Image Credit: Landmark/PR Photos; Glenn Harris/PR Photos
CW topper Dawn Ostroff may be shepherding her best development season yet, but the veteran programmer is not expected to stick around to see the 2011-12 launch: Ostroff, whose contract is up in June, reportedly informed both CBS Corp chief Leslie Moonves and Warner Bros., Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer that she will leave sometime this summer to return to New York, where her husband’s job is based.
Ostroff has run CW since 2006, when it became joint venture between Warner Bros., and CBS. She’s been bi-coastal for the last five years.
For now, Ostroff told EW that her focus remains on finding the next chapter of cult faves in the vein of The Vampire Diaries, and she thinks she has them with her hodge podge of shows about zombies, witches, and lawyers. “We’re really very excited about our varied concepts and high-concept ideas,” Ostroff told EW. ”But we also tried to do shows that weren’t straight soaps. How we branch out is key. We need to have core franchises in the works.”
For genre fans (or should we say converts of The Walking Dead?), a new drama featuring zombies could be a keeper. It all depends on those effects — and how far the network goes with the blood and gore. Secret Circle from the teen-angst king Kevin Williamson seems like the perfect lead-out to Diaries, but have viewers grown tired of small-screen witches? (See: ABC’s Eastwick. Better yet, don’t).
Just to be safe, the CW has developed a requisite amount of safe shows about doctors, lawyers, and detectives. Here’s the lineup of pilots:
Danni Lowinski (Executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman): A young female law school grad who can’t find a job decides to open her own law office – in a kiosk at the local mall. Cast: Amanda Walsh, Carla Gallo, Neal Bledsoe, George Dzundza, Utkarsh Ambudkar
Awakening (William Laurin & Glenn Davis, Howard T. Owens, Carolyn Bernstein, Todd Cohen): Two sisters come of age and face off against one another amidst the beginning of a zombie uprising. Cast: Lucy Griffiths, Meredith Hagner, Brian Hallisay
Hart of Dixie (Leila Gerstein, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Len Goldstein): Culture shock awaits a young New York City doctor after she inherits a medical practice in a small Southern town inhabited by an eclectic and eccentric group of characters in this comedic drama. Cast: Rachel Bilson, Jamie King, Wilson Bethel, Cress Williams
Cooper and Stone (Laurie Arent): A contemporary and genuine drama centered on two young women, who are the best of friends, facing the same personal and professional struggles as any other women their age. Despite having their own individual styles and very different backgrounds, they share a unique bond: They’re partnered as two of Chicago’s best homicide detectives. Cast: Alexandra Breckenridge, Riley Smith
Heavenly (Richard Hatem, Rob Doherty, Ross Fineman, Mimi Leder): A dedicated young female attorney and a former angel team up to tackle cases at her legal aid clinic. She comes to the rescue of her clients… while he saves their souls. Cast: Ben Aldridge, Elizabeth Ho
Secret Circle (Andrew Miller, Kevin Williamson, Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain, Leslie Morgenstein, Gina Girolamo, Liz Friedlander): Based upon the book series by L.J. Smith (author of The Vampire Diaries book series), the story of a young woman who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she’s also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good versus evil. Cast: Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker
The only one that sounds promising on paper (at least with those lame descriptions) is “Heavenly.” Let’s hope these are all better on the small screen.
To me Heavenly sounds the most cookie-cutter. No hint of any overarching plot.
Dawn Ostroff isn’t fit to be dog catcher much less a studio executive.
I once thought it was a good idea to air a 26th season of 7th Heaven and cancel Everwood.
Hahaha best comment I have seen in a while.
I Still hate You for that!
Never forgive her for that!!
They all sound simple awful and at least some of that is b/c of the lame descriptions.
Heavenly sounds horrible. One of the worst ideas out of the pilot season I’ve read. Secret Circle and Awakening sound intriguing. Heart of Dixie sounds okay, but it also feels stale. The rest I wouldn’t go near, they seem like procedurals, which I find boring.
yah, my thoughts as well. heart oif dixie and bilson seem like a good combo for the already too soap heavy net. the witches just seem redundant at this point, although VD has gotten pretty freaking awesome.
To all you saying these sound horrible- I agree! Too bad we will all just have to prepare to hear about them non-stop. EW covers the CW like it is the best network in the world… probably because they are both Warner properties. How much I long for the days when EW wasn’t a pathetic corporate shill!
But you read about the CW…what’s worse?
I am pretty sure the corporate shill thing is, but nice attempt at a burn. Next time, try harder.
Sorry, should have mentioned that I was talking about “Danni Lowinski”.
What was up with that jab at Eastwick? It actually wasn’t a bad show. It was a perfect guilty pleasure. And it was just getting really interesting when ABC canceled it.
Agreed. Eastwick was a fun show, and most of the people who stuck with it ended up really liking it.
Ditto! I loved Eastwick and it just started to really pick up when they yanked it.
Secret Circle and Hart of Dixie are the best of the lot, by far. I’m also okay with one of the 3 legal dramas…anything instead of OTH Yr. 9. CW needs to strongly consider launching 3 new shows, with some midseason backup, as well. Standing pat on 2.0 and less ratings isn’t cutting it. Take a chance with more of these strong pilots. Same old, same old will get you same old (and worse) numbers. At least you have a fighting chance and some buzzworthy ideas with the new fare.
Sorry! Should have mentioned that I was talking about “Danni Lowinski”.
Hart of Dixie sounds a lot like a Southern version of Northern Exposure (which I love!) – I’ll definitely give that one a shot.
I know Secret Circle will be awesome. It virtually has to be with the team behind it. Vampire Diaries never ceases to amaze me how strong of a show it is week to week. This will be the same I bet.
Hart of Dixie sounds like a female version of Doc Hollywood.
I am so excited for the Secret Circle!!
Boy does Heavenly sound terrible…