Several shows are coming back with slashed budgets as well because The CW had to reduce license fees because of their financial situation. Some question what that’s going to do to the quality of the shows. Supernatural creator Eric Kripke confirmed in an interview for TV Guide his season four budget was slashed, and big changes were going to have to be made. The most notable change so far is the cutting of cast member Lauren Cohan. An insider reported that The Game may have been renewed, but money was so tight everything was stripped down to just actors, set, and crew. The live audience is gone, and even all food on the set.
The budget issue though seems to have the biggest impact on Smallville. No show is coming back with a bigger question mark. In early April, the show creators, Al Gough and Miles Millar abruptly left the show without giving a solid reason. Since then many gossip pages have quoted insiders that Gough and Millar weren’t contracted for a season 8, and neither were Michael Rosenbaum, Allison Mack, or Kristin Kreuk. When their budget was slashed and arguments broke out between Warner Brothers, The CW, and DC Comics over creative direction, Gough and Millar walked away. Rosenbaum has since officially left the show, leaving the Superman saga without Lex Luthor. Kreuk is signed on for a few episodes, and Mack is still not slated to return. On top of that, it’s rumored that Smallville is ending its run this year, although Ms. Ostroff refused to acknowledge that was the case at the upfront.
Then there’s the network’s Entertainment president herself. Many viewers and advertisers don’t have much faith in Ms. Ostroff’s past programming decisions and management of the network in general, and rumors for months have mentioned her being ousted from her role. Many of the disgruntled speaking out against her are loyal viewers that are witnessing their favorite show’s popularity erode and getting little network support in the process. She didn’t help her case in an interview in The Hollywood Reporter, in which all the network entertainment presidents gave interviews about the pilot season. While the others provided candid and revealing discussion, Ms. Ostroff was evasive with answers and didn’t paint any clear picture of where her network was headed, leaving many critics to wonder if she knew exactly what she was doing.
Any Hope?
Despite all the bad history, the upfront presentation was well received by buyers. By taking a page out of the NBC playbook and reviving a series with a recognizable brand in 90210, the network has given itself a real chance at a hit. The pre-show buzz has generated great publicity for the network. The cast is also very encouraging, including veterans Lori Laughlin and Jessica Walter, not to mention the talk of visits from cast members from the original series. Gossip Girl is still name with enough buzz that they can continue to build, and the renewal of Reaper has been welcomed by many as the network saving a quality show. The CW still has two stable nights in Mondays (Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill) and Thursdays (Smallville, Supernatural), and America’s Top Model.
Article comments
1 - Jeffrey
Excellent analysis! Really enjoyed reading it, and you really pulled a lot of divergent info together really well.
I think the only thing you missed was not drowning Dawn Ostroff in blame for her years of mismanagement at both the WB and the CW.
2 - DG
The new Tribune honcho Sam Zell must be furious at this new lineup. He's already on the record as saying the CW needs to do a better job of delivering 18-49s to his prime-time newscasts in NY, LA, Chicago, etc. Wonder if he's consulting with lawyers on ways to get out of the affiliation contract...