Upfronts Week, The CW

We have reached Upfronts Week, a time when hope springs eternal and networks unveil their fall schedules, including all their new shows. Each day during Upfronts Week I'll be taking a look at the network schedules and pointing out a few things, in addition to give thoughts on some new shows. Today we continue with The CW.

The CW is the little network that can. It's the "fifth" major network, but it's also often fifth in the ratings on a given night. Still, it's found a groove with some critically adored dramas and a set of superhero shows. And, for this season, The CW is expanding its network footprint, which is fascinating and exciting. But with a number of critical darlings ("Jane The Virgin," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend") entering their final season, what can The CW do to build its network brand?

Best Scheduling Move:
This one is easy for me, it's expanding into Sunday nights. By and large, Sunday is a more watched night of TV (particularly for the 18-49 viewers they covet) than Friday nights. And it makes sense to continue to build a network brand and presence by expanding to another night. This now gives them 12 hours of Prime Time a week versus 10, and gives them more latitude to experiment. And I also like that they've launched into Sundays with a very female-centric lineup, something that's a great counter-programming move to the FOX animation and to Sunday Night Football, both of which seem to be more male-focused. It seems like a good piece of scheduling for The CW.

Most Curious Scheduling Move:
Speaking of Friday nights, I'm not sure I totally get the plan for The CW. They've held "Jane The Virgin" to mid-season, and now they've paired "Dynasty" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" on the night. I suppose they go together in the sense they are probably both aimed at the female demographic. However, neither has particularly good ratings, so pairing them together almost feels like writing off the night. In addition, tonally, I don't know that those two shows are a great fit. So, while it's not terrible or terribly unexpected ("Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" was on Fridays this season and "Dynasty" moved there to end season one), it felt a bit off to me.

Most Promising New Show:
The CW offers three new shows in the fall, including the re-make of "Charmed" which joins "Supergirl" on Sunday nights. It didn't look great, and I don't think it's a show that needs to be re-made, but I'm not really going to touch on it here or in the next segment. Instead, the show I want to lift up is "All-American." The CW found something last Spring with the launch of "Riverdale," a teen-centric show that hit with audiences and just wrapped up its second season. "All-American," which hails from uber-producer Greg Berlanti, feels like a combination between "The O.C." and "Friday Night Lights" in the best possible way. Taye Diggs is the most recognizable star as a football coach from Beverly Hills that recruits a star player from Crenshaw to help bolster his squad and give the young man a chance at a better future. That feels like the right kind of appealing story, and I loved the trailer. Plus, it's perfectly paired with "Riverdale" on Wednesday nights to provide a bit of teen drama cohesion.

Least Promising New Show:
This was also an easy call for me, it's "Legacies." The show didn't have a trailer, so it makes it even harder to get a feel for it. But it's a spin-off set in the world of "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals." "The Vampire Diaries" wrapped up its run last year, and "The Originals" limped to the finish this year. It seems an odd choice to bring in a new spin-off set in that world as you'd usually want to spin-off from a position of strength, and I don't feel that here. I could be wrong, but right now this feels like a bit of a reach.