Is the CW already going down the WC?
By Stephen Saito
When Les Moonves first announced the formation of The CW, a hybrid of the current WB and UPN, in January, everything seemed like a mystery, from the secret talks that hatched the network to the funky name that adorns it. However, as the picture�s become clearer for its fall schedule, The CW�s launch prospects are becoming more cloudy.
With news this morning that the CW is considering bringing back the WB stalwart �7th Heaven� for an 11th season after the series finale had already been shot, the network has been caught in somewhat of a freefall this week. After the showrunners of another WB lynchpin �Gilmore Girls,� Amy Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino, decided against taking a $5 million one year deal to continue their executive producer duties, The CW's biggest potential hit lost its primary creative voice. Such a lucrative deal might�ve been more enticing had Warners� not pulled the plug on the Palladinos� idea for a New York-set romantic comedy that was a casualty of the secret talks between Paramount and Warner Bros. Also count the WB�s DOA spring schedule, including Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson�s �The Bedford Diaries� and Jerry Bruckheimer�s �Modern Men� among the remains from the secret talks. Apparently, talent relations is not a strong suit for the new network.
However, by bringing back a series like �7th Heaven,� the CW isn�t signaling a fresh start, but a return to the past, one that likely ignores the missteps taken by the WB in repurposing the network from a home to teen dramas to more family oriented net, and poses an even more uneasy mix with the shows being ported over from the CW, likely including the WB-compatible �America�s Next Top Model� and possibly critical faves �Everybody Hates Chris� and �Veronica Mars,� but just as likely not the African-American block of sitcoms, �Girlfriends,� �All of Us� and �Half and Half,� that�s been the UPN�s bread and butter. Instead of realizing what audiences wanted to come to the WB and UPN in the first place, the CW is concentrating on developing sitcom pilots with pass� stars like Wayne Brady and Nick Lachey. And as a result, The CW�s fresh start will sound plenty stale come fall.
Related Links
CW Waiting Till 11th Hour on '7th Heaven' (ZAP)Who is the new 'Gilmore' guy?
Team Palladino: The Interview (TVGuide)
Moonves Kidnaps CW (DH)
