Beverly Hills, Calif. – Now for something completely different: The network with the best chances of coming out of fall with a significant boost is, wait for it, CW.
That’s right, CW, the wee little Viacom property (CBS plus Time Warner) that grew out of WB and UPN, the afterthought network that most people couldn’t find without a guide.
In September you’ll not only hear about it, you should learn to locate it on the remote. Helpful hint: In Denver it’s KWGN-Channel 2.
CW this year will introduce “network-defining series,” according to president Dawn Ostroff.
She’s not just blowing smoke.
The network known mainly for “The Gilmore Girls” and “Veronica Mars,” if it was known at all, has added smart dramas and comedies, and is already winning critical praise. All the network needs is two hits, and three shows might qualify.
The fare is aimed squarely at its 18-34-year-old audience. (At 32, the median age of CW’s audience is the youngest of any network.) Of course the idea of a “hit” is relative and ever-changing, but CW could have solid contenders.
One of the year’s best-looking pilots, “Reaper,” is on CW’s slate. The story of a young man (Bret Harrison) who works at a big-box store and whose parents sold his soul to the devil (Ray Wise), “Reaper” is full of slacker humor but subtle enough for adult tastes.
“Aliens in America,” a half-hour comedy about a family (led by Scott Patterson) that takes in a Pakistani Muslim exchange student, is a rather daring sendup of national, racial and religious prejudice. Is it fair to make fun of small-minded Americans in small Midwestern towns? Why not? Small-mindedness exists in big towns and medium-size towns, too. The time is right, and the jokes are funny.
During a satellite interview, D.W. Moffett stroked some sort of feline in his lap at the South African game reserve where “Life Is Wild” is filming. The series is a modern version of the 1965 “Daktari,” sort of “7th Heaven” with zebras and elephants. Not rocket science, not even probing drama, although it will address issues of poaching. But “Life Is Wild” could click with the audience segment that likes animals and misses the Camden family.
“Gossip Girl,” a more controversial pilot, based on the teen book series, could be the next destination for the 13-year-old set. Kristen Bell (“Veronica Mars”) serves as off-camera narrator. Warning to parents: The TV series may play older than the book series reads.
The idea that the network has elaborate plans for an online accompaniment shouldn’t surprise anyone. CW will sell clothing, music and accessories to girls based on the series. (If they could, they’d sell the booze, drugs and sex featured prominently in the hour, too. It’s all about business.) Grab Mom’s credit card and dress up just like the girls on Manhattan’s Upper East Side!
Surely this series should come with warning labels. Tweens probably shouldn’t be allowed to watch. Still, it could distinguish CW as a destination network for 20-somethings.
All of this leads to a question CW executives will dodge for as long as possible: How can an emerging network, with critically acclaimed programming that could reach significant numbers of viewers, continue to air professional wrestling as a cornerstone of its schedule?
This summer, “Friday Night Smackdown” scored the highest numbers of anything on the network. Especially on TV’s least-attended night, “Smackdown” remains a lucrative – if shameful – franchise.
CW executives were bracing for questions about the recent murder-
suicide that brought the shady world of professional wrestling new disdain. The deaths of Chris Benoit, his wife and son weren’t brought up at the CW press conference; Benoit had never been on CW. But the wrestling world in general is rife with accusations of steroid use. At some point, the CW’s goal should be to move beyond leasing time every Friday night to outrageous displays of heightened testosterone.
We’ll know CW has really achieved network status when it dumps “Smackdown,” no longer sells that time to WWE and programs that block all by itself – with something it’s not ashamed to mention.
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
