The TV Addict 

Amen! I used to watch a ton of shows on WB/CW. Now? Nothing, for precisely the reasons you named.

Don’t forget about Veronica Mars, my favorite female fictional character in recent memory. She was smart, brave, complicated, and flawed, and IMO cancelling that show was the biggest mistake the network could possibly have made.

Everything you said was why I liked Privileged, so of course they went and cancelled it.

Absolutely agree on every count! This is what annoys me about the CW. They want to cater to a specific audience but look at the role models that they’re throwing their way. I’m not trying to be preachy or taking things too seriously but when every single show you offer is about teens drinking, sexing, and manipulating their way through adolescence, it’s no wonder that most high schoolers think it’s a sin to end high school without having spent every weekend having sex/getting drunk.

There’s nothing wrong with those kind of shows–we all need our trashy teen soaps, but when your network has incredibly low ratings and you’re the laughing stock of the network biz, it’s probably a sign that you should start providing something of substance to diversify your schedule a bit.

Thank you for putting into words my very thoughts. I still mourn Everwood; it’s been nice to see you focused on this the last couple of days! Between reality crap and so much of the other stuff passing for TV these days; well, these are sorry times in which we live:(

Supernatural is just about the only show that I watch on the CW anymore. I love the Winchester boys, and its one of my favorite shows – but it doesn’t do anything to fill in the gap of smart, brave, interesting female characters on the CW.

That said, you’re totally right about the CW’s monotonous parade of pretty people making bad decisions. A few genre shows aside, all their shows are the same and it’s about time they challenged their audience.

[...] In looking at current hits like GOSSIP GIRL and 90210, not to mention upcoming trashfests MELROSE PLACE and THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE, this TV Addict can?t seem to shake the feeling that you?ve completely lost touch with your network?s roots. Keep Reading… [...]

Still mourning the loss of Veronica Mars : (

[...] In looking at current hits like GOSSIP GIRL and 90210, not to mention upcoming trashfests MELROSE PLACE and THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE, this TV Addict can?t seem to shake the feeling that you?ve completely lost touch with your network?s roots. Keep Reading… [...]

Wait until you all see the new shows. Life UneXpected and Vampire Diaries are classic WB and perfect for CW. Life will remind many of Felicity, Gilmore and Juno. Melrose Place is just plain Fun. Full disclosure–I work for The CW. I also worked at The WB, including Everwood, GG, Smallville et. al, and our new shows have great potential. It isn’t easy building a network–especially in the digital age–but we are well on our way. See what you think a year from now. Thank you.

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Paul. I’m sure fans appreciate that their voices and opinions are at least being heard at the network office. I also happen to agree, I don’t see a weak link in the fall sked, with the exception of that ridiculous ANTM encore on Friday.

To Christine and Others:
Body Politic did indeed have a terrific cast and was a strong contender for us. But, and I know you may not believe me, we had tight, focused and provocative development this year. We had tough choices to make.

As for Friday night, put aside the economy; we are running a business and as a new market entrant competing with hundreds of choices for viewers like all of you, we make strategic business decions that benefit the overall network and our evolving brand.

As for Reaper, God Love The Devil but it struggled in the ratings despite yeoman work by the cast, the producers and terrific Vancouver crew. We gave it two seasons and just couldn’t get enough audience to maintain.

The same applies to Veronica Mars. Rob Thomas: brilliant writer. Kristen Bell: movie star. Another great show with complementary cast, producers and San Diego crew. Peter Roth and WBTV make nothing but great shows.

But again, in the end, tough business decisions must be made. I, too, have been an avid fan of many series that never caught on (The Job, anyone?).

I know you may all read this thinking it is propaganda from The CW Flack, but I can say on behalf of my network that we appreciate and listen to every one of your online comments. We are the first–and likely last–broadcast network to launch, and in the digital age at that.

We do what we can.

We appreciate your interest, support and feedback, even when it is negative.

Again, I humbly beseech you to at least take a peek at our new shows when we debut in September. TV Addict is a great site I peruse daily, and it is clear its readers are smart, demanding and invested.

You all are exactly the kind of viewers we seek, and I make that statement without a shred of irony or cynicism.

Thank you all again for your passion as TV fans.

And side note to Daniel, THE TV Addict, please don’t run my heinous headshot again…:)

Sincerely,
Paul McGuire

Your headshot looks just fine, Paul. I personally think that well-reasoned direct communication with fans, such as your two postings, go a long way in at least helping (logical-thinking) viewers to understand the many factors that go into a network’s decisions. No one is ever going to agree with every move, on TV or in life, but more interactive feedback like this helps to create a bond with passionate fanbases. At least we know someone is listening to the consumers’ concerns daily. Thanks again.

Paul, thanks so much for posting (even if my post came off with a bit of an edge to it). I do appreciate it.

I still can’t say I’m not incredibly disappointed with the lack of Body Politic (it’s the first pilot I’ve ever gotten invested in), but I do really appreciate you taking the time to share your insight.

[...] the TV Addict: We celebrated the release of EVERWOOD’s long-awaited second season on DVD, crafted an open letter to CW President Dawn Ostroff and asked if it is the beginning of the end for [...]

[...] sheer stupidity of Dawn Ostroff has prompted The TV Addict to write an open letter to the network. (The TV Addict). While it was also nice that they got a response from CW Executive Vice President, Network [...]

[...] This week, the TV Addict crafted an Open Letter to Dawn Ostroff, CW President of Entertainment (The TV Addict”) [...]

[...] Body Politic trailer. Remember how great The WB used to be with shows like Dawson’s Creek and Felicity? We need a show like that. Why does The CW only want to revamp old shows like 90210? [...]