The CW released a new fall schedule 5/19 at its upfront presentation from Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC. Presenters included Dawn Ostroff, departing President of Entertainment, and Mark Pedowitz, the new President of The CW. Top of mind were Sarah Michelle Gellar’s return to series television in the new drama “Ringer”; and another drama, “Hart of Dixie,” starring Rachel Bilson, debuting on Monday nights. Wednesday gets a new celebrity reality series “H8R”; and “The Secret Circle,” a new drama about a coven of powerful witches from Kevin Williamson debuts Thursdays. Midseason brings the return and farewell season of “One Tree Hill” and new reality series “Re-Modeled” and “The Frame.”
Electro hip-hop group LMFAO staged a flash mob dance and performed their hit song “Party Rock Anthem” to open the show. Ostroff then underscored that in just five years, they’ve built an “instantly recognizable brand that resonates with both viewers and advertisers and is known for being smartly provocative, culturally current, emotionally authentic and a leader in digital and social media. This upcoming season will continue to establish The CW as a premier destination for our viewers, especially women.”
Pedowitz said their priority this season was adding more original programming this upcoming year, and “we’ve done that with shows that will appeal to our core audience of women, while also bringing in new viewers. We’re being aggressive with smart, bold scheduling moves designed to improve key time periods and grow our audience.”
On Monday night, one Gossip Girl returns to the 8:00-9:00 p.m. timeslot, leading into Hart of Dixie from 9:00-10:00 p.m. From the creators of Gossip Girl and “The O.C.,” the show stars Rachel Bilson as Doctor Zoe Hart, a sophisticated New York City woman who finds herself practicing medicine in a small Southern town.
90210 graduated from West Beverly High and moves over to Tuesday nights, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Following 90210, 9:00-10:00 p.m., is Ringer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, who stars as a woman on the run. She assumes her twin sister’s identity, only to discover that her sister’s life is just as complicated and dangerous as the one she’s trying to escape.
On Wednesday, new reality series H8R brings celebrities face-to-face with the people who love to hate them, with host Mario Lopez, 8:00-9:00 p.m. With its focus on celebrity culture, H8R gives a great lead-in to the first-ever All-Stars edition of America’s Next Top Model from 9:00-10:00 p.m.
Thursday night will feature two shows from star producer Kevin Williamson and based on a series of books by author L.J. Smith. The Vampire Diaries returns in the 8:00-9:00 p.m. timeslot, leading into new drama The Secret Circle from 9:00-10:00 p.m. Britt Robertson stars as Cassie, an orphaned teenage girl who discovers the truth about her lineage – she’s a witch who holds the key to an ancient battle between good and evil.
On Friday nights, Nikita moves to 8:00-9:00 p.m. and the Winchester brothers of Supernatural return in the 9:00-10:00 p.m. timeslot.
For midseason, Re-Modeled features modeling industry vet Paul Fisher planning to bring together hundreds of small agencies around the world in a new venture called The Network. The Network will give Paul the leverage to change the industry from the inside out. He has two missions: to make sure agents in small towns no longer get screwed, and to empower models to take control of their careers and lead healthier lives.
The Frame: What happens when your whole life is reduced to one Frame? There’s only one rule: if you’re out of the Frame, you’re out of the game. Ten teams of two, chosen for their dynamic personalities and their existing deep-rooted relationships, are selected to compete in this wild social experiment. These teams will each live in one Frame – a stripped down version of their home living space – for up to 8 weeks, with the entire world watching their inter-personal soap operas play out atop a highly formatted game. Couples cannot physically see one another, but each “frame” is rigged with plasma screens & communication devices that allow for visual and verbal interaction.
The CW’s 2011-2012 primetime schedule:
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL (New Time)
9:00-10:00 PM HART OF DIXIE (New Series)
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 90210 (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM RINGER (New Series)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM H8R (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
9:00-10:00 PM THE SECRET CIRCLE (New Series)
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NIKITA (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “GOSSIP GIRL”
