Below is (part of) the press release from The CW announcing the new fall schedule for the 2010-2011 schedule. Notice the new days for 90210 and One Tree Hill (they swapped spots).
Warning: the descriptions for the shows contain a few spoilers.
THE CW ANNOUNCES 2010-2011 SCHEDULE
NEW FALL SEASON PREMIERES
WITH TEN HOURS OF ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING TWO NEW SERIES, “NIKITA” AND “HELLCATS”
ORIGINAL SERIES TO AIR IN EVERY TIME PERIOD,
WITH ESTABLISHED FRANCHISES ANCHORING
THE 8:00 HOUR ACROSS THE SCHEDULE
West Coast Meets East Coast
When Dramas “90210” And “Gossip Girl”
Take Up Residence on Monday Nights
Tuesday Night Brings “One Tree Hill” and “Life Unexpected”
Together for a Night of Heartfelt Drama
Wednesday Pairs Hit Reality Series “America’s Next Top Model”
With New Pumped-Up Cheerleader Drama “Hellcats”
With Stars Ashley Tisdale and Aly Michalka
On Thursday, Red-Hot Hit “The Vampire Diaries” Teams with
New Action-Packed Drama “Nikita,”
starring International Star Maggie Q
In The Tenth and Final Season of “Smallville,”
Clark Kent Reunites with The Winchester Brothers
When “Smallville” and “Supernatural”
Team Up on Friday Nights
New Reality Series
“Shedding For The Wedding” (working title) Premieres Midseason
And Transformational New Reality Series “Plain Jane”
Premieres in Summer
Emmy-Nominated Singer/Songwriter Katy Perry
Opened the Upfront with her hit singles
“California Gurls” and “Hot N Cold”
May 20, 2010 (New York, New York) ─ The CW Network unveiled the schedule for its 2010-2011 season today at a presentation for advertisers, affiliates and national media in the Theater at Madison Square Garden, where singer Katy Perry rocked the house to open the show. The announcement was made by Dawn Ostroff, President of Entertainment, The CW.
“After just four short years as a network, The CW will premiere our strongest schedule ever this fall, with a combination of hit shows and exciting new series giving us all-original programming five nights a week for the first time,” said Ostroff. “We’ve been growing this network one hit at a time and we’re poised for a great 2010-11 season. This year ‘The Vampire Diaries’ was a smash out of the box for us, and another freshman show, ‘Life Unexpected,’ also opened strong and began building an intense, loyal following. On the heels of breaking ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘90210’ the last two seasons and the enduring popularity of ‘Smallville,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘One Tree Hill’ and ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ we had more strong program development and believe we have the goods once again with ‘Nikita’ and ‘Hellcats,’ two shows that are fun, fast and loud, and will enable us to make noise in the marketplace this fall. These hot new dramas will extend The CW brand and our hold on the coveted young female demographic, with international action-film star Jackie-Chan protégé Maggie Q starring as ‘Nikita,’ an empowered woman fighting for justice, and Ashley Tisdale of ‘High School Musical’ and Aly Michalka of ‘Bandslam’ in ‘Hellcats,’ a lively new series about a pre-law student whose life turns upside down when she joins the cheerleading team at a major Southern university.
“Additionally, we’re excited about two new reality series coming to The CW. First up in summer 2010 will be original programming from ‘Plain Jane,’ with each week featuring a full-blown makeover for a young woman including a style transformation, new wardrobe and confidence-building assistance from the show’s host, British fashion expert, Louise Roe. Midseason will feature ‘Shedding for the Wedding,’[working title] where ten overweight engaged couples will compete for the wedding of their dreams. In addition to this powerful fall schedule, you can expect more news on original programming for next season down the line as we continue to grow our business. We’re also as committed as ever to utilizing online, social media and new technologies to attract ‘Generation Digital,’ the passionate and highly engaged young viewers who get their CW fix whenever and wherever they want it.”
On Monday, the Left Coast/Right Coast pairing of 90120 and GOSSIP GIRL will cover a lot of ground with viewers, providing cutting-edge drama, the latest in high fashion and backstabbing betrayal with the beautiful beach-set of 90210 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. and the powerful and privileged Upper East-siders of GOSSIP GIRL from 9:00-10:00 p.m. Despite tough competition last season, 90210 became the most DVR’d show on television, with Live-Plus-7-Day ratings that more than double its women 18-34 audience. Together, 90210 and GOSSIP GIRL have the highest concentration of women 18-34 on network television, and GOSSIP GIRL continues to be one of the most buzzed-about shows on the planet. Next season’s premiere will take Serena (Blake Lively), Blair (Leighton Meester) and Chuck (Ed Westwick) to the City of Lights – Paris, France.
On Tuesday, ONE TREE HILL, the show loyal viewers demanded back, finds a new home in the 8:00-9:00 p.m. hour, followed by the second season of LIFE UNEXPECTED, last season’s critically acclaimed show about a young girl who reunites with her birth parents after growing up in foster care. LIFE UNEXPECTED has a rapidly growing audience, and the two series are already a tried-and-true teaming, since LIFE UNEXPECTED, premiered at midseason behind ONE TREE HILL with strong audience retention.
On Wednesday, AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL will be back in its successful 8:00-9:00 p.m. timeslot. During its recently completed 14th cycle, TOP MODEL added a new judge, fashion editor André Leon Talley, and the show was number one in its time period with women 18-34 and adults 18-34. Last week’s cycle 14 finale episode won the 8:00 p.m. hour in women 18-34, adults 18-34, females 12-34 and female teens.
The models give way to cheerleaders when the new drama HELLCATS premieres in the 9:00-10:00 p.m. hour. HELLCATS is a pumped-up drama about a young pre-law student (Aly Michalka, “Bandslam”) whose world is turned upside-down when she loses her scholarship and has to join the college’s competitive cheerleading squad. This fun, energetic series is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama, politics and pressure surrounding the football program at a Southern university. Ashley Tisdale (“High School Musical”) also stars as a young woman who is totally committed to the cheerleading squad to realize her dreams.
The CW broke a major hit on Thursday nights last fall with THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, now the network’s top-rated show. The vampires, witches and mere mortals of Mystic Falls will remain in the 8:00-9:00 p.m. timeslot, providing the perfect jumping-off point for the non-stop action and international intrigue of the drama NIKITA from 9:00-10:00 p.m.
NIKITA stars international action-film star and martial arts expert Maggie Q (“Mission Impossible III”) in the title role as a spy and assassin for a top secret U.S. government agency, who rebels against the system that created her and will stop at nothing to bring their powerful operation to an end. Shane West (“E.R.”) and Lyndsy Fonseca (“Kick Ass”) also star.
On Friday, two rock solid hits, SMALLVILLE and SUPERNATURAL, reunite for a great two-hour block. In its explosive tenth and final season, SMALLVILLE will remain in the 8:00-9:00 p.m. timeslot, where it gave the CW its best numbers ever in the time period with scripted programming last year. The series will bring Clark Kent’s epic journey to a conclusion worthy of a superhero. In the 9:00-10:00 p.m. hour, the Winchester Brothers continue their heroic battle to ensure that good triumphs over evil, no matter what the personal cost may be to the brothers themselves. Last season, SUPERNATURAL’s ratings were up year-to-year with women 18-49.
Following is The CW’s 2010-2011 primetime schedule, a night-by-night breakdown and accompanying details on all the programs.
THE CW’s 2010-2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 90210 (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ONE TREE HILL (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM LIFE UNEXPECTED (New Night)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 PM HELLCATS (New Series)
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
9:00-10:00 PM NIKITA (New Series)
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL (New Night)
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “90210”
The third season of 90210 welcomes the West Beverly kids to their senior year of high school. It’s the time of college acceptances and lovers’ rejections, the time of prom dates and promises betrayed, the time of spring break, break-ups and make-ups – but as is always the case in Beverly Hills, it all happens in a world of sun and fun, palm trees and warm sea breezes, success and excess. From the very beginning of the school year, the lives of the West Beverly group will be shaken up in a way none of them could ever imagine. And from this new starting point, their journeys will take them to staggering new heights and terrifying new depths. We’ll see the rise of a pop sensation and the fall of a group of friends, the beginning of a new love and the end of a professional dream, the creation of an unlikely family and the demise of another. And that’s just the first week of school… It’s now or never for the students of West Beverly, and they’re not going to waste a moment of time. Expectations are high, hormones are raging, and scandals are hiding around every corner. From the brightest moments of love and happiness to the darkest hours of shame and fear, senior year at West Beverly promises to be an unforgettable journey into the lives, hopes and dreams of those lucky few who call 90210 home. The series stars Lori Loughlin as Debbie Wilson, Shenae Grimes as Annie Wilson, Tristan Wilds as Dixon Wilson, AnnaLynne McCord as Naomi Clark, Ryan Eggold as Ryan Matthews, Jessica Stroup as Silver, Michael Steger as Navid Shirazi, Jessica Lowndes as Adrianna Tate-Duncan, Matt Lanter as Liam Court, Trevor Donovan as Teddy Montgomery and Gillian Zinser as Ivy. 90210 is produced by CBS Television Studios with executive producer Rebecca Sinclair (“Gilmore Girls”) and Dave Rosenthal (“Gilmore Girls,” “Men in Trees”).
9:00-10:00 P.M. “GOSSIP GIRL”
High society and low blows are back as GOSSIP GIRL, a one-hour drama about the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite, returns for its much-anticipated fourth season. Season three ended with a BANG! as a heartbroken Chuck Bass lay bleeding in the streets of Prague while Blair Waldorf and a newly-single Serena van der Woodsen jetted off to Paris for a fabulous summer abroad. Meanwhile, Nate Archibald fresh off his painful breakup with Serena, decided to take a page out of Chuck’s playboy playbook just as Dan Humphrey discovered he was going to have to settle down and be a father – to Georgina Sparks’ baby! Season four will open with a radiant Serena and Blair enjoying their grand and romantic summer in Paris…until Chuck mysteriously arrives in town with a new girlfriend and a new identity. Blair swore off Chuck forever but will this changed man woo Blair into having a change of heart, or will Queen B set her sights on ruling Columbia University? And as for that baby…? The series stars Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf, Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey, Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald, Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey, Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass, Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams, Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen and Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey. Filmed in New York and based on the popular series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, GOSSIP GIRL is from Fake Empire and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Josh Schwartz (“Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“The O.C.”), Leslie Morgenstein (“The Vampire Diaries”), Bob Levy (“The Vampire Diaries”) and Joshua Safran.
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “ONE TREE HILL”
After a seventh season that saw ONE TREE HILL continue to grow and break new ground, the show enters season eight with more than 150 episodes under its belt. The new season finds Brooke Davis happier than ever. Recently engaged to Julian, her wedding will be the captivating affair one might expect from a young, beautiful, successful fashion designer. As Nathan Scott prepares for his second season in the NBA, the Scott family is expecting their second child and Haley feels as though the baby will be a girl. How will she balance her pregnancy while raising Jamie and pursuing her music career? Also, Quinn and Clay’s lives hang in the balance, the victims of a brutal attack which affects all of their friends and family. Season eight of ONE TREE HILL will explore the delicate balance that contemporary twenty-somethings face as they endeavor to build and define what their lives will be, while overcoming difficulties and embracing the good things that they sometimes take for granted, shrouded in the pursuit of someday. It will be a celebration of the most important things, among them the quest for love, laughter, health, friends, career and family: timeless pursuits that have always mattered, and matter now, in a place called Tree Hill. The series stars James Lafferty as Nathan Scott, Sophia Bush as Brooke Davis, Bethany Joy Galeotti as Haley James Scott, Robert Buckley as Clay Evans, Austin Nichols as Julian Baker, Shantel VanSanten as Quinn James and Jackson Brundage as Jamie Scott. ONE TREE HILL was created by Mark Schwahn and is executive produced by Schwahn, Joe Davola, Greg Prange, Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins. ONE TREE HILL is a Mastermind Laboratories and Tollin/Robbins Production in association with Warner Bros. Television.
9:00-10:00 P.M. “LIFE UNEXPECTED”
Returning for a second season, LIFE UNEXPECTED is a coming-of-age family drama that centers around 16-year-old Lux, who was given up for adoption at birth but never adopted. When she is put back into the custody of her estranged-since-high-school birth parents, radio show host Cate and bartender Baze, the three form an unlikely family, complicated by the fact that Cate is engaged to her co-host, Ryan. Cate and Baze struggle with becoming insta-parents and raising a daughter they are only now getting to know, while Ryan must deal with the fact that Cate’s feelings for Baze aren’t entirely in the past. Lux, meanwhile, tries to reconcile her past with her present, often torn between her old friends from foster care and her new family. As the unlikely trio begins to grow up together, Lux encourages Baze to reveal what she already knows – that he is in love with Cate, just like a part of Cate is in love with him. Baze tries to stop Cate’s wedding, but when he’s too late, Cate marries Ryan. Heading into next season, our unlikely threesome become a foursome as Ryan joins the family. The series stars Shiri Appleby as Cate Cassidy, Kristoffer Polaha as Nate “Baze” Bazile, Britt Robertson as Lux, Austin Basis as Math and Kerr Smith as Ryan Thomas. LIFE UNEXPECTED is produced by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television in association with Mojo Films with executive producers Liz Tigelaar (“Brothers and Sisters,” “What About Brian”) and Gary Fleder (“October Road”).
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL”
Returning with its fifteenth and sixteenth cycles, the runaway runway hit series stars Tyra Banks. The show gives real people an opportunity to prove that they can make it in the high-stress, high-stakes world of supermodeling. With mentoring by Tyra Banks and exposure to high-profile fashion-industry gurus, young women of various backgrounds, shapes and sizes must endure a highly accelerated modeling boot camp and face weekly tests to determine who will make the cut as they vie for a professional modeling contract. The executive producers are Ken Mok (“Making the Band”), Tyra Banks and Laura Fuest. The series was created by Tyra Banks and developed by Mok and Kenya Barris. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL is produced by 10 by 10 Entertainment in association with Bankable Productions.
9:00-10:00 P.M. “HELLCATS”
HELLCATS is a coming-of-age story about Marti Perkins, a young, pre-law student at Lancer University in Memphis, Tennessee. Marti is cool, hip and alt, but her world flips upside down, literally and figuratively, when she loses her scholarship, and realizes the only way she can stay in school is by reigniting her dormant teen gymnastic skills to win a place on Lancer’s legendary cheerleading team, The Hellcats. Against her every instinct, Marti goes for it and makes the squad, and is thrust into a world of camaraderie, backstabbing and the intersection of sports, backroom academia and big money. Marti’s new roommate, Savannah Monroe, a petite, peppy Texan, is among the diverse cast of athletes, undergrads, family and friends, all set on the sprawling campus of a powerhouse college football program in the deep South. The series stars Aly Michalka as Marti Perkins, Ashley Tisdale as Savannah Monroe, Heather Hemmens as Alice Verdura, Robbie Jones as Lewis Flynn, Matt Barr as Dan Patch, with Sharon Leal as Vanessa Lodge and Gail O’Grady as Wanda Perkins. HELLCATS is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Tom Welling Productions, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Murphy (“Desperate Housewives”), Tom Welling (“Smallville”) and Allan Arkush (“Heroes,” “Crossing Jordan”). The pilot was directed by Allan Arkush.
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “THE VAMPIRE DIARIES”
Returning for its second season, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is the story of two vampire brothers obsessed with the same beautiful girl, and battling to control the fate of an entire town. During season one, Stefan and Damon Salvatore returned to their hometown of Mystic Falls, Virginia, for very different reasons − Stefan was determined to get to know Elena Gilbert, who bears a striking resemblance to Katherine Pierce, the beautiful but ruthless vampire the brothers knew and loved in 1864, while Damon was intent on releasing Katherine from the tomb where he believed she was trapped by a witch’s spell all those years ago. At the end of season one, Elena’s uncle set a plan in motion that brought the Founder’s Day celebration to an end amid chaos, destruction and death, and saw the return of the vengeful Katherine Pierce. Next season, the appearance of the villainous Katherine in Mystic Falls throws a wrench into the love triangle between Stefan, Elena and Damon, and the other residents of Mystic Falls must choose sides as they fall victim to a new breed of danger. New and unexpected friendships will be forged, allies will become enemies, and hearts will be broken. Stefan and Damon will be forced to face a villain more evil and diabolical than they ever believed possible. And they’ll take their shirts off. Frequently. The series stars Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert, Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore, Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore, Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert, Sara Canning as Jenna Sommers, Katerina Graham as Bonnie Bennett, Candice Accola as Caroline Forbes, Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan, Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood and Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson (“Scream,” “Dawson’s Creek”), Julie Plec (“Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Private”) and Bob Levy (“Gossip Girl,” “Privileged”).
9:00-10:00 P.M. “NIKITA”
When she was a deeply troubled teenager, Nikita was rescued from death row by a secret U.S. agency known only as Division, who faked her execution and told her she was being given a second chance to start a new life and serve her country. What they didn’t tell her was that she was being trained as a spy and assassin. Ultimately, Nikita was betrayed and her dreams shattered by the only people she thought she could trust. Now, after three years in hiding, Nikita is seeking retribution and making it clear to her former bosses that she will stop at nothing to expose and destroy their covert operation. For the time being, however, Division continues to recruit and train other young people, erasing all evidence of their former lives and turning them into cold and efficient killers. One of these new recruits, Alex, is just beginning to understand what lies ahead for her and why the legendary Nikita made the desperate decision to run. The series stars Maggie Q as Nikita, Lyndsy Fonseca as Alex, Shane West as Michael, Aaron Stanford as Birkhoff, Ashton Holmes as Thom, Tiffany Hines as Jaden, with Melinda Clarke as Amanda and Xander Berkeley as Percy. NIKITA is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers Craig Silverstein (“Bones,” “K-Ville”), Danny Cannon (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Chuck”), McG (“Supernatural,” “Chuck,” “The O.C.,” “Charlie’s Angels”), and Peter Johnson (“Supernatural,” “Chuck”). The pilot was directed by Danny Cannon.
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “SMALLVILLE”
Entering its explosive tenth and final season, SMALLVILLE culminates in the epic rise of the world’s ultimate hero – Superman. Finally working alongside the intrepid Lois Lane at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent had accepted his destiny as the guardian of Metropolis when General Zod arrived, challenging Clark’s authority and power. Just when the romance between Clark and Lois began to bloom, Clark was called into duty by the legendary Justice Society and his own burgeoning league of heroes to fight the gathering dark forces. As season nine drew to a close, Clark sacrificed himself to save the world from Zod. Season ten promises the classic reuniting of the timeless romance between Clark and Lois, and brings Clark face-to-face with his destiny as he overcomes his final trials and forges the iconic identity that will be known for all time. The series stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent, Erica Durance as Lois Lane, Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen and Cassidy Freeman as Tess Mercer. SMALLVILLE was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”), based on the DC Comics characters. Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson serve as executive producers, along with James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and Tom Welling. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
9:00-10:00 P.M. “SUPERNATURAL”
Returning for its sixth season, this haunting series follows Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers bound by tragedy and blood to their dangerous, other-worldly mission. This past season, Dean and Sam faced their toughest foe yet: the Devil himself. As the Apocalypse raged on around them, the brothers, aided only by a dwindling band of fellow hunters and rebel angel Castiel, sought a way to stop Lucifer and save the planet. Ultimately, they discovered a way to force Lucifer back into Hell and end the Apocalypse – but at tremendous cost: Sam’s life. Season six will be a season of mystery and shadow. Heaven and Hell have been left in complete disarray since the apocalyptic events of season five. And now, monsters, angels and demons roam across a lawless and chaotic landscape. And so Dean Winchester, who has retired from hunting and sworn never to return, finds himself being pulled back into his old life – pulled back by none other than Sam Winchester, who has escaped from Hell. The two reunite to beat back the rising tide of creatures and demon-spawn, but they quickly realize that neither are who they used to be, their relationship isn’t what it used to be, and that nothing is what it seems. The series stars Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester, Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester and Misha Collins as Castiel. SUPERNATURAL is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG (“Nikita,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “The O.C.”), Eric Kripke (“Boogeyman”), Robert Singer (“Midnight Caller”), Sera Gamble, Ben Edlund and Phil Sgriccia.
*****
That is most of the press release.
I will have a post later with a recap of the upfront itself, along with two more posts featuring pictures and video.
TeenDramaWhore 