2013 Upfront Answers, The CW

Last week, I asked "Upfront Questions" to preview each network's fall 2013 schedule. With the schedule now official, here are the "Upfront Answers"!

CW upfront previews: True Power Rankings | Upfront Questions

Other Upfront Answers: NBC | Fox | ABC | CBS | CW

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MONDAY

Fall 2013 Schedule
8:00-9:00 PM Hart of Dixie (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM Beauty and the Beast (New Night)

My Question: Does the CW's new direction mean they won't surrender Monday anymore?

No, it does not mean that they will not surrender Monday. (That was a weirdly worded question.) In other words... this remains the CDub's patented Surrender Night, with weakest anchor Hart of Dixie on the night leading into weak sophomore Beauty and the Beast. This night will remain firmly in the "very bad" column, and it will most likely be promoted as such. But there was so little depth that there was no choice beyond spreading themselves even thinner with the big guns.

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TUESDAY

Fall 2013 Schedule
8:00-9:00 PM The Originals (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM Supernatural (New Night)

My Question: Did Hart of Dixie do enough in season two to retain a weeknight anchor role?

Yes! But that's really not what I want to talk about right now...

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WEDNESDAY

Fall 2013 Schedule
8:00-9:00 PM Arrow
9:00-10:00 PM THE TOMORROW PEOPLE (New Series)

My Question: Across how many nights does the CW stretch its "Big Four"?

The CW wisely expanded their "Big Four" presence to a third night, and they very wisely tried as hard as possible to solidify that third night by putting top newbie The Originals alongside super-reliable Supernatural. While The Originals vs. SHIELD might seem tough, the SHIELD audience is probably much more male. It's a big step toward the CW creating a solid schedule across the board.  They won't get there next season, but they have now given themselves a shot to make real progress.

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THURSDAY

Fall 2013 Schedule
8:00-9:00 PM The Vampire Diaries
9:00-10:00 PM REIGN (New Series)

My Question: The Originals or something more original?

The pairing of The Vampire Diaries and Mary, Queen of Scots drama Reign might actually make a funny kind of sense, as TVD has always been rather rooted in history and largely driven by romances. How much of The Vampire Diaries' success is about the actual genre aspects and how much is about the young adult/romance angles? We'll probably get a real sense of that based on what its audience thinks of Reign.

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FRIDAY

Fall 2013 Schedule
8:00-9:00 PM The Carrie Diaries (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL

My Question: Is the CW on the verge of giving up on another night?

Not quite, although this night seems likely to house its "last" two renewals, The Carrie Diaries and Nikita. In a way, it kind of reminds me of ABC's renewal of Private Practice/Body of Proof last year, in that it felt like they were renewing two very marginal shows to share one slot. If Carrie collapses, Nikita will fill in after Carrie's 13, and then we'll see what happens in the spring. Putting Carrie in the fall at least gives it a chance to beat the odds and get a back nine. If that somehow happens, Nikita most likely takes the Top Model slot.
 

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GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

For the second straight year, the CW did almost exactly what I thought they should do... so I don't have that much to say, really. I didn't trust them to actually pull the trigger on the Originals/Supernatural night, but I'm really glad they did it. It's not impossible they'll end up regretting this; if The Originals disappoints and The Tomorrow People completely flops, they could suddenly be in some trouble on both Tuesday and Wednesday. But this is a leap of faith in the new shows, including anchoring a night with their biggest one, and it's always nice to see that. They should have a solid chance at a third respectable night now.