The much anticipated CW midseason schedule was released today, roughly one month later than last season. Looking at these changes I can tell why! With two new promising shows to work into a schedule with zero cancellations so far (I’m talking official cancellations people), the netlet faced quite a task. Without a doubt, these are some very telling moves. Three of the network’s five nights will be going through some big changes.
No contest, Mondays are by far the weakest night in The CW lineup, so that’s the night getting most of the dramatic changes. Hart of Dixie, which many think will be a lock for a 4th season because of syndication possibilities and the fact that it does well online, will be moving to Fridays to make way for new show Star-Crossed. That’s a good a sign as any that Hart of Dixie will be making it’s home on Fridays next season.
However, it’s the 9pm slot that gets even more interesting! Starting on March 17th, The Tomorrow People will be moving to that slot. Beauty and The Beast, which has been a dramatic underperformer this season with live, DVR, and online ratings, will be going on “hiatus.” That’s net speak for “summer burnoff.” That does not sound good at all for the long term prospects of that show.
As for The Tomorrow People, why the move? Easy, because The 100 will be getting the post Arrow slot, starting March 19th. I’ve seen the pilot for The 100 and it is a very promising and ambitious show. It seems like a good fit with Arrow and with 13 committed episodes this season, that will take it’s run past May into the summer. That helps the CW plan of offering more year round programming, especially if the show catches on and can become a stable part of the schedule next year.
A move means that The Tomorrow People, which is considered to be a bubble show, is being given a chance to prove itself on another night. Given how bad Beauty and The Beast’s ratings have been, improving the ratings in that slot should be easy. However, how will it do without the very strong Arrow lead-in? That I’m sure is what the network hopes to find out. If The Tomorrow People can maintain on a different night, it’s prospects for season two will be greater than losing half of the demo and ratings behind Arrow.
Fridays are getting a makeover too, and it all starts with the return of Whose Line Is It Anyway? A show like this is perfect for 8 pm Friday, especially given how successful it was during The CW summer run. It’s a brand that caters to older viewers, who are usually the ones watching on Friday night. Pairing it with Hart of Dixie at 9pm is a much better combo given each show’s light nature. Whose Line and Hart of Dixie start this new CW Friday on March 21st.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, easily The CW’s strongest nights, remained unchanged.
Below is the CW press release and schedule:
So what do you think everyone? A stronger schedule or no? Any objections?
The promo of 100 was really impressive. Lots of hopes here. Star-Crossed doesn’t look promising. I’m afraid there will be the same problem as with Almost Human – they start the story without giving their viewers any info about the origin and nature of the scifi characters. What are androids/ETs in a given world, why do they look like humans, what’s the difference? If a person looks like a human and behaves like one – why to use scifi terms at all? And again this high school with its bullies, popular girls and proms. Aren’t people tired of this stuff?