TVSquad

The CW released its 2008-09 prime-time schedule tonight, and here's the rundown:

Returning: Reaper, Smallville, Supernatural, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, America's Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, The Game

Out: Aliens in America, Life is Wild, Girlfriends

New: 90210, Surviving the Filthy Rich, Stylista

More after the jump...

To quote Dawn Ostroff, the President of Entertainment for the CW: "With shows that everyone is talking about, from 'Gossip Girl' and 'America's Next Top Model' to our upcoming '90210,' our new lineup has the best Monday-Friday schedule flow we have ever had at The CW." No one has ever accused a network of underselling its shows and The CW is no exception to this.

New Shows:

90210 (Tuesday, 8 p.m.) From the press release: "An edgy, contemporary spin-off of the iconic drama Beverly Hills, 90210, the new 90210 looks at life through the eyes of Annie Mills (Shenae Grimes, Degrassi: The Next Generation) and her brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds, The Wire), whose first day at West Beverly Hills High School leaves no doubt they're not in Kansas anymore." Just when you thought nobody in Hollywood had any original ideas anymore, you were proven correct. The first episode guest starts Jennie Garth as Kelly Taylor from the original series, which is a bit like having Michael Knight guest star in the pilot of a new Knight Rider series. Oh wait, they did that too.

Surviving the Filthy Rich (Tuesday, 9 p.m.) From the press release: "Twenty-three-year-old Megan Smith (JoAnna Garcia, Reba) has a Yale education, a relentlessly positive attitude and a plan to conquer the world of journalism, despite the fact that she is currently slaving away at a tabloid rag. Megan's plan is thrown off course when, in one whirlwind day, she gets fired, meets cosmetics mogul Laurel Limoges (casting TBD) and becomes the live-in tutor for Laurel's twin teen granddaughters in the heady Palm Beach world of wealth and power." A couple of the Gossip Girl folks are behind this series and I suspect it to be somewhat similar in tone.

Stylista (Wednesday, 9 p.m.) From the press release: "If The Devil Wears Prada were a reality show, it would be Stylista. Eleven aspiring fashion enthusiasts vie for a much-coveted editorial job with Elle magazine. They work as assistants to Elle's Fashion News Director, Anne Slowey, a demanding but well-respected fashion icon. The competitors will carry out an assistant task and a fashion editorial assignment in each episode. Each week, in consultation with Elle's Creative Director, Joe Zee, Anne fires one person, until the last assistant standing gets "promoted" to the coveted real-life job opportunity. The grand prize includes a paid editorial position at Elle magazine, a paid lease on a great apartment in Manhattan, and a clothing allowance at H&M, all for one year, valued at $100,000." In other words, it's The Apprentice meets Sex and the City. I don't like reality television to begin with and I have many writer friends who bust their ass to get into the industry without making it. As a result I feel that this particular program deserves a special corner in Reality Television Hell.

The CW's fall prime-time schedule (new shows in bold):

Monday:
(8 p.m.): Gossip Girl
(9 p.m.): One Tree Hill

Tuesday:
(8 p.m.): 90210
(9 p.m.): Surviving the Filthy Rich

Wednesday:
(8 p.m.): America's Next Top Model
(9 p.m.): Stylista

Thursday:
(8 p.m.): Smallville
(9 p.m.): Supernatural

Friday:
(8 p.m.): Everybody Hates Chris
(8:30 p.m.): The Game
(9 p.m.): America's Next Top Model (encore presentation)

Additional notes:
*The CW has subcontracted out their Sunday night block to independent producers, much like many networks do for Saturday mornings. It's an interesting experiment. Imagine if another producer found a hit for Sunday night then moved it to another network.

*As previously reported, Reaper will be returning mid-season for a shortened 13 episode season taking Smallville's timeslot.