The CW at the TCAs, or a middle-aged man gushes about shows intended for teenaged girls
“Yes, I am in my 50s, and I do have my feminine side at this point,” said The CW’s Mark Pedowitz, who would have had to come to terms with both of those things by now, certainly, seeing as he’s president of a network dedicated almost entirely to young girls and the sorts of shows that young girls (and a few special boys) enjoy. As Pedowitz elucidated, “I try to get into my 26-year-old niece’s head,” which definitely explains a lot. Anyway, according to our dogged vandereporter Todd VanDerWerff, The CW’s session at the TCAs didn’t have a whole lot of new stuff—fitting, as The CW itself doesn’t have a whole lot of new stuff. This is a network, after all, that doesn’t like to get rid of anything, further evidenced today in the way that Pedowitz announced that increasingly surreal soap opera One Tree Hill would see its final season at long last, then followed it up by saying that he “never wants to say never to more.” Whatever that means.
He’s also definitely not ready to say goodbye to Supernatural—a show Pedowitz tellingly described as “about two really good-looking guys”—and mentioned that the upcoming season was not designed to be its last. In fact, like Nikita, this year Supernatural will get an additional episode, a more-is-more strategy he’s similarly employing with 90210 and Gossip Girl, which will each get two bonus hours. On the former, he praised the “great job” The CW has done rebooting 90210, musing, “I do believe in remakes. I believe that new twists on a great idea can work.” To that end, he added that the network is also looking to do more superhero shows next year, ostensibly to replace Smallville, but only if “the right superhero comes to be.” Speaking of superheroes and privileged teens, Pedowitz says he hopes that Blake Lively and the rest of the Gossip Girl cast can “stay together as long as possible,” something the lackluster performance of Green Lantern will probably help.
Meanwhile, some actual new stuff: The fall season will kick off September 12 with the one-off special Gaga By Gaultier, in which Lady Gaga will be interviewed by designer Jean-Paul Gaultier for some reason. The next season of America’s Next Top Model will be an “all-star” season, presumably consisting of a 45-minute static shot of Tyra Banks cracking herself up in a mirror. And then a reality show called The Frame, which Pedowitz describes as “a cross between The Truman Show and Big Brother,” then helpfully elaborates, “Think what it would be like if you had to live with someone for eight weeks straight, 24 hours a day, and you couldn't get out of The Frame." So. Think about that.
Sadly, much of Pedowitz’s session was spent, like a 26-year-old niece venting her feelings to Livejournal, pining for all the things some other networks get to have—like Claire Danes, whom Pedowitz wishes The CW had instead of that bitch Showtime. He feels the same about freshmen fall comedies like Two Broke Girls, The New Girl, and Apartment 23, all of which he believes would have worked well on The CW had they just been able to afford them, something that is totally no fair. Nevertheless, his jealousy has spurred the network to reverse its long-standing policy and begin looking for its own comedies. Hopefully they can find one with the ideal CW formula of hot guys, wealthy girls, and superheroes that is also a remake. Maybe they could pick up that Wonder Woman pilot?