TV Upfronts: Armchair Programmer Series - The CW

Part 3 of the Armchair Programmer series will focus on the tween-obsessed CW networklet. The illegitimate lovechild of The WB and UPN has earned its reputation as an also ran network, but it still fills a certain niche for now. That being said, 2011-2012 still wasn't nice to The CW, but I don't think it was disastrous as The Beautiful Life/Melrose Place season. Honestly, analyzing and predicting what The CW will do is tough because it doesn't have the luxury of acting like the other networks, and it plays by its own rules in a lot of ways, but I'm still willing to take a stab at it.

Officially Renewed The CW Shows
America's Next Top Model

Officially Canceled The CW Shows
H8R One Tree Hill

Possibly Renewed The CW Shows
90210
Gossip Girl
Hart of Dixie
The Secret Circle
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries

Possibly Canceled The CW Shows
Nikita
Remodeled
Ringer

Drama Pilots
Arrow
Beauty & the Beast
The Carrie Diaries
Cult
Dakota
First Cut
The Selection
Shelter

Picking pilots for The CW is tricky because it tries to be three networks in one. It wants to appeal to fans of soaps about spoiled rich kids (Gossip Girl), while also being the new WB (Hart of Dixie) and the home of younger skewing genre shows (The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle). The only real common denominator is youth, so any pilot that taps into something that the kids want to see will have a better shot than the ones that don't. Based on this year's crop of shows, I'm going with: Arrow, Beauty & the Beast, The Carrie Diaries, First Cut and The Selection.

Possible The CW Shows for 2012-2013
90210
America's Next Top Model
Arrow
Beauty & the Beast
The Carrie Diaries
First Cut
Gossip Girl
Hart of Dixie
The Secret Circle
The Selection
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries

Possible The CW Schedule for 2012-2013
Monday
8-9p: Gossip Girl
9-10p: The Carrie Diaries

There's a good chance that Gossip Girl will not see another season, but I can't see The CW canning one of its signature series without giving it the obligatory final season, so I think it's coming back. Since The Carrie Diaries is also a Josh Schwartz produced show, and has similar sensibilities as GG, I can see the two being paired up.

Tuesday
8-9p: 90210
9-10p: Hart of Dixie

90210 is probably one of the few stable CW shows, so I don't see it moving any time soon. Hart of Dixie's fate is also up for debate, but I can see it getting renewed over Nikita since it's more on brand. It spent its first season following up Gossip Girl, so putting it after 90210 doesn't seem too far-fetched.

Wednesday
8-9p: The Secret Circle
9-10p: America's Next Top Model

Wednesday could be the wonkiest night because I don't see Top Model going anywhere, but there's nothing that really goes with it. I think that The Secret Circle will get another season, but it will not get the cushy post-VD spot, and Wednesdays seems like the only landing spot.

Thursday
8-9p: The Vampire Diaries
9-10p: The Selection

The Vampire Diaries is still The CW's most successful show, so it will keep holding down the fort on Thursday nights. Since The Secret Circle wasn't as popular as the network probably would've liked, I can see them giving a new show a shot at riding The Vampire Diaries' coattails. The Selection's trying to capitalize on all of the Hunger Games buzz, making it the clear choice.

Friday
8-9p: Arrow
9-10p: Supernatural

The Smallville/Supernatural combo was solid for The CW, so you might as well team up the veteran SPN with the newest DC Comics adaptation.

Mid-Season: Beauty & the Beast, First Cut

As always, these are just predictions and shouldn't be taken as fact unless I'm right. Up next: FOX.