Upfronts! CW Unveils Its New Fall and Midseason Shows
The CW held its 2012 upfront presentation for fall and midseason programming in NYC on May 17, but Snakkle attended the live west coast feed in Los Angeles so we could bring you all the scoop too! Getting psyched for fall TV already? We are! By Erin FoxAfter hearing a few songs by Flo Rida (aka the man behind tons of CW promo music)—and watching as as a room full of ad execs awkwardly waved their hands in the air—the president of The CW, Mark Pedowitz, launched into their upfront presentation introducing the five new shows we have to look forward to… and there is a little somethin’ for everyone.
THIS FALL
Supernatural fans may love the new Marvel comic inspired Arrow, which follows a billionaire bad boy Oliver Queen (Stephen Arnell) who returns from the dead after a years stranded on a mysterious island. Naturally, he’s come back a changed man. He’s darker, more jaded (and hotter)—and with some seriously intense archery skills that would make Katniss herself blush. Though he’s fighting crime as his new alter ego, Green Arrow, we think Oliver/Arrow is a lot more complicated and dangerous than he lets on. CW put a lot of time and money into this pilot, and it shows. The sets, lighting, and effects are all cinema-worthy and should draw a nice following from genre and regular TV fans alike. Arrow will air directly before Supernatural on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Hart of Dixie fans will delight in the new medical dram-com, Emily Owens, M.D., starring the lovely and likable Mamie Gummer. Remember when Grey’s Anatomy was about the horror/excitement of being a fresh, raw new intern? Remember the relationships we agonized over and the personalities we loved? Owens promises a similar feeling, with a lot less over-the-top ferry crashes, car crashes, plane crashes… you get the picture. Gummer is quirky, charming and way more of a nerdy, fish-out-of-water than Meredith Grey, and we think that will keep the audience rooting for her and tuning in week after week. Owens will air directly following Hart of Dixie on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The Vampire Diaries fans may flock to the new adaptation of Beauty and the Beast starring the gorgeous (and Smallville fan fave) Kristin Kreuk. Kreuk’s plays Catherine Chandler, who witnesses her mother’s murder and is saved from the same fate by a mysterious man/beast (Jay Ryan) that disappears. Nine years later, and now an NYPD homicide detective, she comes in contact with her savior again and discovers his life/condition was engineered by our government. I smell a conspiracy thread! After the beast saves her a second time, Kreuk decides to dedicate herself to figuring out the mystery behind her mother’s death and the Beast’s condition. Shippers: On your marks, get set, GO! Beast will air following The Vampire Diaries on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
MIDSEASON
The Carrie Diaries will no doubt find a young and eager audience since its heroine is a fresh and relatable prequel version of Sex and the City’s famous (or infamous, depending on your taste) Carrie Bradshaw. The vivacious AnnaSophia Robb takes on the iconic roll of Carrie in her high school days during the awesome 1980s. We get to see a lot more of what made the fashion writer who she became in the hit ‘90s series that launched a thousand cosmopolitan parties in cities and suburbs around the world. Dealing with the death of her mother, a difficult sister and the perils of high school will endear viewers the way Sex never could for this particular age group. But will The Carrie Diaries appeal to Gen-Xers? Well if you were as annoyed by Carrie in the second SATC movie as we were, this new series will be a lot more inviting and interesting to watch. The Carrie Diaries will occupy a Monday time slot in January after Gossip Girl finishes its series run.
Cult offers a twisted world where the TV world bleeds into real life in very dark and nefarious way. A fictitious show, also named Cult, is centered on the tension-filled relationship between charismatic yet creepy cult leader Billy Grimm (played by the king of creepy, Robert Knepper) and LAPD detective Kelly Collins (Alona Tal) who is trying to nail the bastard to the wall. The Vampire Diaries’ Matt Davis stars as a journalist/blogger who teams up with the show’s nosy production assistant (Jessica Lucas) to investigate whether Cult’s crazeballs fans are recreating crimes from the series—some even resulting in gruesome murders. For those who love a good twisted and multi-layered mystery, Cult could gain a Lost-like following.
For more on the new lineup, visit The CW’s website!