaper adapted from a popular series of Young Adult novels. Shepherded by the producers of The O.C., there’s no reason why this couldn’t draw the limited number of viewers the CW considers a success.
Which isn’t to say that it will. Still, there’s sort of a vacuum for this type of show right now, so it might find its audience. Or not. Whatever. Anyway, the CW will market Wednesday as ‘Girls’ Night.’
Thursday is set with the returning Smallville and Supernatural , although the former is aging and presumably has to leave the air at some point. Besides, shouldn’t Clark head to Metropolis before he’s, like, forty?Friday sees Friday Night Smackdown. The real advantage of Smackdown is that there are new wrestling matches every week of the year, meaning no reruns or preemptions, both of which are killing network ratings as viewers become increasingly fickle . This is a real problem with the networks, which saw overall viewership drop by something like 15% just last year.
Saturday night if such a graveyard that the CW won’t offer programming, apparently. But then, CBS (and, I think, NBC) don’t either, really, they just rerun crime shows shown earlier that same week.
Sunday night will offer the no doubt cheaply produced CW Now, “the ultimate source for everything hip, hot and happening in youth culture.” Basically another version of Entertainment Tonight or Extra, with no doubt extra coverage of CW programming and Warner Brothers movies. Meanwhile, and this will draw in the fans, “Advertisers can participate by incorporating their brand into the fabric of the show, expanding on the network’s success last season with content wraps.”
This half hour will by followed by Online Nation, which basically will recycle original web content like the stuff that pops up on YouTube. Considering how little this will cost to put on the air, this might actually work. Or not. Again, who knows. However, this is also a show they could do year-round without pause.The second hour of Sunday night will feature Life is Wild, “the story of a dysfunctional blended family from New York who moves to a rural South African town and finds they must rely on each other more than they ever did back home.” From the description, although they sort of avoid coming right out and saying so, but I’m assuming this is a co-production with British or Canadian TV.
Monday night is sitcom night, leading off with Everyone Loves Chris, a show that would never have lasted this long on any other network. This will by followed by Aliens in America, about a family that hosts a Muslim foreign exchange student. That has the potential to be awful in so many different ways that it’s kind of mind-boggling. Oh, wait, I just read further, and think I know what specific way this will be awful: “issues of diversity, tolerance and coming of age in America take center stage in this sweet and insightful comedy.” Gaak!! After that, we get the returning Girlfriends and The Game. So it’s Ethnic Night, I guess.
Tuesday will see the return of the relatively popular Beauty and the Geek, followed by Reaper, about “humor-filled” drama about a slacker who is forced to become the Devil’s new bounty hunter. Wow, finally, that combo of Brimstone and Wonderfalls that everyone has been screaming for.
One Tree Hill will also return, but as a mid-season replacement for (presumably) whatever show falters first. This actually sort of makes sense, since it has an established audience of sorts. There will also be another iteration of Pussycat Dolls Present, and two other new reality shows. Farmer Wants a Wife is pretty self-explanatory, although he will be searching amongst a group of urban gals. Crowned will be a beauty pageant for two, as mother and daughter pairs compete against similar teams.
