With a new management regime and new upfront venue at New York City Center, the CW symbolically opened its presentation with “Let it Roll (Good Times)”, a new song by Flo Rida who did a medley to kick off the proceedings. ”This is a transformative year for the CW with bigger and bolder programming,” said Mark Pedowitz, in his first solo upfront appearance as the CW president following his first development season at the network.
Pedowitz called Mamie Gummer as the star of new Grey’s Anatomy-esque medical drama Emily Owens, MD “catching a lightning in a bottle.” Gummer made a great impression by being the only star of a CW show paraded onstage who didn’t stick to the bland Teleprompter-generated lines but opted for a heart-felt, quirky speech about how feels about the show that channeled her famous mom, Meryl Streep.
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Next, Pedowitz is walking through the CW’s fall schedule. Announcing the final season of Gossip Girl, “the show that put the CW on the map” airing on Monday after 90210, the fiftysomething president thanked Gossip Girl producers “for many years of OMFG storytelling,” eliciting chuckles from the audience.
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Some of his other labels got a similar reaction:
Tuesday: “Doctor-doctor night” (Hart Of Dixie, Emily Owens, MD)
Wednesday: “A superhero and Supernatural for a block of powerful action-packed drama (Arrow, Supernatural)
Thursday: “Night of dangerous affairs and delicious terror” (The Vampire Diaries, Beauty & The Beast)
America’s Top Model is moving to Fridays, and male model Rob Evans is being added to the judging panel as a permanent judge, joining Kelly Cutrone. Johnny Wujek, stylist to the stars, is the new creative consultant. They succeed departing judge Nigel Barker, creative director Jay Manuel and runway trainer J. Alexander.
Off to midseason. The Carrie Diaries‘ theme is a techno version of Sex And the City‘s, to which it serves as a prequel. After a clip from Cult, Pedowitz closes the presentation with a reminder about the “bigger and bolder CW.”
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