There are very few certainties in successful television, especially for a new series. The CW has revamped their fall line-up once again, taking out the comedy and amping up the drama. Four new shows will be introduced this year, with everything from love-struck vampires to washed-up models. While execs at The CW have been looking beyond the teen friendly fare to lure fans of previous generations, this Fall season could be the beginning of a new era in The CW’s reinvention campaign.
The Vampire Diaries
The vampire genre is working overtime these days, but this sharply penned series may very well be the new breakout hit for The CW. There was plenty of buzz surrounding The Vampire Diaries after literary fans learned the popular L.J. Smith series of novels would be brought to life as a television series. After a special screening at Comic-Con in July, The Vampire Diaries has only been picking up steam and gaining momentum as a must see new series. Starring Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley, The Vampire Diaries offers plenty to look forward to beyond the big screen vampires. A love triangle, brooding vampires, captivating special effects and the inevitable self-destructive relationships are only complicated by the drama pf high school. From what we’ve seen, The Vampire Diaries will surely bring more love to the thrills and chills of our Thursday night TV slate.
The Vampire Diaries premieres on Thursday, September 10.
The Beautiful Life
What do you get when you mix glamour with broken dreams? The perfect recipe for delicious drama in the Ashton Kutcher produced The Beautiful Life, which follows several models as they search for fame and fortune. Mischa Barton makes her return to the small screen as washed up model Sanja Stone on the comeback trail into the modeling industry that sucked her dry. The only thing standing in her way is the new “It” girl, Raina Marinelli (Sara Paxton). The Beautiful Life examines modeling from both sides of the gender gap to show just how far someone will go to follow their dream before the bubble bursts. With America’s Top Model and other similarly themed beauty and fashion shows burning up the airwaves, The Beautiful Life has a strong shot at becoming a legitimate hit, with an equally strong lead in Mischa Barton.
The Beautiful Life premieres Wednesday, September 16.
Melrose Place
The once famous condo complex makes its return with new residents and contemporary drama. After The CW found success with the new 90210, Melrose Place was the perfect project to bring back to recapture the sudsy primetime magic left behind in the early ‘90s. New faces, including Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Jessica Lucas, will be clashing with seasoned veterans like Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro who made the original Melrose Place the talk of the town. Murder, intrigue, and lies are already primed for the series premiere despite the attempts to keep much of the new drama a secret until September. The major question is: Can the Melrose girls of today compete with the crafty, cat fighting legacy left behind by Heather Locklear?
Melrose Place premiers on Tuesday, September 9.
The midseason addition, Life UneXpected, is currently a wild card in the new CW line-up, about a teen and his attempts to become legally emancipated from his parents. Although we won’t see Life UneXpected for a few months, the series brings a few familiar faces back to The CW, including former Roswell cast mates Kerr Smith and Shiri Appleby.
With only a few weeks before the Fall season begins on The CW, television viewers should be setting their TiVo’s for the slew of new shows. Can The CW find success to build on the foundation of such hits as Smallville, Supernatural, Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill? It’s interesting to note, however, that OTH has lost two of its main stars as Hilarie Burton and Chad Michael Murray have departed the popular drama while Smallville has been assigned the dreaded Friday night timeslot. There’s certainly wiggle room in The CW line-up for new shows to find a solid spot.
Despite the challenges, The CW has several buzz worthy shows that have been garnering plenty of interest, namely The Vampire Diaries, which is poised to fill the TV void left behind by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the return of Melrose Place if fans can cross over from 90210. Will they silence the critics with high ratings? The only thing we can say at this point is that there will be high CW drama come September.
Shiri Appleby and Kerr Smith never worked together before. Kerr Smith wasn't in Roswell but he was in Dawson's Creek, which guest starred Shiri's Roswell co-star Jason Behr.
The vampire genre is working overtime these days, but this sharply penned series may very well be the new breakout hit for The CW. There was plenty of buzz surrounding The Vampire Diaries after literary fans learned the popular L.J. Smith series of novels would be brought to life as a television series. After a special screening at Comic-Con in July, The Vampire Diaries has only been picking up steam and gaining momentum as a must see new series. Starring Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley, The Vampire Diaries offers plenty to look forward to beyond the big screen vampires. A love triangle, brooding vampires, captivating special effects and the inevitable self-destructive relationships are only complicated by the drama pf high school. From what we’ve seen, The Vampire Diaries will surely bring more love to the thrills and chills of our Thursday night TV slate.
What do you get when you mix glamour with broken dreams? The perfect recipe for delicious drama in the Ashton Kutcher produced The Beautiful Life, which follows several models as they search for fame and fortune. Mischa Barton makes her return to the small screen as washed up model Sanja Stone on the comeback trail into the modeling industry that sucked her dry. The only thing standing in her way is the new “It” girl, Raina Marinelli (Sara Paxton). The Beautiful Life examines modeling from both sides of the gender gap to show just how far someone will go to follow their dream before the bubble bursts. With America’s Top Model and other similarly themed beauty and fashion shows burning up the airwaves, The Beautiful Life has a strong shot at becoming a legitimate hit, with an equally strong lead in Mischa Barton.
The once famous condo complex makes its return with new residents and contemporary drama. After The CW found success with the new 90210, Melrose Place was the perfect project to bring back to recapture the sudsy primetime magic left behind in the early ‘90s. New faces, including Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Jessica Lucas, will be clashing with seasoned veterans like Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro who made the original Melrose Place the talk of the town. Murder, intrigue, and lies are already primed for the series premiere despite the attempts to keep much of the new drama a secret until September. The major question is: Can the Melrose girls of today compete with the crafty, cat fighting legacy left behind by Heather Locklear?
The midseason addition, Life UneXpected, is currently a wild card in the new CW line-up, about a teen and his attempts to become legally emancipated from his parents. Although we won’t see Life UneXpected for a few months, the series brings a few familiar faces back to The CW, including former Roswell cast mates Kerr Smith and Shiri Appleby.