Upfronts: The CW Unveils 2012-2013 Primetime Schedule

The CW unveiled its 2012-13 schedule and every show, with the exception of The Vampire Diaries, is being shuffled to a new night or a new timeslot in the network’s effort to shake things up and improve its consistently declining ratings.

Another major change being made is the network will delay debuting its fall programming until sometime in October, exact date yet to be determined. The CW has traditionally been the first network to bring shows back, usually in early September right after the Labor Day holiday.

CW President Mark Pedowitz said via press release, “One of our biggest priorities this year at the CW was adding more original programming and we’ve added 50 original hours to our schedule in 2012. With dynamic new dramas for the fall and midseason, and our first-ever summer schedule leading into our October fall launch, this is poised to be a transformative season for the CW.”

Pedowitz also had lots of praise for the new shows being added to the schedule. “The dramas we have for next season are outstanding, with relatable characters and breakout stars. ‘Arrow’, starring Stephen Amell in the title role, is a bold, edge-of-your-seat action show, based on the popular DC comics character; ‘Emily Owens, M.D.’ is funny, emotional, and we have caught lightning in a bottle with an incredible lead actor in Mamie Gummer; ‘Beauty and the Beast’ takes a classic love story and adds a procedural element’ ‘The Carrie Diaries,’ with the story of a young Carrie Bradshaw set in the 1980s is perfect for our audience; and ‘Cult’ is a chilling psychological thriller. We have an unbelievable variety of high quality dramas, all speaking to the 18-to-34-year-old audience, set for next season.”

Monday night focuses on the teen dramas the network is known for, kicking off with 90210 moving to the 8 pm spot for its fifth season. The final season of Gossip Girl will follow at 9 pm. There are only 11 episodes left before the show bows and in January, the new drama The Carrie Diaries, featuring a teenage Carrie Bradshaw and based on the Candice Bushnell novel, will take its place.

Tuesday night will be the night of young, female doctors and their complicated lives. Hart of Dixie will shift nights and air at 8 pm for its sophomore season. New drama Emily Owens, M.D. (formerly First Cut), which focuses on a medical intern who realizes the hospital she works at is just like high school, follows at 9 pm. These shows seem like they will complement each other nicely.

Wednesday night will start off with Arrow, the network’s most buzzed about pilot, centering on DC Comics’ Green Arrow, at 8 pm. One of the network’s most popular shows, Supernatural, will follow at 9 pm. Again, this seems like a no brainer for the network to take two shows about humans that feature ‘supernatural’ elements and air them on the same night.

The network’s highest rated show, The Vampire Diaries will keep its Thursday at 8 pm timeslot. The new drama, Beauty and the Beast, about a cop and the mysterious man who saved her life when she was a teenager, was awarded the coveted 9 pm spot. But as fans of the canceled Secret Circle know all too well, airing after TVD is not necessarily a guarantee of success.

Friday night brings the oddest combination with reality competition America’s Next Top Model sliding into the 8 pm timeslot and spy drama Nikita moving back an hour to the 9 pm spot.

The drama Cult, about a journalist investigating crimes committed by rabid fans of a popular TV show will also debut midseason, but there is no word of where it will fall on the schedule at this time.

CW’s Fall Primetime schedule (new series are in bold)

MONDAY:

8:00 p.m. – “90210”

9:00 p.m. – “Gossip Girl”

In January

8:00 p.m. – “90210”

9:00 p.m. – “The Carrie Diaries“

TUESDAY:

8:00 p.m. – “Hart of Dixie”

9:00 p.m. – “Emily Owens, M.D. (formerly First Cut)“

WEDNESDAY:

8:00 p.m. – “Arrow“

9:00 p.m. – “Supernatural”

THURSDAY:

8:00 p.m. – “The Vampire Diaries“

9:00 p.m. – “Beauty and the Beast“

FRIDAY:

8:00 p.m. – “America’s Next Top Model”

9:00 p.m. – “Nikita”

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