7 Bits of Good News from the CW

Rachel Bloom co-created and stars in
the CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

If you're like me, a superfan of the CW network's fantastic musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (and if you''re not, I urge you to check it out) you'll be happy to hear that this morning at the Television Critics of America (TCA) convention in Pasadena, the network's president Mark Pedowitz announced the renewal of Crazy Ex for season 3 -- along with six other early pickups of the network's most popular hits.

So get ready for a 2017-18 season in September which is now set to include: Arrow season 6, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend season 3, DC's Legends of Tomorrow season 3, The Flash season 4, Jane the Virgin season 4, Supergirl season 3, and a whopping thirteenth season of the long-running Supernatural.

By the way, I've heard from reliable sources that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was intended from the start to run for a limited number of seasons.  And so with this pickup, it looks like creators Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna will be well on their way to carrying out their complete vision for this well-written, well-acted and incredibly inventive series.

Supergirl and the Four-Timers' Club

It's Supergirl!
Coming soon to CBS

So much has been made in seasons past of mega-successful TV producers who juggle multiple shows on the air, and all the moving parts that must entail.  The feat is made all the more impressive when you note how producers like Dick Wolf and Shonda Rhimes preside over programs that also happen to be among the best in their genres.

Super-successful Shonda Rhimes

Next season, both producers will probably keep their records in tact, with four definite shows for Wolf (granddaddy Law & Order:  SVU plus Chicago Fire and its now two spinoffs, Chicago P.D. and the new Chicago Medical) and probably four for Rhimes (the grandmommy Grey's Anatomy, plus mega-hot Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder and ABC's likely pickup of a new drama, The Catch.)

Prolific producer Dick Wolf

But while those producers have sold their wares all to one network (Wolf at NBC, Rhimes at ABC, and, let's not forget that before this season's finale of Two and a Half Men, Chuck Lorre had four shows at CBS), undoubtedly leveraging one's popularity to gain pickup for another, yet another megasuccessful producer has emerged, with shows all over the broadcast dial.

Four-timer (and counting) Greg Berlanti

As of Fall 2015, Greg Berlanti will also have at least four shows on the air, with the CW's Arrow and The Flash, NBC's recently picked up suspenser Blindspot, and now CBS' announcement that it has picked up Supergirl to series.  Will NBC break the tie by maintaining a fifth Berlanti series on its airwaves, the on-the-bubble Mysteries of Laura, next season?  We'll find out this coming Monday, May 11, when all things peacock will be revealed.

In the meanwhile, news is just coming out today about Supergirl as CBS' first new series pickup.  That the story broke today is already an impressive feat, considering how secretive CBS normally is about its upfront news; in fact, journalists have nicknamed the secrecy surrounding the network's last-minute programming war room each May "Les Moonves' Cone of Silence."  But with a producer like Berlanti who has clout, he can ask for an early deadline for the decision.

Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist in the title role of Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El, cousin of Superman; the show's pilot, written by Berlanti, Ali Adler and Andrew Kreisberg, starts with Kara at age 24, deciding to embrace her superhuman abilities and becoming a hero.  The impressive cast also contains Calista Flockhart, as Kara's tough boss, Cat Grant; Mehcad Brooks as love interest Jimmy Olsen; Chyler Leigh as Kara's doctor sister, Alex Danvers; David Harewood as supervillain Hank Henshaw aka Cyborg Superman; and Laura Benanti in a recurring role as Kara's birth mother, Alura Zor-El.  All that, plus the news that broke a few months back that this adaptation will bring back some faces familiar to Superman fans, with Helen Slater (big-screen Supergirl) and Dean Cain (Lois & Clark:  The New Adventures of Superman) cast in "secret roles."

No word yet from CBS as to whether the show will debut in Fall 2015, or "midseason" (even though CBS President Nina Tassler has officially banished that word), or in what time slot.  That news will come on Wednesday, May 13, as CBS rolls out its upfront presentation at New York's Carnegie Hall.  Stay tuned!

CW Announces Full Season Orders for "The Flash" and "Jane the Virgin"

Just a few weeks into the new fall season, it appears as if the CW Network may have two brand-new hits on its hands.  Both The Flash and Jane the Virgin have earned decent ratings and critics' approval, and so this morning, the network announced full-season renewals for each.  The press release is below.

THE CW ANNOUNCES FULL SEASON ORDERS FOR"THE FLASH" AND "JANE THE VIRGIN"

October 21, 2014 (Burbank, CA) — The CW has given full season orders to its two hit freshman series, THE FLASH and JANE THE VIRGIN, it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW.

THE FLASH debuted as the most-watched series premiere ever on The CW, scoring 6.1 million viewers in Live + 3 Day Nielsen ratings, and was the network's highest-rated series premiere among adults 18-49 in more than five years, since THE VAMPIRE DIARIES debuted in 2009.

The most critically acclaimed new series of the season, JANE THE VIRGIN, bowed with The CW's most-watched and highest-rated show in its time period in two years. TV Guide called JANE THE VIRGIN the "#1 Must-See" new show of the season, and named star Gina Rodriguez the "most inspiring young actress on TV today." Tim Goodman of the Hollywood Reporter said JANE was "by far the best network pilot –drama or comedy" this season.

"We have had a fantastic start to our season this year, with THE FLASH launching as our most-watched series premiere ever, and JANE THE VIRGIN recognized as the best new show this season by critics across the country," said Pedowitz. "Over the past three seasons, we have made it our mission to grow and to broaden out our audience, and to keep raising the bar with the quality and impact of our new shows, and THE FLASH and JANE have both exceeded our expectations on all counts. I'm thrilled to announce full season orders for both of these terrific new series."  

THE FLASH is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti ("Arrow," "Everwood"), Andrew Kreisberg ("Arrow," "Eli Stone"), David Nutter ("Arrow," "Game of Thrones") and Sarah Schechter.  This series is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment.

JANE THE VIRGIN is produced by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television, in association with Electus, with executive producers Jennie Snyder Urman ("Emily Owens, M.D."), Ben Silverman ("The Biggest Loser"), Gary Pearl ("10.5: Apocalypse") and Jorge Granier ("Que el Cielo Me Explique").

A Vampire Masquerade

With Halloween being a natural time to perk up additional interest in its sophomore series The Vampire Diaries, the CW has been sending around the below promo for this coming Thursday's episode, "Masquerade." Just passing it along, for those vamp fans looking for a new screensaver or wallpaper...

Kung Fu of the Emerald Isle

Today at TCA, the CW produced a panel with the producers and stars of its hotly anticipated new show Nikita, the second TV adaptation of the famous French film La Femme Nikita from 1990. (In fact, this new series even films on the same Toronto studios as the 1997-2001 USA Network original which starred Peta Wilson.)

This version stars the beautiful Maggie Q, who I first noticed in the latest Die Hard movie, but who fans of martial arts films may know, from her days training in Asia for such flicks as a protegee of Jackie Chan. And as I first learned at the CW upfront this past May and noticed again today, she's not just kick-ass and gorgeous, but funny, too. (At one point, in response to a question about how much fighting expertise is required for the show, she noted, "I'm half Asian, so people think we all do kung fu all the time. Wake up, do kung fu, brush your teeth...")

One critic asked the panel whether Maggie Q shortened her last name in order to be able to work with the series' producer/director, the accomplished action director McG. The pairing sure sounds hip and exotic -- until McG noted that their real, full names, Quigley for Maggie and McGinty for himself, are both Irish in extraction. (I'm tempted to make bad puns like "the Irish spring into action," etc. but I'll avoid the temptation...)

More on Nikita, including words from co-star Shane West as Michael, to come...!

IT'S OFFICIAL: Smallville renewed for 10th season

A few weeks back, when the CW Network announced early renewals for five of its series and Smallville wasn't on that list, fans of the show continued to wonder -- as they had at this time last year -- whether this, the show's 9th season, might be its last.

But thanks no doubt in large part to the introduction of the Justice Society, the show's ratings are on the upswing, with the February 6 episode "Absolute Justice," introducing those characters (like Green Arrow and Hawkman, pictured) attracting the show's largest audience of the season at 2.8 million, and the largest CW Friday night results in over a year.

“SMALLVILLE” TO RETURN FOR A TENTH SEASON ON THE CW

March 4, 2010 (Burbank, California) € The CW Network has announced that its hit series “Smallville” will return in the fall of 2010 for a momentous tenth season.

“Smallville,” a modern retelling of the Superman legend, stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent. The series moved to Friday nights this season, where it currently ranks as network television’s #1 show in its time period among men 18-34 and men 18-49. Additionally, “Smallville” has dramatically improved The CW’s ratings performance in its Friday 8:00-9:00p.m.time period by 67% among adults 18-34 (1.5/6), 200% in men 18-34 (1.8/7), 75% in adults 18-49 (1.4/5), 183% in men 18-49 (1.7/6) and 74% in total viewers (3.12million).

“Smallville” joins the five previously announced series – “The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl,” “90210,” “Supernatural” and “America’s Next Top Model” – which will all return for another season on The CW.

“Smallville” was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”), based on the DC Comics characters. Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson serve as executive producers, along with James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

BREAKING NEWS... CW announces 5 early renewals

Breaking News: The CW has taken the somewhat unusual step of announcing early pickups for five of its series. And hmmm... I notice that Melrose Place and Smallville aren't mentioned...

THE CW ANNOUNCES EARLY PICKUPS FOR FIVE SERIES

Freshman Hit “The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl,” “90210,” “Supernatural” and “America’s Next Top Model” To Return Next Season

February 16, 2010 (Burbank, California) € The CW Network has given early pickups to five series for next season, including four signature dramas and the reality hit AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL. All five shows will return in Fall 2010.

The series receiving early renewals include this season’s breakout hit THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, The CW’s most-watched show (4.6 million viewers) and the network’s number one show among adults 18-34 (2.5/8). THE VAMPIRE DIARIES premiere generated the largest audience in network history for a series debut (5.7 million total viewers). THE VAMPIRE DIARIES has improved The CW’s performance Thursday at 8:00 p.m. by 114% among women 18-34 this season. The network also renewed fan favorite SUPERNATURAL, which will enter its sixth season next year. SUPERNATURAL has one of the most loyal audiences of any show on television and does heroic work in a perennially tough time period. It has improved over last season among women and adults 18-34 (29% and 8%, respectively) this season, a remarkable accomplishment for a fifth-year show.

Also given early pickups for next season are The CW’s Monday night sensation GOSSIP GIRL, which is The CW’s number one show among its target demographic of women 18-34, and Tuesday’s trend-setting drama, 90210, which sees some of TV’s largest percent increases from DVR playback, nearly doubling its women 18-34 live-only ratings once live+7 data is included. Wednesday anchor AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL will also be back for cycles 15 and 16 with superstar Tyra Banks and new groups of aspiring models. TOP MODEL continues to rank second in the competitive Wednesday 8:00 p.m. hour among young women 18-34 (3.4/10.)

My So-Called Adoption

Today at the TCA, the CW Network presented its new series premiering at midseason, Life Unexpected (the x, critics seem to be relieved, is no longer capitalized.)

The show's creator, Liz Tigelaar, spoke passionately and from first person experience about the fantasy element of an adoptee's life. Back when she was growing up, she says, she knew she had been born in DC, and so liked to imagine that she was the secret daughter of Nancy Reagan (!), and deserved to be living in the White House. (Her adoptive mother, she says, reminded her that basic math would show that this was not possible.)

"I don't want a baby, but i'd love it if a teenager showed up on my doorstep," Tigelaar enthused, in explaining how the idea occurred to her that immature bar owner Base (Kristoffer Polaha) and radio DJ Cate (Shiri Appleby) would be confronted one day by Lux (Brittany Robertson), the now teenaged daughter they gave up for adoption who needs their signatures to be emancipated from the foster care system. But then, not surprisingly in order to provide the setup for this series, the judge decides that Lux must stay in the uneasy dual custody of her birth parents. And so starts this story of an unconventional, dysfunctional family, augmented by Dawson's Creek's Kerr Smith, who here is all grown up himself as Cate's radio co-host and boyfriend.

Tigelaar says she herself met her real birth parents just recently, since starting this project. Her birth mother, whom she met in November, categorically stated, "I am not a radio DJ," in contrasting the show to their real lives. And "my own [adoptive] parents made me feel so special, and so wanted. And this girl [Lux] didn't get that at all," says Tigelaar, who like her alter-ego Robertson is a beautiful blonde, in contrasting the show to her real story.

And so, the details of the show come purely from Tigelaar's imagination as a writer, having gained her experience working as the assistant to the prolific and much-adored TV writer Winnie Holzman, creator of My So-Called Life, and writer of the book for Broadway's Wicked. Perhaps Life Unexpected will be the successor to that beloved but prematurely cancelled show, a 2nd Decade carrier of that teen angst pedigree.

Life Unexpected debuts on the CW on Monday, January 18 at 9 PM Eastern/Pacific.

Breaking news: L Word spinoff details

Today at the TCA convention in Los Angeles, Showtime president Robert Greenblatt leaked a few details about the highly anticipated L Word spinoff (which according to imdb.com, is currently titled The Farm.)

As had previously been reported, the spinoff will star Leisha Hailey (aka Alice), who will unfortunately be going to prison.  There, she'll be joined by a whole new cast of characters, only some of whom are lesbians, played by such well-known and hottie actresses as Famke Janssen, and Roseanne's Laurie Metcalf, last seen in the underappreciated and quickly-cancelled CW series Easy Money.

When asked if the new show could be considered a female version of HBO's infamously brutal drama Oz, Greenblatt replied, "That might be a good comparison."

More as they happen, including further details from L Word creator Ilene Chaiken when the L Word panel begins at 3 PM Pacific time today.

The CW Makes Easy Money

Sunday is an incredibly competitive night on network and cable television -- and it's about to get even more so, with the debut this weekend of the CW's Easy Money.

When I attended the show's premiere at the New York Television Festival last month, I was impressed with the caliber of its cast, its visuals, and most importantly, its sophisticated storytelling.

I shouldn't have been surprised, because Easy Money comes to us courtesy of the writing team Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, former scribes on Northern Exposure and later The Sopranos. And with its quirky location and a crime-tinged family business at its core, Easy Money has elements of both of those great shows.

After the screening, Frolov and Schneider took to the stage to answer critics' enthusiastic questions about the show. But it couldn't be too long an evening -- because cast and crew were due the very next day back in Albuquerque, to continue shooting the season's fifth episode. With a generous tax rebate in town, Schneider explained, many productions are popping up in the New Mexico town, including a constant stream of feature films, AMC's series Breaking Bad and USA Networks' In Plain Sight. But in truth, he adds, the writing pair chose Albuquerque as their location because, as a fast-growing Wild Western boomtown, it's perfect for this tale of a moneylending family whose business, although legal, skirts an association with an undesirable element. Even the light in the area, at Albuquerque's higher altitude, is different from the look of L.A., Schneider says. That's why the show takes such advantage of the outdoors, shooting just two days a week inside, in a converted semiconductor factory.

Frolov and Schneider were first approached with an outline for the Easy Money idea, which is based loosely on a concept that U.K. producer Hat Trick Productions is also developing for British audiences, and prepared the show first for Fox before landing it at the CW courtesy of production company Media Rights Capital. The timing, Schneider says, was perfect, because of the credit crisis now enveloping our nation, to create a show "examining people's relationship with money." And, as luck would have it, the elegant and patrician-looking Frolov, surprisingly, already had a relative in the moneylending biz. That family member, named Bobette, is not only now a technical advisor to the show, but she lent her first name to the matriarch of Easy Money's Buffkin clan, played by Laurie Metcalf (right).

After MRC signed an interim agreement with the Writers' Guild, Easy Money got a head start on producing its pilot, even while the strike waged on, last February. And now, this Sunday night, October 5, the show will be part of MRC's historic inaugural lineup for the CW; in a never-before-tried arrangement in TV, the production company has contracted with the network to be fully in charge of its entire Sunday night lineup.

Partnered with an adaptation of a Canadian documentary show, 4Real, the reality show In Harm's Way and the Greek Gods-and-Goddesses romantic-comedy Valentine, Easy Money is debuting as part of a lineup whose demographic targets seem to be all over the map. Luckily, with a pedigree like Frolov and Schneider's, this should be a show that gets its share of attention, and hopefully draws in the viewers. Because after watching the show's pilot, I can tell you -- I'd never want to borrow from the Buffkins, but I sure like watching others fall into that very trap.

Easy Money
Series Premiere
Sunday, October 5
9 PM Eastern
CW

The Return of Lucille?

In its previous incarnation, the 1990-2000 Fox series Beverly Hills, 90210 made household names out of its core group of originally unknowns: Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Luke Perry, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley – and its producer’s daughter Tori Spelling. This September 2, as the CW prepares to launch a 21st Century 90210, all eyes will undoubtedly be on its new generation of young actors eager to step into the spotlight.

But let’s not forget, this new version of the teenybopper soap also features one older performer who, ever since her role on one of TV’s most beloved cult hits of recent memory, has become comedy royalty. Jessica Walter [pictured at CBS networks' TCA party, with a fan – me!] had forged a long career on stage, TV and film – perhaps most famously as Clint Eastwood’s psycho stalker radio fan in 1971’s Play Misty For Me -- before striking it rich in comedy as Lucille Bluth, the matriarch of the hysterically dysfunctional clan at the center of Fox’s Arrested Development. For three seasons starting in 2003, Lucille babied her youngest, weirdest son Buster, waged war on her rival Lucille 2 – and won for Walter a whole new generation of fans.

Now, the sixtysomething actress is about to debut on another show aiming for that young demographic. Walter’s 90210 character, Tabitha Wilson, is described as a fading Beverly Hills actress, whose alcoholism precipitates Harry and Debbie’s move back from Kansas to the California homestead manse with their two teens in tow. Just as the Walsh kids found themselves out of place at Beverly High, the new 90210’s teens Annie and Dixon will have some adjusting to do when, according to Walter, "they come back to Beverly Hills to take care of me because I have been drinking.” But, “I’m now on the wagon,” the actress told the semi-annual assembly of TV critics at last month’s TCA convention in Los Angeles. “I [Tabitha] promised them I’m going to try, and that’s something Lucille never really tried.”

But while Tabitha and Lucille may be similarly screwed up, the actress added, the Wilson family has it much more together than the Bluths ever could. “This family is so wholesome, their values are really good values, they’re on the straight and narrow, and they’re hard workers,” she explained. “They’re very different families. Both terrifically interesting, but really different.”

As reported earlier, the CW network has made what they’re calling a “strategic decision” not to preview the new 90210 for TV critics before its debut the day after Labor Day. But because the new show has been created by Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, the writing duo trained on NBC’s sitcom Just Shoot Me and on another cult teen angst-a-thon with a comedic edge, ABC’s short-lived but adored Freaks and Geeks, there’s good reason to hope that, amongst all the soap, Walter will still get the chance to deliver some delightfully sarcastic gems.

After all, it sure sounds like the wealthy Tabitha and Lucille may have been cut from the same designer cloth. So could we fans conceivably see Tabitha as an extension of Walter’s Arrested character? “I think with every character that you play as an actor, you put a lot of yourself into it,” Walter mused for the questioning critics. “The difference between Lucille and Tabitha is,” she added jokingly, “first of all, Lucille liked vodka and Tabitha likes scotch.”

90210
Premieres Tuesday, September 2
8 PM Eastern
The CW

Radio Recap, August 20, 2008

It's time for a RADIO RECAP
"Must Hear TV" on "The Frank DeCaro Show" on Sirius OutQ 109
Wednesdays, 1-2 PM


In news from today's "Must-Hear TV" report...

• NBC continues to brag about their ratings for the Olympics. In the first 10 days of the games, 196 million people have tuned in -- more than 11 million more viewers than Athens at that point in 2004.


These Beijing games have provided NBC with what they're calling "the most dominant primetime week in PeopleMeter history." That is, since Nielsen began measuring ratings via an electronic set-top device, around 21 years ago.

The other fun bit of trivia the network has released is that these Olympic games have provided for NBC's top Saturday night telecast since... well, that part's confusing. Originally, they said since a February 24, 1990 telecast of Empty Nest (and that night's episode wasn't even particularly special.) Now, the latest press release says it was that night's Golden Girls which was the previous ratings champ. So which one is correct? Golden Girls was definitely always the more popular show of the two, but Empty Nest had a later time slot, and thus greater ratings potential. The controversy rages...



• It's official: replacing William Petersen on CSI this fall will be... Laurence Fishburne. After Petersen announced this summer that, after 8 seasons, he would be leaving the show, the race to replace the lead actor on one of TV's top shows was on. Petersen's character Gil Grissom will be phased out slowly over the beginning of this upcoming season, and Fishburne will debut in episode 9. As has been reported, he'll be playing an academic type who identifies a DNA marker for a propensity for violence, and soon discovers that marker in his own genetic makeup. The idea is so new with CSI's head writers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar that they don't even have a name for him yet. On the conference call for critics in which I participated yesterday, one guy suggested they call him "Professor Morpheus." Fishburne, who seemed to have a good sense of humor about himself and even brought up his role as Cowboy Curtis on CBS' long-ago PeeWee's Playhouse, laughed.



• And in other casting news, Fishburne's Tuskegee Airmen costar Courtney B. Vance has a new primetime gig as well. It had already been announced that Vance's real life wife, the fabulous Angela Bassett, would be joining the cast of ER as a regular for its 15th and supposedly final season. Now, Vance is set to appear as well as Bassett's TV hubby, too. No word on how many episodes he'll do or when they'll air -- only that he has a "multi-episode story arc" as new character Russell Banfield.



• More 90210 news -- or make that, no more news. That's because the CW has decided not to preview the show for critics before its September 2 debut. (9/02 -- get it?! Too bad it's not 2010!)
  
  Now normally, such secrecy is not a good sign, showing that a network is nervous about potential bad reviews. But here's what CW and Paramount had to say on Monday in a joint press release:
  

  The CW and our studio partner CBS Paramount Network Television have made the strategic marketing decision not to screen "90210" for any media in advance of its premiere. We're not hiding anything . . . simply keeping a lid on 90210 until 9.02, riding the curiosity and anticipation into premiere night, and letting all our constituents see it at the same time.

  So what does this really mean for potential patrons of the Peach Pit? You'll just have to tune in a week from Tuesday and find out.
  
  
• And if you're starved for entertainment during these lean, last days of summer, remember that VH1 is debuting three new series tomorrow, August 21. First up at 9 PM is The Fabulous Life, which as the network press release says, "is spotlighting the hottest trends and names out there." At 10 PM is Glam God with Vivica A. Fox. It's a reality show search for the next great celebrity stylist, with sought-after stylist Philip Bloch and US weekly's Melanie Bromley joining Vivica on the judges' panel. But only Ms. Fox gets her name in the title -- SNAP!
  
  Finally, at 11 PM, it's The Cho Show, which Margaret has described, including during her visit with Frank on the air recently, as a hybrid "reality sitcom." I guess that means that while the situations may be contrived for television, the dialogue and reactions are real. As Frank pointed out, maybe if the cameras hadn't been rolling, it might not have been that imperative for Margaret to get an anal bleaching.
  
  
  But just in case you can't wait until tomorrow night for The Cho Show, VH1's sister channel Logo has uploaded the show's premiere episode to its web site here.

And you callers asked...

Brian in Toledo: You sure are a big fan of the British shows! I've heard about the new, rather explicit teen drama Skins on BBC America, but haven't seen it yet. It premiered this past Sunday, August 17 at 9 PM -- and apparently had to be cleaned up and bleeped for American TV. You can get more show info from Skins' official site.

Trucker Sharon: Thanks for your questions! Grey's Anatomy begins season 5 with a 2-hour premiere on Thursday, September 25 at 9 PM Eastern. Seasons 1-3 are already on DVD, and Season 4 will be released on Tuesday, 9/9. Here's the "Starter Kit" ABC has put together to get you up to speed on Grey's storylines.




And as for In Plain Sight, USA network announced back in July at the Television Critics' Convention that Mary McCormack and the rest of the feds will be back for a second season of 16 episodes sometime in 2009. Production starts in October in Albuquerque, where the show is set.

Well that's it for me -- my theme music is playing me out. Tune in next Wednesday for the next installment of...

"Must Hear TV!"

Reading In Front of the TV: Season Finale by Susanne Daniels and Cynthia Littleton

When Susanne Daniels joined the nascent WB network in 1995 as a TV development executive, she had a premonition that the experience would someday make her an author as well. A fan of TV tell-alls, Daniels had just finished reading Outfoxed, which detailed the early days of “fourth network” Fox in the mid 1980s. “I thought, ‘Maybe one day there’ll be a book about the WB and how interesting the beginning has been here, too.’”

In Season Finale, Daniels and co-author Cynthia Littleton look deep inside the turbulent twelve-year existences of both the WB and its archrival, same-time startup network UPN. “As I had gained more distance,” says Daniels, who left the network and its Michigan J. Frog mascot in 2001 and who until recently was the president of entertainment at cable network Lifetime, “I realized that the story was not just about the WB, but a tale of two new networks whose separate fortunes alternately rose and fell as they engaged in a brutal fight for fifth place.”

The mid-90s were a unique era where, encouraged by Washington’s relaxation of its regulations governing network ownership and not yet enamored with the internet, two media giants battled to become the next big thing in broadcast television. It was a period that Littleton already knew well, having pounded the fifth-network beat during her years as a reporter and editor at industry newspapers Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. “I was destined to write this book,” Littleton says, recalling how she and Daniels had for two years tossed around the idea of chronicling the confluence of factors which they felt made the days of 7th Heaven and Buffy the Vampire Slayer so fascinating. Then, on the morning of January 24, 2006, the WB and UPN networks unexpectedly announced their merger into the CW, the fifth network of today. “Susanne called me that morning,” Littleton remembers, “and said, ‘Now we have to do this.’”

Their separate perspectives combined, the two women agree, provide a clearer look at the ‘90s media rollercoaster than either had ever had on her own. “Susanne lived it and lived to tell about it so eloquently, candidly – and cathartically,” Littleton explains. “And it was a fascinating process for me as a journalist, to go back and revisit things I’d covered as they were happening, and finding out how much I’d gotten right and how much I’d missed.”

An additional 70 interviewees supplement the Season Finale mix -- each, as Daniels notes, more than eager to share his or her own side of the saga. “A lot of people were rooting for this book,” she explains. “Especially on the WB side. For a company that had hit such heights in prime time, the way it ended was a little frustrating. They wanted to have the experience documented.” And document Finale does – every one of the double-crossing deals and last-minute corporate buyouts that radically altered Daniels’ and her UPN counterparts’ jobs by refocusing their target demographics and undermining their budgets virtually overnight.

In focusing as it does on the executive end of the networks’ story, Finale is far from a gossipy confessional. It’s not about the real-life love triangle among the cast of Dawson’s Creek, or which two Charmed actresses didn’t get along – okay, actually that stuff is in there, but it’s not the point. Like legendary former NBC chief Brandon Tartikoff before her, whose memoir The Last Great Ride chronicled that network’s heady days of the 1980s, Daniels provides her much more current experience as a primer for the aspiring exec -- or for any TV junkie who wants to understand the machinations that are really going on behind the small screen. “There are always politics,” Daniels explains, “and a minimum of thirty other factors that affect executives’ decisions.”

The quality of the programming is important, Season Finale stresses. “But,” as the WB and UPN networks’ short life spans proved, Daniels admits wistfully, “it’s not everything.”