News Roundup: One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210 and Dawson’s Creek

20 05 2010
  • Coverage of The CW upfront with interviews and/or commentary: Zap2it, Zap2it again, E!, TV Guide, Variety, MTV, The San Francisco Chronicle and TV By The Numbers. There will likely be more tomorrow. I decided not to post stories that were only regurgitations of the press release. Seemed like a waste of my time and yours.
  • The Los Angeles Times confirmed my speculation that Trevor Donovan (Teddy, 90210) has been promoted to a series regular.
  • Gossip Cop busted yesterday’s rumor about Michelle Williams (Jen, Dawson’s Creek) dating her Blue Valentine co-star Ryan Gosling.
  • Joshua Jackson (Pacey, Dawson’s Creek) is interested in a Fringe-Vampire Diaries cross-over, which would re-team him with Kevin Williamson (creator, Dawson’s Creek) who is the EP on TVD.

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Categories : 90210, Dawson's Creek, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill

Recap: The CW 2010 Upfront

20 05 2010

If you haven’t already done so, you may want to check out the press release sent out by The CW and my “live tweets” from the event.

I arrived at Madison Square Garden shortly after 10am. I briefly saw Chace Crawford (Nate, Gossip Girl), Tristan Wilds (Dixon, 90210) and Paul Wesley (Donnie, The O.C.) signing autographs before heading to the red carpet, which was likely actually green, The CW’s signature color.

I didn’t have red carpet access unfortunately (but, really, I am just grateful I was allowed to go to the event at all; please remember I am just a one-woman, non-profit operation with no plans of doing anything like this when TeenDramaWhore.com started) and instead headed toward the entrance for the event. Outside were CW staffers, probably actually models, dressed in green, black and white “guarding” the entrance. The area soon filled up with people and I spotted the One Tree Hill Examiner, Meriam. (Yay for identifying people through Facebook pictures and Twitter avatars!).

Shortly after we connected, it was time to go in. We had tickets that had to be scanned, insuring that only invited, confirmed people entered the building. Once inside, there was a table of CW-branded bottles of water for everyone. I snagged one and will likely never open it.

There were 30 minutes to kill between when the doors opened and the presentation started and it felt like it lasted forever, since I was really anticipating the presentation. Also, when we first entered the theater, I thought there was no way it would fill up but it seemed to. The program actually started a few minutes late but still managed to finish around noon, even though it felt long–in a good way.

Katy Perry kicked things off, performing her hit “Hot N Cold.” In the middle of the song, she yelled out “Is it too early for you to stand on your feet and have some fucking fun?” Many people laughed…but no one moved. After a few moments, a few people stood up and then soon nearly everyone did. Perry also performed her latest single, “California Gurl,” before announcing it would be The CW’s “anthem” for their summer programming. She also had a penchant for lifting her dress a little too high as she sauntered across the stage.

Anyway.

Perry introduced Rob Tuck, the network’s executive vice president of sales, which means he is pretty much in charge of getting companies to buy advertising. He spoke very briefly, noting that “The CW had a lot of success this year” and that young people today see no difference between watching something on a TV screen and a computer screen. The latter point was stressed in several different ways a lot throughout the presentation.

Tuck introduced Dawn Ostroff, the network’s president of entertainment, who had control of things from there on out. One of the biggest “take-aways” from Dawn, right from the start, was that the network is targeting “Generation D,” with the D standing for digital. It refers to the generation of people who consume media across a variety of platforms–mobile devices, televisions, computers, etc. She segued from that into highlighting some of the network’s biggest successes. She pointed out first that The Vampire Diaries was not only the break-out hit of the past season but it is also currently the network’s most successful show in terms of total audience numbers and the key 18-34 demo. She said “Gossip Girl continues to be our most buzzed about show” and touted that the first few episodes of season 4 will take place in Paris. She also said “90210 hit its creative stride” this past season and pretty much attributed it to the move from the classroom to the beach. She especially emphasized that 90210 is the most DVR-ed show on television. For those that wonder why Gossip Girl and 90210 are so revered by the network and got early renewals despite low next-day total audience ratings, well, there are your answers: Gossip Girl’s buzz and 90210’s hidden ratings success. And together, they have the best demo rating in the 18-34 women bracket, which the network also highly covets.

From here Dawn went back to talking about the audience and the network itself. The median age of a CW viewer is 33. The CW is “the youngest-skewing network” and also has the highest concentration of viewers in the key demographics, she claimed. “In just four seasons,” Dawn said, “we’ve created a unique brand.” This segued back into the principle that is guiding the network: their audience is consuming media through different platforms at their own convenience. (AKA, TV shows aren’t necessarily appointment viewing anymore. Not only can you watch when you want and how you want, you can also engage in related media outside the scheduled weekly one-hour broadcast.)

Dawn took a break, letting a video do the talking. Along with clips from the shows, it highlighted the various ways The CW reaches people: TV, CWTV.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, mobile apps, etc. They tossed out figures meant to demonstrate the success of their Facebook, Twitter and YouTube use but the only figure that they actually claimed beat the other networks was Twitter, noting their official account has more followers than any other network’s. It all boiled down to this motto: “The CW: everywhere is possible.”

After the video, Dawn highlighted the two new series: Nikita and Hellcats. A description for each was given and a fairly long trailer of each was shown. The CW website has clips but I’m not positive they are the same trailers we saw today, as I haven’t checked yet.

Many in the media keep calling Nikita a remake of La Femme Nikita but, like 90210 and Beverly Hills 90210, I more see it as a “requel”–remake + sequel. It has elements that are completely being redone, as in a remake, and somewhat of a continuity with what came before, as in a sequel. In Nikita, Nikita (the title character) has “gone rogue” and left the mysterious “Division,” a group of powerful assassins. Nikita has been in hiding for several years but has now decided to come out to take down the “Division” as it trains a new group of assassins. Melinda Clarke (Julie, The O.C.) has what seems to be a supporting role (I didn’t catch her in the trailer at all) but she is very enthusiastic about it, as you can tell from my interview with her. It is executive produced by McG, who was the executive producer of The O.C. and is currently an executive producer on Supernatural. Action isn’t quite new to The CW with The Vampire Diaries, Smallville and Supernatural but unlike those, this doesn’t have a science-fiction element to it. The network hasn’t really had a strong, kick-ass, bad-ass female protagonist before, in my opinion, so I’m interested in seeing how people react. It’s even more interesting to me that the lead actress, Maggie Q, is of Asian descent.

Hellcats takes place in a college setting, one that they emphasized was “Southern.” The main character, Marti, has somewhat of a Peyton-esque vibe to her. She is studying to be a lawyer but doesn’t seem to really want to do it but it doesn’t matter when her scholarship is revoked and she’s on the verge of being kicked out of school. She learns that scholarships exist for cheerleaders and, despite her disdain for the “cheerleader-type,” she goes out for the team and–whattyaknow–makes it. (The rationale behind it seems to be that she was a gymnast when she was younger so she is incredibly talented at doing backflips and whatnot.) Matt Barr (Ian “Psycho Derek” Banks, One Tree Hill) seems to be her best friend, though I think he may want to be more. Also interested in her seems to be a male cheerleader played by Robbie Jones (Quentin, One Tree Hill) and I can only assume there will be some sort of love triangle with the three of them. Interesting to me considering how we know Matt and Robbie from OTH (plus Matt from Gossip Girl and The O.C.) and because it could allow for another interracial couple on the network (the other being 90210’s Dixon and Ivy and, previously, Dixon and Silver). Just having Robbie, though, adds some much-needed diversity to the network. Unfortunately, the trailer left me less-than-intrigued as it all seemed fairly predictable. It seemed to like a version of Bring It On in a college setting and a show you might see on ABCFamily. (Which, I suppose isn’t really a dis considering several of their shows get higher ratings than several of The CW’s shows.)

From there Dawn introduced two new reality shows: Plain Jane, which will air this summer, and Shedding For The Wedding, which will air mid-season. We only saw a trailer for Plain Jane, which essentially took us through the plot of one episode: an “average-looking” girl is given a makeover and coached on dating skills in hopes of getting her dream guy. It was pretty cheesy but also sweet and elicited a fair share of “aw”s at the end. But it also got quite a few shocked laughs during one of the segments, where the girl is zapped–as in, like electrocuted–every time she makes a “wrong move” while trying to flirt. (Think about a dog going past the invisible fence in the yard.) The promo still for Shedding also elicited shocked laughs as it showed two overweight bodies (no faces), one holding a much smaller wedding gown and the other a much smaller tuxedo. Couples will compete to see who can lose the most weight in time for their wedding, with prizes essentially being freebies for the wedding itself. It seems a bit crazy, I know, but it’s from the producers of The Biggest Losers and that show is pretty darn successful so perhaps this will work, too. I don’t know.

Now it was time to highlight the new fall schedule night by night. This will be the first season the network has original programming for all 10 slots: two new shows a night, no repeats. (Of course, if a new series is canceled and there is nothing new to replace it, as was the case this season…)

Monday showcases “addicting dramas” with 90210 at 8pm and Gossip Girl at 9pm. This keeps Gossip Girl in its current slot and moves 90210 to a day earlier.  They played up a Left Coast-Right Coast rivalry, which is somewhat interesting to me and something I hadn’t given much thought to before. Dawn brought out Chace Crawford (Nate, Gossip Girl) and they awkwardly chatted before AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) came out. She and Chace debated whether New York or California was better.

Tuesdays contain two shows, One Tree Hill at 8pm and Life Unexpected at 9pm, with “passionate fans” who “demanded” the shows be brought back. Dawn also said One Tree Hill has “the most active bloggers” of any of their series. I have no idea what that is based on and I would guess possibly a letter sent to her as part of the fan campaign that indicated all the different sites and forums for the show, along with (I think) traffic figures and the quantity of content. I’m sure it’s impressive…especially when no other show sent in their info. I doubt the network’s staff really sat down and tried to figure out which show truly had the most bloggers out there–and who knows how they define “bloggers.” Anyway, they had Robert Buckley (Clay, One Tree Hill) and Kristoffer Polaha (Baze on LUX) come out and pretend not to have any idea who the other person was and then swear to be besties.

The main idea for Monday and Tuesday is that Monday night features “established series with dedicated fans” that will lead into Tuesday. Sure.

Wednesday will still have America’s Next Top Model at 8. No one from the show was brought out on stage for it but they emphasized that they’ve upped the grand prize. Instead of a cover of Seventeen, the winner will be featured on the cover of Italian Vogue, the biggest/most respected fashion magazine in the world. ::shrug:: At 9 will be Hellcats, which seemed to have all its main cast there, including Matt and Robbie. They basically said how excited they are and gave a shout-out to Smallville’s Tom Welling, whose production company is behind the show and he is an executive producer for the show.

Thursdays at 8 will remain as they are now, with The Vampire Diaries airing. Paul Wesley (Donnie, The O.C.), who plays Stefan on TVD, Ian Somerhalder (Damon) and Nina Dobrev (Elena) came out and the guys “feuded” on whose character is dating “Elena” as Nina faked looking uncomfortable and finished things off with a crack that it’s just like men to think they have the final say. (The real joke being that it’s the writers who have the say.) Nikita will air at 9, which, with TVD’s success, was probably the most prime spot on the schedule and shows just how strongly the network feels about Nikita. Maggie Q came out and was incredibly entertaining, mainly because she veered from the teleprompter and joked about how hot it was backstage (with all the good-looking CW stars) and how she needed to lift up her A-cup breasts, because, yes, people with A-cup breasts do exist. It was pretty funny and she was very charming. She also noted, as per the script they gave her, what an honor it is to have TVD as their lead-in.

Friday re-pairs Smallville (at 8 ) with Supernatural (at 9). Dawn stressed how good the shows did together in the past and inferred that it will happened again. Tom Welling came out and awkwardly announced that it would be Smallville’s final season, something that probably would’ve been less awkward and more significant had he not accidentally spilled it to the media yesterday. No one from Supernatural was brought out on stage.

Dawn then summed up the schedule–established programing anchoring each night with two new series destined to be hits and summed up the whole presentation, noting that the audience is unique and the network has a unique connection with it. Wherever the audience is, the network is first, she claimed. The network is offering itself through a variety of platforms and the audience is engaging with it on those varied platforms.

She called Katy Perry back out, along with–surprise, surprise–a whole slew of other stars that were backstage the whole time but not brought out during the actual presentation. (They did the red carpet, I’m sure, but again, I wasn’t over there as most people weren’t so the vast majority of us were quite surprised to see so many other stars.)

With that, everyone filed out of the theater and Meriam and I decided to go towards the red carpet area, because there was a slew of fans hanging out there, indicating that was likely where the stars would be exiting. We joined the crowd and made like fangirls (more me than Meriam, I have to say; she was calm, cool and collected!). As soon as the last star was ushered into a waiting vehicle, we were all told to disperse so I headed to the Upper East Side for work at Gossip Cop.

I’ve seen some “FAQ” being sent to me on my Twitter account that I thought would be easiest to answer for everyone here.

1. Who from our teen dramas were there?

In addition to Crawford, McCord, Buckley, Barr, Jones and Wesley, Connor Paolo (Eric, Gossip Girl), Zuzanna Szadkowski (Dorota, Gossip Girl), Tristan Wilds (Dixon, 90210), Ryan Eggold (Ryan, 90210), as well as Life Unexpected’s Ryan and Cate, aka Kerr Smith (Jack, Dawson’s Creek) and Shiri Appleby (Rene, Beverly Hills 90210), were also in attendance.

2. How many episodes of One Tree Hill were ordered?

This was not mentioned during the formal presentation. There was a press conference later on but I wasn’t there for that. Based on reports from mainstream sites, it appears as though nothing is 100 percent final but it is likely OTH will start with about 13 episodes with the potential for a full season of 22.

3. Will this be One Tree Hill’s last season?

This also wasn’t addressed during the formal presentation and I haven’t seen anything about it coming up during the press conference. The CW stands to gain a lot of publicity and ratings if they announce fairly on, like they’ve done with Smallville, that it is the last season. But I’m guessing they honestly don’t know yet if it will be.

4. Was Melrose Place’s cancellation discussed?

Not at the formal presentation. The presentation is designed to sell the network and its programming. They highlight strengths and successes, not weaknesses and failures. (I’m not trying to be mean about MP. The show was canceled after it’s first season. It is considered in the industry to be a failure.) It’s possible MP came up during the press conference but I don’t know for sure either way.

Some observations: The network says their viewers’ median age is 33 but I can’t help but feel that they’re actually targeting, for the most part, 15-year-olds. I mean, obviously the numbers don’t lie and “older” people are watching but that’s just the feel the shows and all the promo material gives me.

I can only assume so few cast members were there for Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill (and 90210, really) because most had prior commitments. For One Tree Hill, the short notice probably had something to do with it as well. (In contrast, when I went to the upfront in ’08, the entire casts of GG and 90210 were there–it was also 90210’s first year and Gossip Girl’s second and GG was finishing its hugely popular first season–with more than half of OTH’s cast there as well.)

It seemed to me Ostroff spent the least amount of time talking about Life Unexpected and One Tree Hill and the only real strength she pointed out for those shows were their fanbases. I seriously wonder, though, if their renewal had less to do with the shows’ merits and fan campaigns and more to do with the network’s development slate really not panning out as planned. They only picked up two of six pilots–though at least two are reportedly in contention for midseason, one being Nomads, which features Michaela McManus (Lindsay, One Tree Hill). Had there been stronger pilot results, I think it’s very likely OTH and/or LUX would’ve been canceled. In fact, it’s very possible The CW is attributing their survival so much to the fans because that’s better for them to say publicly than to admit it’s really because of the failures of their development slate. Fans of OTH and/or LUX should count their blessings.

Speaking of One Tree Hill, Jana Kramer (Alex) was not mentioned in the press release. She was upgraded to regular status in the midst of this past season, and I’ve been told she will be back next season. And yet, her name was MIA from the regular cast listing in the release and as was her plotline from the description given for One Tree Hill’s next season.

I figured Gossip Girl and 90210 would be paired together, but I expected Gossip Girl to move to Tuesdays at 9, with LUX and OTH staying on Mondays. Instead, 90210 is now on Mondays and LUX and OTH moved to Tuesdays. I also would’ve expected, however, OTH to get the 9pm slot (it feels like the more “adult” hour to me and OTH feels more “adult” to me than LUX), but I guess they rather have a strong lead-in for LUX–assuming, of course, OTH’s ratings don’t continue to drop.

The scripted speeches or banter by the stars mostly fell flat. These people are supposed to be actors. Why the short pieces weren’t memorized or why they weren’t able to read the teleprompter a bit better–or, better yet, improv–I don’t know.

That’s a wrap for this recap…but wait, there’s more!

Stay tuned for pictures and video for the event. They will be posted tonight and/or tomorrow. I also snagged three (very, very, very) brief video interviews with Szadkowski, Barr and Smith, which will be posted on Sunday.


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Categories : 90210, Dawson's Creek, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The O.C.

The CW Announces 2010-2011 Schedule

20 05 2010

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.


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Categories : 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill

News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and More

19 05 2010
  • Reminder: I will be going to The CW’s upfront tomorrow morning, where they will formally announce their fall schedule to advertisers and the media. If you’re not already following me on Twitter, now would be a good time to do so as I will be live-tweeting (as much as I can) from the event. I will also have a recap of the event posted on the site either later tomorrow or Friday.
  • The CW ordered a reality series called Plain Jane to air during the summer. Expect a few more shows to be announced tomorrow, both for summer and fall as well as midseason.
  • Last night’s 90210 (1.6 million viewers) increased a bit in the ratings compared to last week.
  • The California Chronicle has an interview with Sara Foster (Jen, 90210).
  • Kellan Lutz (George, 90210) has signed his deal for Breaking Dawn, having worked out the salary dispute.
  • Be sure to check out the latest Talking Gossip After Dark podcast, which features my last recap of the season.
  • Matthew Settle (Rufus, Gossip Girl) will be doing a Q & A session Tuesday in New York City as part of an event known as Talkback Tuesdays.
  • Examiner.com has an interview with Maria Menounos (Jules, One Tree Hill). Have you read my interview with her?
  • wowOwow has a little info on what Mischa Barton (Marissa, The O.C.) is up to these days.
  • Gossip Cop busted a false OK! Magazine story about Katie Holmes (Joey, Dawson’s Creek) and hubby Tom Cruise.
  • PEOPLE.com is speculating whether Michelle Williams (Jen, Dawson’s Creek) and Ryan Gosling, her Blue Valentine co-star, are a couple.

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Categories : 90210, Dawson's Creek, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The O.C.

News Roundup: One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210 and The O.C.

18 05 2010
  • In case you missed it earlier, The CW renewed One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected. They also picked up Nikita and Hellcats, and canceled Melrose Place.
  • Broadcasting & Cable has a short but interesting piece looking at the state of The CW network.
  • According to Star News, 13 episodes of One Tree Hill have been ordered. Haven’t seen that confirmed anywhere else.
  • Last night’s One Tree Hill (2 million viewers) dropped slightly and Gossip Girl (2 million viewers rounded up) rose a bit in the ratings compared to last week.
  • I have mixed thoughts on The TV Addict’s “open letter” to Mark Schwahn (creator, One Tree Hill). Most of it is irrelevant now, since OTH was renewed.
  • Korbi has an article speculating on whether Clay (Robert Buckley, One Tree Hill) and Quinn (Shantel Van Santen, One Tree Hill) survive the finale’s shooting…which to my knowledge, they do. And it’s not a true spoiler. I mean, I’m pretty positive the actors have contracts for season 8…
  • Now that season 8 is a go, Christy-Anne will be hosting another fan reunion, this time in the summer.
  • Buckley shared some of his favorite scenes in an interview with MTV.
  • TVGuide.com has a look at some of “One Tree Hill’s Craziest Moments.”
  • Miami Medical, featuring Elisabeth Harnois (Shelly, One Tree Hill) was canceled.
  • E! Online has an interesting interview with Josh Schwartz (executive producer, Gossip Girl) and Stephanie Savage (executive producer, Gossip Girl) about last night’s finale.
  • Just read an interesting article on the effect of Bing’s product placement on Gossip Girl.
  • Gossip Cop busted a rumor about Blake Lively (Serena, Gossip Girl) bumping Kristen Stewart from the June cover of Vogue.
  • The Los Angeles Times has an awesome interview with Shenae Grimes (Annie, 90210), and they link to my Zachary Ray Sherman (Jasper) interview! Warning, though: both interviews have spoilers if you haven’t watched tonight’s ep yet.
  • The CW Source has a very short video interview with Michael Steger (Navid, 90210). I didn’t watch it but it’s likely spoilish if you haven’t seen tonight’s ep.
  • Gossip Cop has an article on the reconciliation between Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) and mom Candy Spelling.
  • Emma Caulfield (Susan, Beverly Hills 90210) is getting divorced.
  • Olivia Wilde (Alex, The O.C.) will be missing an unspecified number of House episodes next season so she can film Cowboys and Aliens.
  • The Good Guys, starring Colin Hanks (Grady, The O.C.), premieres on FOX tomorrow night.

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Categories : 90210, Beverly Hills 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The O.C.

Breaking News: One Tree Hill Renewed For 8th Season

18 05 2010

The CW has renewed One Tree Hill for an 8th season, according to Entertainment Weekly’s Michel Ausiello.

Ausiello reports The CW also renewed Life Unexpected, starring Shiri Appleby (Rene, Beverly Hills 90210) and Kerr Smith (Jack, Dawson’s Creek).

Ausiello says the renewals for OTH and LUX are for “at least 12 eps apiece.”

The network also reportedly ordered Nikita, featuring Melinda Clarke (Julie, The O.C.) and executive produced by McG (executive producer, The O.C.) , and Hellcats with Matt Barr (Ian “Psycho Derek” Banks, One Tree Hill; Keith van der Woodsen, Gossip Girl) and Robbie Jones (Quentin, One Tree Hill) as well as Ashley Tisdale, who once guest-starred on Beverly Hills 90210.

Per Ausiello, Melrose Place, which featured Laura Leighton (Sophie, Beverly Hills 90210) and Daphne Zuniga (Victoria, One Tree Hill), “is officially dead.”

The news is now being confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter as well as E!’s Kristin and other sources.

I have confirmed that the OTH folks do not yet know how many episodes the network will order, and Kristin reports that there is “no official word on what kind of episode orders OTH  and LUX have received, but we’re hearing they’ll split the season down the middle with 13 each.”

This presumably means Sophia Bush is out of the ABC pilot Southern Discomfort, since OTH takes priority. ABC has not yet announced whether they will order the pilot as a series or recast her role.

The CW will present their fall schedule to advertisers and the media Thursday morning in New York City. Honored to share I will be in attendance and tweeting from the event. A recap will be posted on TDW late in the day.


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Categories : Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson's Creek, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The O.C.

From The CW…

18 05 2010


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Categories : 90210

News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill

17 05 2010
  • The Daily News has a “Where Are They Now?” gallery for Beverly Hills 90210. Timely but far from accurate.
  • Hollywood Life has a video interview with Jessica Stroup (Silver, 90210).
  • MTV has a fun but not entirely accurate post looking at the relationships among CW stars, including those from 90210, Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill.
  • Ausiello has an interview with Stephanie Savage (executive producer, Gossip Girl) about tonight’s finale. If you haven’t watched yet, DON’T read it. The comments are…crazy.
  • Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl) was on The Rachael Ray Show today.
  • Blake Lively (Serena, Gossip Girl) is on the cover of the June issue of Vogue.
  • Kristin tweeted that it’s “not official but sure looks like” One Tree Hill is getting half a season…but I can confirm that, as of minutes after this was tweeted, the OTH folks themselves still hadn’t heard anything yet.
  • Kristin elaborated ever so slightly in a post, and also spoke a little bit with Danneel Harris (Rachel, One Tree Hill) about her wedding.
  • Robert Buckley (Clay, One Tree Hill) was on The Wendy Williams Show today.
  • MTV has a spoilish interview with Buckley….but it’s only spoilish if you haven’t seen tonight’s episode yet.

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Categories : 90210, Beverly Hills 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill

From The CW…

17 05 2010


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Categories : Gossip Girl

From The CW…

17 05 2010


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Categories : One Tree Hill

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