The CW: TV To Talk About

It's officially here, the 2009-10 Fall Season has begun and thanks to The CW, it's started in style. As someone who over the past few years has slowly realised that The CW is a network which although aimed at a quite specific demograph, they unusually, managed to capture the minds of many, many more.

They may be the only network with original programming which is

constant, which may not get the highest ratings but also delivers with the biggest buzz and gossip. Maybe thanks to the many years of hard work put into it, pre- CW, it finds itself in a pretty good position.

The network features a lineup of shows that, according to its President of Entertainment, Dawn Ostroff, "appeal to women 18 to 34-years-old." It has styled it's viewer, which may

not come as a surprise to many since the majority of its show are about exactly that: style. Money, sex, glamour, scandal; these are just some of the keywords that come to mind when describing some of the best rated shows on the network. Shows like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and 90210, have revived the teenage drama (not since the days of Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson's Creek and The OC) have such shows managed to capture the minds of so many and yet, according to Nielsen, so few!

It therefore doesn't surprise many that their shows do so well thanks to modern day technology, if their demographic is as they say it is, it's those people who use computers,

mobiles and mp3 players in the day to day life. They have never had to live without them, they stream, they download, they email, they recommend, they instant

chat, they record, they do pretty much everything but sit down on the sofa in prime time and watch. Their lives are too fast paced for schedules, they need options, watching on the go. Knowing they can travel to school, to work or to the shops with a copy of the latest episode on their iPods to be watched at their leisure. In the time of PVR's where television can be

recorded without a videotape, it is up to the viewer when they watch the show and therefore despite Nielsen Ratings being quite low for primetime, they don't take into account the fact that Gossip Girl is now the most downloaded programme in the world. They don't take into account that thanks to the internet, people all over the world stream before it's even hit their television screens, people don't want to wait, they want it now and if they can, they want it free.

That is why The CW have it so right. As I said before, they have consistency, ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, HBO and Showtime, they all may have brilliant shows that we all watch, they may in fact have award winning, ratings winners but they don't quite create the media buzz that The CW shows do. That's because people, all people, pick and choose, there isn't a strict demographic per network, rather per show, some may watch three or four shows from ABC, two from FOX... you get the picture. Many people who watch The CW, watch the majority of it's original output.

Now, I just want to look at it's demograph, first they say they are aiming towards females... where does that leave the guys? Watching Desperate Housewives on ABC? American Idol on FOX? Perhaps I'm being biased, probably, the networks do present shows with a strictly male demographic as well, but well, how can any studio executive exclusively say they want a certain gender watching? I watch Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters (shows which many may feel are slightly girly) but on the same hand I watch 24, House, LOST, Dollhouse (shows which many would see as more action, bulky, maybe aimed more at men)

and therefore perhaps networks are forgetting the middlemen, the people who are actually the cross section of television watchers, the TV fiends maybe (I would classify myself as

one!). I'll take a hint of Bree, mixed with Jack and top off with a bit of Serena anyday.

Perhaps, any given network needs to look at itself and understand a little more about the people that watch rather than the statistics?

Look at the new Fall schedules, FOX for example, what is the connection between The Simpsons, House, Glee and So You Think You Can Dance... apart from Glee and Dance having the music aspect, I don't see very much. Look any most other networks, there doesn't seem to be any keywords to describe what the network is presenting, but look at The CW and the story changes.

The CW	8:00 p.m.	8:30 p.m.	9:00 p.m.	9:30 p.m.
Monday	One Tree Hill		Gossip Girl
Tuesday	90210		Melrose Place
Wednesday	America's Next Top Model		The Beautiful Life: TBL
Thursday	The Vampire Diaries		Supernatural
Friday	Smallville		America's Next Top Model (E)

• Midseason: Life UneXpected, Blonde Charity Mafia

Once the season is in full swing, I will be watching at least seven of these shows, quite a record I think. Can you see the connection between them? One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210, Melrose Place: dramatic, sexy, scandalous. The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Smallville: sexy, supernatural, magical, powers... I am running out of descriptive words, but I am sure you get my point. There is consistency, there is a certain sort of individual who would enjoy everything that all these shows stand for, because at the end of the day, they are all the same. Now, maybe some would argue that this is boring, they want something different everynight, they want to be surprised, they are actually the minority. The CW cater for those in need of a guilty pleasure fix, they provide what the shows stand for. Teenagers and adults a like who for an hour or so everynight want to get away from their mundane lives and see what the rich live like, how vampires live, how models live: the beautiful people. Many of the stars throughout The CW shows are pin ups, they scream sex appeal, the women and men a like. Perhaps with their newest offering, they only back up that point.

Next time you are watching a CW show remember you are watching a show which is starting to represent your peers. Teenagers with their raging hormones may not go out partying and having sex all the time in real life, it's just not practical, but within the boundaries set by the network, its just normal life. They are fun, dramatic, erotic, imaginary but best of all stylised towards the viewer, not just the females but also men throughout the world enjoy watching shows like Gossip Girl, maybe they get something different out of the show to girls,

maybe they want to be cool like Nate or they just want to watch because Blair is so sexy, but at the end of the day, people are watching. Fans are growing for these shows, there is no use hiding

from it.

90210: The second season of the recently updated show returns to Beverly Hills with a bang. After the amazing season finale earlier this year, Anne is trying to deal with her hit and run, internalising everything. While the rest of the characters finish summer school, thanks to Annie phoning the police on Naomi's post prom party and try to enjoy what is left of their summer. To the beach club, where all the characters apart from Annie are hanging out because money doesn't matter, we can afford

it, darling. Swimming, lying on the beach, sex in a cabana, it's all in a days work and at the end of the day, it's scandal as they return to high school and Naomi has two things on her mind, Liam (last seen being dragged off to Army School) and bringing down Annie (who Naomi thought slept with Annie). This season promises to be as juicy as the previous with new characters including Teddy (who has already caused a stir and looks to be part of the bigger story about the hit and run).

Melrose Place: Another revamp from the 90210 world, this time, set around the apartment block which always promised scandal and suspense. For those who are just starting this world from the 2009 series, may not get the references to older characters from the original series,

but they are cleaned up rather quickly with the death of a major character from the original series, which is becoming the major story line for the first half of this season.

We meet the residents of the Place and see their everyday lives. With a soap style noir seeming to be going on, Melrose looks to be just as big as 90210, with a murder storyline as well as all the secrets that all the characters have.

The Vampire Diaries:

One of this seasons newest shows, based on the books by L.J. Smith, it centres around Elena Gilbert and two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon, good and evil, fighting for her heart and her soul. Some say this is Twilight for TV but after watching the Pilot, I think this has potential for being darker, more violent and more erotic. It's nice to see Ian Somerhalder back (many will recognise him from LOST where he played Boone) as the dark Damon. This show seems to have an idea of how it wants to treat vampires, not quite as deep as Buffy did, exploring the vampire history, but perhaps giving the vampires back their myths which Stephanie Meyer took away for her series. I look forward to seeing what happens.

The Beautiful Life: I am looking forward to this one starring Mischa Barton (in her first television role since the death of Marissa in The OC). The life of a high-fashion model appears glamorous and sexy, but behind the beautiful façade is a world of insecurity and cut-throat competition. Two teenage models, Raina Marinelli (Sara Paxton, “Last House on the Left”), a stunning beauty with a secret past, and Chris Andrews (Benjamin Hollingsworth, “The Line”), a strikingly handsome Iowa farm boy, living together in a “models” residence in New York, are about to discover this world for themselves. (From The CW press release). Also starring Corbin Bleu looking much more grown up since High School Musical and executively produced by Ashton Kutcher, this looks like a show which has a great idea, let's just see how they execute it.

Gossip Girl: The show gets more and more explosive every year. After the brilliant Season Two finale where the characters thought they would finally be getting away from Gossip Girl (narrated by the amazing Kristen Bell), she tells them that due to Serena's meddling in all affairs Gossipy, they would have the scandal commentator follow them through college (probably the only way to carry the show on as the characters had to leave High School at some point). What did Serena do over the Summer? (From the looks of the trailer, Carter Baizen), is Chuck remaining faithful to Blair?, what is Georgina (the character everybody loves to hate) doing back and staying?, what about Nate and his new girl (played by Joanna Garcia)? and why is Georgina kissing Dan? WTF, watch this fall to find out!

UPDATE: The debut of The CW's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES bared its fangs last night, and scored the network's largest audience EVER (4.84mil) for a series premiere, topping last year's 90210, according to preliminary live plus same day Nielsen ratings for Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009. (from http://www.daemonstv.com)

What deserves to go? Cancellation 2008 (+ How the Half Hour Sitcom Returns)

It's that time of year again, although it seems that some of the biggest names are in for the chance of a lifetime, to be cancelled.
After scrolling through the latest numbers, the viewing public are changing their methods. Instead of watching the weekly serials, where we must watch each episode to understand the story, instead don't have enough time. Or is that the case? Is it actually the fact that television is dumbing down, do we prefer to watch the half hour sitcom where we actually get 20 mins of comedy and 10 of commercials?
With numbers for the recent, 'How I Met Your Mother' reaching an all time high (9.8 Million viewers) and Heroes with it's matched low from last week (7.6 Million), this really begs the question, what are we turning the watch?
As an avid viewer of The CW's 'Gossip Girl', I was surprised to see that the recent Thanksgiving episode, 'The Magnificent Archibald's' got the lowest rating for this series, with just under 3 million and The CW's misery does not stop there, 'One Tree Hill' has been slipping under the strain of the half hour sitcom as well.
After the recent news that NBC's new drama, 'My Own Worst Enemy' staring Christian Slater has been cancelled after only nine episodes, although NBC has not officially annouced this (they prefer not to admit they failed). But the drama came over whether 'Lipstick Jungle' is cancelled. Variety initially cited sources as saying Lipstick was done, but nothing ever officially came down from NBC.
New York Time Report-
"As of this week, the show is breathing again. The reason: it showed signs of life this past Friday, and it picked up 50 percent more viewers when delayed viewing (from DVRs and other devices) was included in the episode a week earlier.
The show also received an outpouring of support from fans.
Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, said Monday that NBC will now definitely finish the 13 episodes that the network originally ordered -- it has 4 more episodes to run -- and may order more if the show "grows more.""
Says star Brooke Shields:
"They thought that because My Own Worst Enemy has been shut down that the same thing had happened to us, and it's not true. They're not breaking down the sets. We're still working. We still have more to do, so it's erroneously presented that we've been canceled, thank God.
Our bosses are saying, 'You're not canceled, don't worry. We're just trying to figure out how to make this make sense.'"

My eyes are currently on shows like 'Heroes', it seems with ever decreasing ratings throughout the current season, has seen the internet rife with rumours that NBC's current best friend could be shoved off.
Tim Kring has urged more people to start watching Heroes during its current season. Speaking at a recent Screenwriting Expo, he urged potential viewers to "come on in" because "the water’s fine", according to Sy Fy Portal. “You can hop on the train and you won't have missed too much," he said.
Ratings for the show have steadily decreased during the third season, prompting Kring to speculate that current viewing habits are to blame. "It's a very flawed way of telling stories on network television right now because of the advent of the DVR and online streaming," he claimed. "So [watching it] on air is related to the saps and the dips***s who can't figure out how to watch it in a superior way."
Now, is it just me or this either sarcasm or just rudeness, one way or another, something could very easily have been taken out of context, but for Kring to even say something like this, begs the question, how much is this show for the viewers.
To just invite new viewers weeks in season three? What about the loyal viewers? What about all those people who have tangled with the story of the superheroes since Season 1?

A show which has already been placed in the cancellation zone before it's even premiered is Joss Whedon's new drama, 'Dollhouse'.
Let me count the ways when it comes to Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse' and it's cancellation:

1. Whedon already has a sordid history with FOX. Do you remember Firefly? Whedon original, FOX cancelled. Shelf life: 12 episodes (3 unaired), sometimes aired out of order (the original pilot was aired on FOX only after the show was canceled).
2. Whedon reshoots the pilot. Apparently the first one didn't make all that much sense.
3. Production delay of 2 weeks.
4. More production delays.
5. The new trailer looks intriguing, yet reveals no additional direction for the series from the old trailer. For a show being accused of being aimless, that ain't good.
6. And the killer: FOX slots Dollhouse on Fridays. It premieres February 13th at 9PM. Historically, nobody watches show on Fridays unless they're CBS crime procedurals. Recent Friday deaths: Moonlight, The Ex List, Lipstick Jungle (maybe?). Also soon to be dead: Crusoe. There you go, decide what you will but it seems FOX are in no way happy to extend the relation with Whedon longer than they have to.

Another show rumoured to be coming to an end is the FOX baby, 'Prison Break'.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, cast and production members from Prison Break have been told by FOX that they may be filming an additional two episodes this season, but it may come with a huge catch.
They also report that those extra two episodes may serve as a series finale...yep, a series finale.
The idea behind the logic starts with Prison Break's ratings, which are down (surprise!), but also includes the fact that Prison Break was not placed on Fox's recent midseason schedule (House and 24 will be moving to Mondays, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was ostracized to Fridays, is that a sign?).
Prison Break is routinely one of those shows that is on the bubble when it comes time to cancel shows, but its ardent fan base has kept it afloat.
However, the two episodes could serve as a non-series-ending "event" (like 24: Redemption) that would air later, or could be DVD extras. It's all quite confusing at this point.
Again, this is all conjecture at the moment.

And 'Pushing Daisies', remember the show that was going to change the face of fantasy television forever?
The facts are these: Things aren't looking good for our beloved Pushing Daisies. The ABC drama, once cherished as a breath of fresh air in another monotonous television season is now surrounded by the putrid stink of death.
Production on the show's initial 13-episode order wraps up today, and guess what...ABC still hasn't ordered more from the Pushing Daisies producers.
According to TVWeek.com, ABC spokespeople have stated that no decision has been made yet on Pushing Daisies, but all signs point to "see ya, wouldn't want to be ya!"
Ratings for Pushing Daisies have declined dramatically from its debut season, despite the fact that the quality of season two seems to be on par with season one. Many blame the writers' strike, which shortened season one and left ABC to decide between bringing the show back for a few episodes late last year, or take a break and bring it back full-force for a reintroduction this season. ABC chose the latter, and it's believed that the plan backfired.
So what's the plan if Pushing Daisies is canceled? Well, it's good news for Heroes, oddly enough. The incredibly talented creator of Pushing Daisies, Bryan Fuller, told EW.com that he would be open to returning to Heroes, where he worked on season one (not coincidentally the show's finest season by far, although with Heroes current state, I would question that).
"I am exclusive to Daisies through the delivery of the 13th episode of our 13-episode order, which will be mid-January," Fuller told EW.com. "If Daisies isn't picked up by then, I will definitely be going back to play with my friends at Heroes."
Fuller also said that should Pushing Daisies get wiped off the face of television, he would like to finish the story in graphic novel form. Just keep the bright colors and witty dialogue, please, and let Chuck and Ned get it on for Pete's sake!
Mourn with us, Pushing Daisies fans. And for those who can't get enough Daisies, I highly recommend checking out Fuller's Daisies-esque Wonderfalls on DVD. (Bonus: Lee Pace was in that too, and yeah, that was canceled before its time as well.)

FX has set return dates for original hourlong dramas "Nip/Tuck" and "Damages."
"Nip/Tuck" will begin the first leg of its sixth season on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 10 p.m., queuing up for an eight-episode run. Series, which stars Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon as successful plastic surgeons, is tops in its target demo of adults 18-34 among basic-cable originals.
"Damages," meanwhile, will begin its second 13-episode campaign Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m. Series star Glenn Close is coming off an Emmy win for lead actress.

Other shows in the danger zone this season include Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money and Smallville... we will just have to see.

So to the arguement in question, the half hour sitcom seems to be doing pretty well at the moment. Dip in and out when you want, within minutes of watching an episode you understand what is happening. Samantha Who?. The Big Bang Theory. How I Met Your Mother. Would you like me to continue? Do we have the time anymore to watch serials? Can people not be bothered to wonder what is happening from week to week about Seattle Grace or The Upper East Side? Or is it simply television dumbing down? Is 20 mins of situation comedy enough from day to day... is the time span of television watchers decreasing? With the already rampid demostrations from groups telling us that television is rotting our brain, is this just another sign that really as a group of people, we just don't care. Has our emotional attachment to storylines and development of characters gone so far? Is this the point of no return?

Sources: Variety Magazine, TV.com, Sidereel.com, DigitalSpy.com

Fall 2008-2009

*SPOILER ALERT*

It’s that time of year again. The time when the leaves start to fall from the trees and only the smell of warm coffee can wake you up in the morning, of course you would prefer not to leave the house because there is so much new television that you want to watch! (Or is that just me?)
Fall 2008 promises more of the usual sex, scandal, comedy, drama, super heroes and breaking out of prison (against my will Prison Break is STILL on!). Some of the biggest names around are coming back for new seasons, including Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty. As well as all these the return of a revamped CSI: Las Vegas (watch Gil Grissom move on being replaced by the Matrix’s Laurence Fishbourne) and it’s sister shows, NY and Miami, along with a sprinkling of NCIS, Without a Trace, Bones, Smallville and Everybody Hates Chris.

2008 also promises some brand new shows including JJ Abrams’ (Lost) Fringe, Alan Ball’s (Six Feet Under) True Blood and a new spinoff , 90210 (yes, Beverly Hills, you got it right!). Plus watch out for Dollhouse, Joss Whedon’s (Buffy) new series in early 2009.

Without further ado, let’s cast our minds back to the beginning of September. While we were making our way back to school with little trepidation, our Stateside friends were gearing up for what was the most talked about show of last Fall, Gossip Girl. However, while the name of the show seems gender specific, it’s actually enjoyable for boys and girls alike. Created and produced by Josh Schwartz (The OC & Chuck), GG follows the lives of Manhattan’s Elite teenagers, living in the Upper East Side. Whether it’s shopping at Mendel’s, drinking at the newest and exclusive bar or having sex in the back of a limo, GG has it all! Despite only ranking in the 20’s in the Nielsen ratings last year, New York Magazine called it “The Best Show Ever!” What one has to bear in mind is that these ratings don’t account for the DVR/TiVo recordings, illegal online views, and the fact that it is the most bought television show on iTunes US! So instead of its average of 2 million in reality its closer to 20! Season two of Gossip Girl has been compared to a teen version of Sex and The City. The CW network’s new tongue in cheek marketing campaign features the stars in various states of undress, with captions of critical jabs from the press like, “Every parent’s nightmare.”
Unfortunately, The CW finds itself in a position of needed change. Last year, only the second year from precursors The WB and UPN, saw the average ratings at 2.3 million. If The CW are going to see the year through they are going to need to reach higher ratings than that, so could they be looking to GG as their last hope? Schwartz doesn’t seem to think so; “That’s on 90210.” Executive Producer Stephanie Savage says, “We just have to keep the show as good as possible, so if something happens, it has a life of its own.” As we watch the events unfold, there is always one thing sure, scandal will ensue. Who is going out with whom? Which of our elite will be the top of the pack? By next week all could change and the Queen of the UES could be at the bottom of the pile.

Gossip Girl, teen drama at it’s best, highly recommended!

Another show returning this year that needs no introduction is Desperate Housewives. Now, I am sure there are some of us who are trying to hide the fact they watch this show religiously. Slowly becoming one of the most watched shows in history with approx 120 million viewers, the story of four women hit our screens five years ago and since then, the secrets of suburbia have never been the same. A cocktail of murder, sex & lies have made this show the phenomenon that it is today. The Season Four finale shook everyone up by fast-forwarding the show five years. So what will life be like on Wisteria Lane in the future? Season Four’s mystery character, Katherine (Dana Delany), is still a resident, and Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) arrives back on the block with her new husband. But things are not simple when it comes to Fairview, and as creator Marc Cherry has said he’s not just a love interest, he’s a guy “who moves onto the street for revenge.” Mother of two, Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) has deglamourised, juggling her blind husband, her two girls and facing the fact that age and life are taking it’s toll. Other news for the new series, did Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike (James Denton) split up? Why was she in the arms of another man last season? These questions will all be answered, as it has something to do with a “tragic accident”. I’ve seen the season five premiere and it promises to be the best yet, including all the humour and drama from the past years plus so much more!

Desperate Housewives, dramady perfection, do not miss!

How about something new? Fox’s Fringe, a blend of X Files and Bones from Alias and Lost creator JJ Abrams. Dawson’s Creek veteran, Joshua Jackson plays Peter Bishop, the genius son of another (may I add slightly insane) genius scientist, Walter Bishop. Walter starts with his research into Fringe Science – mind control, psychic powers and teleportation. Thrown together with an FBI agent, they investigate an outbreak of paranormal intrigue known as the “Pattern”. All involved in this show promise that it will not become bogged down by it’s own mythology, meaning there will be plenty of stand alone episodes that cater to the casual viewer. The two hour $10 million pilot was impressive, save the airplane crash at the beginning (Hasn't JJ already done that?). It seems that the dead can be questioned, a disease is eating people alive and robotic arms are being added on people… I certainly was intrigued and find that this perhaps may cater to more than Lost.

Fringe, science fiction too far? I don’t think so.

Beverly Hills, 90210 Fans put your hands up! I don’t think many of us with our Blackberries and mp3 players can successfully say we have paid too much attention to this, but maybe the generation before us? The show that defined a generation is back again. The OC, One Tree Hill & Gossip Girl watchers get ready for the next melodrama, 90210. At the centre of the storm are the Wilsons, who move from Kansas to Beverly Hills after Dad; Harry becomes the principle at West Beverly High. They move in with Harry’s midday drinking mother, Tabitha, plus wife Debbie, all American daughter Annie and adopted son, Dixon. For the older fans, the return of Jennie Garth as Kelly Taylor and Shannen Doherty as Brenda promise to stir up some old memories (plus rumours of other cast members returning!)

90210. Newport, New York, Palm Beach. Beverly Hills is the place to be!

So at the end of the day, you have plenty of choice. Do you want comedy (How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, Pushing Daisies), drama (Dirty Sexy Money, Brothers & Sisters, House), sci-fi (Ghost Whisperer, Life on Mars US (remake!), Supernatural)? Whatever your preference, there is ALWAYS something to watch.