Watching The CW

Gossip Girl’s second season starts on September 1.  But between then and now, people are sure to be talking.  The new ad campaign features some pretty racy photos, as well as interesting headlines.  I remember seeing one ad myself, back in April, that consisted of four letters “OMFG.”  Now clearly, those letters could stand for anything, as some people are saying.  I guess it could stand for On My Feet Gently or Old Meaty Fungus Grout.  But I think we all know what it really means.  I thought it was a little disturbing.  I mean, if I wasn’t gonna let my kid watch the show before, as I know some parents won’t, then clearly I wouldn’t now.

Other headlines for the new ads, actually taken from negative quotes about the show, include, “Every Parent’s Nightmare,” “A Nasty Piece of Work” and “Mind-Blowingly Inappropriate.”  I’ll say.  Rick Haskins, of the CW marketing department, says they just want their ads to get noticed and to communicate with their target audience, women ages 18 to 34.  I’m not sure about that, because the only people I’ve ever spoken to that watch Gossip Girl were under 14. 

I may be off base here, but I wonder if this whole ad campaign doesn’t reek of desperation.  Its like they are so worried about getting viewers that they will go to any lengths.  I’m not sure that this is what the CW needs.  I guess we’ll see how well Gossip Girl does come September.  But I can’t help wishing that the CW would find some less salacious programming.  Or maybe I just miss Veronica Mars.

The Battle of the 80’s Has-Beens. Have you heard of it? Well, its not a real show, but it would be cool if it was. Its a fictitious show from the movie Music and Lyrics. Alex Fletcher, played by Hugh Grant, is a washed up composer from a defunct 80’s band called Pop. Alex is pitched to be on the show, The Battle of the 80’s Has-Beens, which supposedly airs on the CW. Alex asks them how many songs they want him to sing, assuming, as I did, that the show is a sort of Celebrity F-lister American Idol, with individuals competing through song.

He’s wrong. They want the contestants to literally “battle” in the boxing ring. Which is funnier for the purposes of the movie, of course, but not what I was imagining. By the way, Music and Lyrics is a cute movie. I don’t say it will change your world or anything, but if you haven’t seen it, its worth spending a couple of hours with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. And I’m not much of a fan of either of them.

But, anyway, back to the 80’s Has-Beens. I’ve been thinking, it would be fun to have a show like that. Not the boxing thing, of course, but a show where lost but not forgotten 80’s stars can perform against each other. I’d watch it. And why wouldn’t the CW do it. Obviously, they aren’t too worried about taste, since they are the network that cancelled Veronica Mars and brought us such shows as Farmer Wants a Wife and Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious.

So, if anyone from the programming department at the CW is reading this blog, please consider this my request. Let’s have the Battle of the 80’s Has-Beens (it will probably make a great mid-season replacement). And, if you’d like, I’m available for consultation.

Alright, I’m open for ideas. What shows on the CW are you all interested in? I’ve gotta just give in and start watching some of them, cause I have no idea when Supernatural, Reaper or Smallville will be back on in new eps and I can’t keep talking about random stuff. Can I?

There seems to be a lot of interest in Gossip Girl, but I just don’t think that’s for me. I saw a bit of it once and it just seems . . . how can I say this without offending people? . . . stupid. OK, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just not for me. I miss the days of Veronica Mars.

I also caught of glimpse of Crowned and I’d rather have a root canal.

I think the big issue for me is that I’m not a huge reality TV fan and most of what’s on these days is reality. Only not so real, if you know what I mean. Don’t get me wrong, I watch some reality TV, like America’s Next Top Model (which will be back on Feburary 20, btw), American Idol, Hell’s Kitchen . . . stuff like that. (Apparently, it must either have the word “America” in the title or feature a British guy. Or both.)

But I’m serious. I’m open to whatever interests those of you out there who are actually reading this blog and have an opinion.

Obviously, it must fit some criteria: 1) it should be on the CW; 2) it shouldn’t suck. I think that’s pretty easy going as far as criteria go. (Is criteria already plural? I mean, should that last sentence have read “as far as criteria goes?”)

Anyway, what do you think?

The CW, Supernatural, Reaper, Smallville, American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Crowned, Hell’s Kitchen, Veronica Mars

Just to keep up with strike issue and holiday programming, I’ve checked out the prime time schedule on the CW for the next couple of weeks. The CW shows its own programming from 8 to 10 pm Sunday through Friday, and local programming on Saturday night. Here’s the scoop:

Sunday, November 25
Tonight, they are showing a repeat of New Life is Wild and, as always on Sunday, an encore of the latest ep of America’s Next Top Model.

Monday, November 26
Monday is the night of the sitcom at the CW and this week there are all new programs all night, which are Everybody Hates Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends and The Game.

Tuesday, November 27
Both Beauty and the Geek and Reaper are new this week. Of course, being reality TV, Beauty and the Geek will be new regardless of the strike. There probably aren’t too many weeks left though.

Wednesday, November 28
Wednesday has another reality show, America’s Next Top Model, which has about 3 weeks left, plus this week, a new Gossip Girl. At first, I thought of watching this, but somehow, I never got around to it. Some of the previews I’ve seen, though, have not at all captured my interest.

Thursday, November 29
Unfortunately, both Smallville and Supernatural are repeats this week, which makes me very sad.

Friday, November 30
The CW has the Friday Night Smackdown each week, and being a form or reality TV - or do they consider this a sport? - its a new ep.

Sunday, December 2
New Life is Wild and encore of ANTM.

Monday, December 3
All the sitcoms are all repeats.

Tuesday, December 4
Both new Beauty and Reaper.

Wednesday, December 5
All new ANTM and Gossip Girl.

Thursday, December 6
Again, *sigh* repeats of Smallville and Supernatural.

Friday, December 7
New Smackdown.

Sunday, December 9
Once again, we are treated to a new Life is Wild and an encore of the latest ep of ANTM.

Just for fun, here’s a link an Ausiello report of the 20 things he’s thankful for this year. It’s worth it, just for the link to the what could have been Season 4 Veronica Mars trailer, so check it out.

The CW, the Ausiello Report, Veronica Mars, Reaper, America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Supernatural, Smallville, Life Is Wild, Everybody Hates Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends, The Game, Bauty and the geek, Friday Night Smackdown

I got back from a few days in Toronto last night so I am woefully behind in my surfing. Two things to keep you going from E-Online’s watch with Kristin:

- Veronica Mars movie is on hold (like we didn’t see that one coming)
- Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively gets a mention as a Newbie You’ll Love

I am off to consume the latest Entertainment Weekly which is devoted to the season ahead…

CW, E-Online, Watch with Kristin, Gossip Girl, Blake Lively, Veronica Mars movie

There is a fantastic interview with Kristen Bell at TVGuide.com and she will be doing 13 episodes of Heroes but this wont infere with her voiceover duties at Gossip Girl.

Ausiello as a wee Supernatural scoop regarding the demon whom Dean sold his soul to last season - just tell me it has a happy ending!

The CW, Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars, Heroes, Ask Ausiello, TVGuide.com, Supernatural

Is it just me or has Kristen Bell been linked to every prime time show this summer? Variety is reporting that the former Ms. Mars will be appearing in a multi-episode arc on Heroes. Fantastic! I just got into Heroes this weekend and I am hooked. (BTW I just knew that Eden had to be a baddie as she was too much of a goody two shoes!)

The CW, Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars, Variety, SciFi.com, Heroes, Eden

By no means definitive and mostly anecdotal…

Kristen Bell giving her voice as “Gossip Girl”, a few movies in post-production and rumored to be heading to Lost.

Jason Dohring has a role in CBS’s forthcoming vampire-detective-falls-in-love-with-mortal series Moonlight. I guess we will wait to see what they do different to Angel.

Rob Thomas has been brought in as a consulting producer on ABC’s Big Shot.

Tina Majorino is back for the second season of Big Love, Weevil was in an episode of The Closer, and Percy Daggs III wrapping up American Son.

The CW, Kristen Bell, Gossip Girl, Lost, Jason Dohring, Moonlight, Rob Thomas, Big Shot, Tina Majorino, Big Love, Weevil, The Closer, Percy Daggs III, American Son

Fellow Watching blogger AmyD alerted me to the latest campaign to save Ms Mars et al. Piggy backing on the success of the Jericho’s operation nuts there is the Bars of Mars campaign and a call to action for all Mars fans to purchase ‘The Bitch Is Back’ episode from iTunes today.

More info on these campaigns can be found here (curtsy AmyD):
http://theindianfoodstore.blogspot.com/
http://www.barsformars.com/
http://saveveronicamars.tv/
http://scramblenetwork.wordpress.com/mars/

The CW, Save Veronica Mars, Veronica Mars, iTunes, The Bitch is Back

So long and thanks for all the memories, I guess, as Veronica Mars bows out after three seasons.

I enjoyed the two hour episode I felt that all of Veronica’s supporting chums got a chance to shine. Mac got some geek love with the super computer, Piz got to be Veronica’s current squeeze (and thankfully blameless over the providence of the sex tape), Weevil got to be cleared of fraud, Wallace stepped up to help Veronica with the mysterious secret society and Logan was Logan.

I thought that the busting of the campus cash fraud ring was beautiful. Did they really think that no one would pick up on “Sylvia Plath” and the rest of the fake names? But, I felt the secret society, The Castle, was labored and a clunky way of tying things back to tall, creepy guy with a beard. (I assume he was a nemesis of the Mars’ in an earlier season.)

The best bits were, as ever, the endless snappy dialogues, Ms Mars packing a tazzer and her relationship with her father. Keith once again proved himself to be father of the year by tampering with evidence (what father wouldn’t?) and subsquently throwing away the election. Wouldn’t a fourth season be peachy - just to tie up these loose ends?

The CW, Veronica Mars

Enjoy the season (and possibly series) finale of Veronica Mars this evening. Here’s the promo - a taster of the two hour Mars-fest.

The CW, Veronica Mars, YouTube

A moment of silence please for the last ever episode of Gilmore Girls and let’s hope that this ending brings us Mars fans another season be it in Neptune or Quantico. Here is the promo for tonight’s episode and next week there will be a two hour, yes TWO HOUR season finale of Ms Mars et al.

The CW, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars

I do hope you will be watching Veronica Mars this evening, if only for Paul Rudd and to find out what happened next after Pez and Ms Mars locked lips. Now is it just me or is Paul Rudd not the usual flavor of a sweeps guest star? Don’t get me wrong I very much enjoy seeing Mr Phoebe and he is a perfect fit for VM, and I shudder at the thought of who they could have tried to snag who is more of a “name”. I wonder what Mr. Tribbiani is up to these days.

I look forward to it appearing on iTunes in the very near future - even if the combination of my sloow laptop and a slowish broadband connection meant that it took me an HOUR to download VM yesterday. It is worth it so I can do a double recap post in the very near future.

Some good news TVGuide’s Ausiello thinks that there is hope for Ms Mars in the re-jigged format and read more here. Did anyone else noticed how they dropped in her wanting to work for the FBI last week - is that something that has come up before?

The CW, Veronica Mars, Paul Rudd, Joey, Friends, TVGuide, Ausiello

Welcome to ‘No News is Good News Tuesday’. Yup, you’ve guessed it another week of speculating about the fate of Veronica Mars has gone past. There was a piece last week on AintItCool about how Ms Mars fell into the “Gone or nearly dead category” but TV Guide’s Ausiello Report declares that the “FBI pitch is not dead”.

I have my fingers AND toes crossed because I would be happy with any variation of the Veronica Mars universe in order to get another season.

The CW, sweeps, Veronica Mars, AintItCool, Ausiello, TV Guide

According to Kristin’s blog on E-Online the campaign to save Veronica Mars has started. In the most comprehensive breakdown of the fate poor Veronica Kristin concludes that either it will be canceled (boo!), continue on in its current format or fast forward a few years to Veronica being a fully fledged FBI agent. One rumor doing the rounds was that a treatment was being down for Veronica being a trainee FBI agent but that has been subsequently discounted which I think is a shame. It may have been fun to see her being broken out of her bad habits and the FBI trying to mold her into an agent.

I heartily agree with Kristin, and the fifteen hundred or so people who have left comments on her blog, this show really is worth saving as it is one of the smartest shows on television let alone the CW. So take a moment out of your busy day and leave Kristin a comment and follow her instructions for the postcard campaign.

The CW, Veronica Mars, E-Online, Watching with Kristin