2011 upfronts: the cw

As upfronts week comes to a close, I don't want to neglect The CW. Darn if that little network doesn't have some of the longest running shows on television these days. Here are a few highlights:

• Starting midseason, One Tree Hill will air a 13-episode farewell for it's ninth and final season. Thank the sweet baby. 
• Hellcats and Shedding for the Wedding will not be returning next season. Tissues are available at the end of this post. 
• Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural will all continue running on their respective nights (Monday, Thursday, and Friday).
• 90210 will move to Tuesdays and Nikita to Friday. 

Six new shows are on the docket for next year...

Ringer

Buffy fans rejoice. This is Sarah Michelle Gellar long anticipated return to television. She plays Bridget, six months sober and starting to turn her life around when she is the sole witness to a professional hit. She flees to New York, where she Bridget reunites with her estranged twin, Siobhan. Wealthy, pampered and married to the strikingly handsome, Siobhan lives what appears to be a fairy tale life - where no one knows that Bridget exists. The sisters seem to be mending their frayed relationship, until Siobhan disappears mysteriously, and Bridget makes the split decision to take on her sister's identity. She discovers shocking secrets, not only about her sister, her marriage, and her friends. And when someone tries to kill Bridget in her sister's penthouse, she realizes she is no safer as Siobhan than she is as herself. Look for Nestor Carbonell (Lost's Richard) as Agent Victor Machado, Bridget's witness protection officer. 

My take: Given SMG's history, I'll check it out, but this is another one that feels more like a movie to me. 

Hart of Dixie

Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson, The OC) graduated top of her class from medical school and plans to follow in her father's footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, she accepts an offer from, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has passed away and left his half of the medical practice to her. The other doctor in town, Brick Breeland, is less than pleased to be sharing the practice, and his daughter, Lemon (Jaime King, My Generation), is a Southern belle who's not a fan of Zoe. She does make some friends: the mayor, former football star Lavon Hayes (Cress Williams, Friday Night Lights alum!), her bad-boy neighbor Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel, Generation Kill), and handsome lawyer George Tucker (Scott Porter, Friday Night Lights' Jason Street!) - who's also Lemon's fiancé. A visit by her snobby New York mother leads to Zoe's decision to stay in Bluebell for a while. Josh Schwartz (The OC, Chuck, Gossip Girl) is an executive producer. 

My take: Is this Doc Hollywood played by a girl? Ehh...Scott Porter, Rachel Bilson, Josh Schwartz, and my hankering for a guilty pleasure will have my watching. 

H8R

Celebrities go head-to-head with civilians who hate them to win their "haters" over. Hosted by Mario Lopez.

My take: This is not a joke. 

The Secret Circle

Cassie Blake (Life Unexpected) was a happy, normal teenage girl - until her mother Amelia dies in a fire. Cassie moves in with her loving grandmother Jane in the small town of Chance Harbor, Washington - where her mother grew up. As Cassie gets to know her high school classmates, her new friends explain that they are all descended from powerful witches, and they've been waiting for Cassie to join them and complete a new generation of the Secret Circle. It's not until Cassie discovers a message from her mother in an old book of spells, that she understands her destiny. She soon realizes that darker powers are at play in the town, and her mother's death may not have been an accident.

My take: The quality of this one really depends on how strong all of the townspeople characters are, so we'll see. Why I am such a sucker for CW shows?

Reality Shows:

Re-Modeled (midseason)

Modeling industry veteran Paul Fisher is planning to bring together hundreds of small agencies around the world in a new venture called The Network. The Network will give Paul the leverage to change the industry from the inside out. He has two missions: to make sure agents in small towns no longer get screwed, and to empower models to take control of their careers and lead healthier lives. 

My take: It took me a good 15 minutes to realize that this is a reality show. No thanks. 

The Frame (midseason)

Ten teams of two (in existing relationships) each live in one Frame - a stripped down version of their home living space - for up to 8 weeks, with the entire world watching. Couples cannot physically see one another, but each "frame" is rigged with plasma screens & communication devices that allow for visual and verbal interaction. The teams will face outrageous challenges, punishments, head-to-head competitions, and eliminations, all while isolated from the outside world. With 24/7 web cams streaming content live, and a bi-weekly television show, audiences will vote for - and have control over - many elements of the show, from rewards to punishments to eliminations. The last couple standing will walk away with a cash prize. 

My take: This feels like something out of a bad, futuristic movie. Shivers.