The CW announced its 2007-08 prime-time schedule today. Just in its second year, The CW is still looking for a home run and is sticking with a programming strategy of short-run reality shows and dramas with young adult appeal.The big news is no news. Veronica Mars was not announced as part of the Fall line-up, but according to rumors, The CW is waiting until June 15th to decide the gal detective's fate. This is supposed to give Rob Thomas enough time to whip up a "Veronica in the FBI" script. (Update: Ausiello reports from the press conference that Veronica Mars is dead, though "something else" may be coming up.)
One Tree Hill is going to do a ctrl-alt-del. Returning mid-season, the show is going to jump four years into the future - after its characters have graduated from college. Online journal entries are going to chronicle the missing years. On Everybody Hates Chris, Chris Rock will finally appear on the show -- as the school guidance councilor!
The more interesting pick of the newbie litter - Josh Schwartz, creator of The O.C., is back with Gossip Girl based on the popular book series of the same name and Kevin Smith directed the pilot episode of the new series Reaper.
The CW's good, bad and ugly after the jump:
Returning: Everybody Hates Chris; America's Next Top Model; The Game; Girlfriends; Smallville; Supernatural; One Tree Hill (mid-season); Pussycat Dolls: The Search for the Next Doll; WWE SmackDown!
Out: All of Us; Gilmore Girls; Reba; Runaway; Seventh Heaven; Veronica Mars
New: Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants; Hidden Palms (Premieres on May 30th); Aliens in America; Gossip Girl; Reaper; Life is Wild; Online Nation (formerly Viewsers); CW Now; Farmer Takes a Wife
Moving: Beauty and the Geek (Tuesdays at 8PM)
Detailed descriptions of new shows:
COMEDIES
Aliens in America: Single-camera comedy about an unpopular 16-year-old and a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim who comes to live with the boy's family in Wisconsin as an exchange student.
DRAMAS
Gossip Girl: Drama based on the popular book series, about the world of privileged teenagers attending elite private schools in New York City as told through the eyes of an anonymous blogger.
Reaper: Drama about a young man who essentially becomes Satan's bounty hunter, reclaiming souls that have somehow escaped from hell.
Life is Wild: Drama about a New York veterinarian who moves his second wife and their two sets of children to a South African game reserve run by his father-in-law.
REALITY
Crowned: An eight-episode competition that features multiple mother-daughter teams working together as pairs to win a beauty pageant competition.
CW Now: An Entertainment Tonight-style show focused on popular culture.
Online Nation (formerly Viewsers): Series which showcases user generated videos with the most popular making the cut from week to week.
Farmer Takes a Wife: A dating show about, you know, farmers.
The CW's fall primetime schedule follows:
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM "Everybody Hates Chris"
8:30-9:00 PM "Aliens in America" (New Series)
9:00-9:30 PM "Girlfriends"
9:30-10:00 PM "The Game"
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM "Beauty and the Geek"
9:00-10:00 PM "Reaper" (New Series)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM "America's Next Top Model"
9:00-10:00 PM "Gossip Girl" (New Series)
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM "Smallville"
9:00-10:00 PM "Supernatural"
FRIDAY
8:00-10:00 PM "Friday Night Smackdown!"
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM "Online Nation" (New Series)
7:30-8:00 PM "CW Now" (New Series)
8:00-9:00 PM "Life is Wild" (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM "America's Next Top Model" (Encore)
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-17-2007 @ 12:24PM
Beth said...
The not-knowing of VM is killing me, but I'm pretty excited about Reaper and Gossip Girl.
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5-17-2007 @ 12:28PM
Keith McDuffee said...
I caught the Upfront presentation and Reaper looks VERY good so far. I'm just too old for Gossip Girl, though I can see the appeal. Life is Wild actually looks a bit endearing and could be good.
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5-17-2007 @ 12:29PM
Bob Sassone said...
Isn't Reaper just another Brimstone?
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5-17-2007 @ 12:38PM
nukethewhalesagain said...
Yea we're seeing a lot of retreads this year. First the NBC show that sounds an awful lot like Angel and then Reaper. Though with Kevin Smith behind it, I'll give it a shot.
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5-17-2007 @ 12:39PM
PB said...
Thank you, Bob! That's exactly what I thought (Reaper is another Brimstone). Of course, it just took me 10 minutes to power search that on IMDB since I'd forgotten the name of the show -- LOL!
So glad Supernatural is coming back. It's on a tough night, so kudos to them for surviving.
Hope Beauty and the Geek is just as interesting as this past season ... we need another Ceci ... someone everyone can love to hate!!
"Life is Wild" sounds like the Americanized version of BBC's "Wild at heart" (see description here: http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/221/index.jsp).
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5-17-2007 @ 12:41PM
Televinita said...
Oh, gross. Gossip Girl? Those books are disgusting. the author certainly doesn't deserve even more royalties.
But I'm actually kind of intrigued by "Life is Wild," if the vet aspect plays into it.
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5-17-2007 @ 12:43PM
David said...
The AP is reporting that VM is canceled.
"The CW network canceled the cult hit "Veronica Mars"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070517/ap_en_tv/tv_new_season
And they canceled VM for "Life is Wild". That show sounds terrible. it also sounds like a ripoff of a NBC Saturday morning show. Reaper sounds cool and sounds like a ripoff of Dead Like Me.
The CW is a joke. They merge the networks together and the ratings fall like a rock.
One Tree Hill is a joke, but I thought it got decent ratings. Why change it? Are they out of crazy ass impossible things to do. Does anyone stay dead on that show.
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5-17-2007 @ 12:46PM
Keith McDuffee said...
Ausiello reports from the press conference that Mars is dead: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Live-Cw-Upfront/800015355
As for Reaper, it has a similar premise to Brimstone. The "reaper" is a 21-year-old guy whose parents sold his soul to the devil before he was born, and as a result has to return escaped souls to hell or else the devil will take his mom to hell. The pilot was written by Kevin Smith, and it shows. And it's definitely a comedy.
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5-17-2007 @ 1:10PM
kit said...
PB- "Life is Wild" IS the Americanized version of BBC's "Wild at Heart." Google it.
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5-17-2007 @ 1:31PM
lexxy said...
i can't believe they closed out gilmore girls the way they did. how horrible was it that they couldn't even give it a proper sendoff?! it should have been a 2 hour series finale and they should have tied off all loose ends instead of hastily putting together something that upset viewers who have kept with the show for these 7 years. the cw should be ashamed! and what's up with one tree hill?! they actually have a show that's doing well and they're going to put it on half way through the season and pretty much change the whole premise?! give me a break. this is ridiculous and makes me question even watching the cw anymore. how disappointing it is to see it go from the network that brought us dawson's creek, felicity, 7th heaven, gilmore girls and one tree hill to a network that sells out to reality tv.
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5-17-2007 @ 1:37PM
Mel said...
Is TVS at the upfronts or are you guys just cribbing off other outlets for news?
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5-17-2007 @ 2:03PM
raven2017 said...
Okay, seriously, "Farmer Takes a Wife?" Swear to God, I thought that was a joke.
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5-17-2007 @ 2:07PM
jSlow said...
The CW has been pretty much dead to me after they cancelled Charmed. Now that Gilmore Girls is also gone and ANTM is over for now, I won't be watching.
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5-17-2007 @ 2:12PM
brittany said...
I think the new line up sucks.. How are they gonna get rid of most of their staple shows (Gilmore Girls especially) and replace almost all of them with cookie cutter reality shows that are even more predictable than the shows they are replacing. And who had the stupid idea to bring One Tree Hill on midseason.. That is completely idiotic. It's not like The CW was that great of a channel that they could get rid of those shows and still have a loyal viewer base.. Those shows made that channel. I give it about another year maybe two until it gets bought out..
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5-17-2007 @ 3:05PM
ac said...
Well now I know to not bother with the VM finale since it'll be a cliffhanger probably.
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5-17-2007 @ 3:10PM
vacelts said...
I'm happy. The only two shows I watch on this network were both renewed -- Supernatural and Smallville.
Knowing that these shows are both safe, I can really sit back and enjoy tonight's season finales of these shows.
http://redlightnaps.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/2007-season-finales/
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5-17-2007 @ 4:59PM
Mel said...
*sigh of relief*
Supernatural is safe. Not that we were one of the big on the bubble shows, but we're not a smash either, and in this day and age, I worry for the cult shows.
That being said, I feel bad about Veronica Mars leaving, despite not having seen any before.
Reaper looks cool, I'll probably watch it, except that it looks like it's going up against House.
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5-17-2007 @ 5:11PM
Drew said...
Damn you CW! I just started getting into the show this season, and now you cancel it? It's not my fault that I don't CW on tv in my area, and I wait until 1 AM to watch it on my computer ever Wendsday morning... Fine, if you want to play that way, I'll just go to sleep then.
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5-17-2007 @ 6:54PM
D Colin said...
okay The CW is now a total joke.
CWnow?
OnlineNation?
Crowned?
Farmer takes a wife?
Pussycat Dolls(again)?
another cycle of Beauty and the Geek?
and yet NO Veronica Mars? come on!
I'm glad Thursday nights are staying the same. I'll give Gossip Girl a chance (it's by the OC guy) because I like Top Model.
This president Dawn ?whatever her name? is clueless. Her first move last year was to kill Everwood-- now she kills Veronica Mars and has tons of this reality sh-t
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5-17-2007 @ 7:09PM
mj said...
That reaper thing has been done so many times, already. Good Vs. Evil was on a couple of years ago. Same plot. Why can't they come up with new ideas? They had Surface, Invasion, Threshold, Jericho. All canceled. All original, and good. No, let's bring back the Bionic Woman, and Satan's Bounty Hunters. Oh, and a PI who's a vampire. yawn.
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