CW:

Out of the 5 broadcast networks, the CW is overall the least competitive, with viewers and demos for all shows being last on virtually every night in comparison to ‘The Big 4’ over the past few years. Maybe that’s because the WB and UPN used to heavily focus on romance and relationship dramas, marketing shows to young teenagers, therefore the network on the whole isn’t being taken too seriously, with high quality shows not being watched because ‘it’s on the CW’. Or maybe it’s because out of every home in the US, if there’s one channel Americans hardly watch it is this one. The CW may not even be broadcast to every American home anyway. But there’s one thing that I know- the CW is improving in its quality slowly but surely, and with time, I am confident that their status as the ‘perennial cellar dwellers’ in terms of the ratings race, can be lifted and the channel can prove everyone wrong. This current crop of programs overall are sure to impress and bring in many more diverse viewers, although in my opinion the schedule needs a bit of tinkering (some mid-season shows should’ve replaced what was in the fall schedule now, in order to enhance the schedule quality).

The Good: “If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it” is the famous saying! The respected and popular fantasy/horror series Supernatural, DC comics influenced superhero show Arrow, action/adventure/futuristic midseason surprise The 100, vampire/drama/romance show The Vampire Diaries, and the medieval historical Reign have all performed quite brilliantly and stable for the network last year, so it’s no surprise for these shows to reclaim their spots on Tuesdays at 9pm, on Wednesdays at 8pm and 9pm, and on Thursdays at 8pm and 9pm respectively. Though I would have liked to see a new show launched on Wednesday or Thursday, and though I saw The 100 as only returning this season as a midseason show; I’m nevertheless glad and pleased in the Wednesday and Thursday portions of the schedule, as these shows bring familiarity and security to long-time fans and new viewers, leaving other days to be experimented with.

The Indifferent: The Originals, the spinoff from The Vampire Diaries that was successful in the Tuesday timeslot last year, is starting its sophomore season on a new night- Mondays, and while I am indifferent to this change as I do not watch the show, others may think this is bad scheduling as Gotham and the CBS comedies in particular, have the potential to massacre this show into cancellation. However I believe that the jury is still out on this decision, as maybe the fans of the show could follow it to Monday, with the viewers and demo settling on a similar number range compared with Tuesday last season.

The Bad: It’s simple. I predict that Jane The Virgin will be the first cancellation of season from any network. Not many people expected it to be picked up, and starting off in the same spot as Beauty And The Beast last year spells doom. Add to the fact that there’s only a 30 second promo, and the acting seems forced- this is something that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone, regardless of the storyline. Though this quirky comedy about a woman being accidentally artificially inseminated (how does that happen anyway?) seems to work well on the channel and maybe could have paired with medical relationship/family drama Hart Of Dixie (which is noticeably missing from the fall schedule), this show could have served better in the midseason and maybe had a better chance at survival. As it stands, up against Sleepy Hollow, I would expect iZombie here as early as November time!

The Smart: The Flash, spinoff to Arrow, starts its freshman run at 8pm on Tuesdays, and while I think that NCIS is a tall order to defeat as a competitor (which it won’t!), hopefully fans of Arrow will watch this show wherever the spot. In my opinion, this is a very smart move from the creators of The Flash; I am sure they looked at the success of The Originals (another CW show) and SHIELD (another superhero/comics show) last year against NCIS and were encouraged and reassured that The Flash was in the right timeslot. Speaking of SHIELD, let’s just be thankful that The Flash isn’t up against the Marvel Comics’ cult classic, which I believe will increase in viewers at 9pm on Tuesday (but that’s for another post…)

The Puzzling: Well Friday’s of course! Why would the CW put 2 reality shows (America’s Next Top Model and Whose Line Is It Anyway?) on a Friday (an unprecedented decision) when in the past they showed dramas like The Carrie Diaries, Hart Of Dixie, Cult, and Nikita? I’ve got no answer here, and I only hope that this move doesn’t spell cancellation for the only two reality shows on this network.

The Midseason Shows: Four shows are held to midseason. The Messengers, an apocalyptic, religious, sci-fi drama about the end of the world, and ordinary people who are tasked to save humanity, is shelved to midseason, which seems appropriate as the synopsis sounds like more of a limited series run (and I was personally indifferent to The 100 being in the fall or midseason anyway). Premiering the probable final season of the 1980’s remake Beauty and the Beast (of 13 episodes) in the midseason is also pretty good idea, as the last few episodes will air during May sweeps and gain buzz. However iZombie’s relegation to midseason and Hart Of Dixie’s absence from the fall schedule are both from left field. The DC Comics’ adaption about a half-zombie, half-human solving crimes with the police, as a consultant, was probably one of the most intriguing and interesting series I’ve heard about, and there was quite a lot of chatter about it. And Hart Of Dixie is just a full season (22 episodes) away from syndication, why wouldn’t it be shown in the fall? Maybe the network doesn’t see the show lasting even 22 more episodes? Perplexing decisions, but at least there are some shows to look forward to in the midseason!

So overall, what do you think of the new CW schedule? Take a look below, and comment below with your thoughts and opinions.

Mondays:

8: The Originals

9: Jane The Virgin

Tuesdays:

8: The Flash

9: Supernatural

Wednesdays:

8: Arrow

9: The 100

Thursdays:

8: The Vampire Diaries

9: Reign

Fridays:

8: Whose Line Is It Anyway

8: America’s Next Top Model

Unscheduled Midseason:

The Messengers

iZombie

Hart Of Dixie

Beauty And The Beast