2010 Television Upfront: The CW to Launch Two New Shows

Taking a look at the new fall 2010 schedule that The CW unveiled today one might get the impression that the network took the easy route because it's the end of a long week. While the network has shifted the timeslots for a significant number of their shows, they're only introducing two new programs in the fall. They will still have no half-hour comedies, and they've dumped the traditional "encore" of ANTM that used to air on Friday evenings.

The devoted fans of One Tree Hill will be happy to see that the show has been picked up for another season, and were there any fans of the new Melrose, they would be unhappy to note that it has gone the way of the dodo. Life Unexpected, which The CW premiered with much fanfare (and which this writer didn't particularly enjoy) has also been given a reprieve, making it onto the network's fall lineup. Said lineup looks like this:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8:00	90210	One Tree Hill	America's Next Top Model	The Vampire Diaries	Smallville
8:30
9:00	Gossip Girl	Life Unexpected	Hellcats	Nikita	Supernatural
9:30

The two new dramas are Hellcats and Nikita. Take the latter first. Nikita is in fact based on the La Femme Nikita franchise which was a French film remade into an English language one and then into a series on USA. The series stars Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible 3) in the title role, and Shane West (ER). In this version of the story, Nikita goes rogue and tries to take down her government bosses.

 

Hellcats stars Aly Michalka (Bandslam) and Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) as students on the competitive cheerleading squad at their college. Tisdale's character, it seems, is all about the cheerleading whereas Michalka's is forced to join once her scholarship is lost. The college setting is, perhaps, slightly different than The CW's traditional high school one, but perhaps there will be enough juvenile action taking place that one won't be able to tell the difference.

Perhaps the biggest news that can accompany The CW's rather simple schedule (not that simple is a bad thing) is that this coming season of Smallville will mark the show's last one. It will be the show's 10th season, certainly a good run by anyone's definition.

Article Author: Josh Lasser

Josh Lasser, formerly known as "TV and Film Guy," and complete with a Masters Degree in Critical Studies in said areas, gives his opinions on TV, Film, and Entertainment in general. All of which he does in a shameless attempt to try to get paid to do the exact same thing. …

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