The CW closed out the 2015 Network TV Upfronts on Thursday (May 14) morning by announcing its 2015-2016 schedule.
It's a schedule that mixes a couple nights of stability with some big moves, including the expected decision to hold “DC's Legends of Tomorrow” for midseason, along with the thriller “Containment,” making “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” the network's only new series for fall.
Let's go night-by-night:
That lone new series premiere, the Showtime transplant “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” is taking the week's first hour, landing on Mondays at 8 p.m. going into Golden Globe-winning “Jane the Virgin.” That means “The Originals” is on the move, but we'll get there in a second.
Tuesday remains untouched from the spring with “The Flash” leading into midseason success “iZombie.”
Also untouched from spring is Wednesday with “Arrow” going into “Supernatural.”
On Thursday, after trying to keep them apart for two years, “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals” are joining forces as a two-hour vamp-block.
And, finally, “Reign” has been displaced after two years of lackluster ratings on Thursday at 9 p.m. and will now be asked to lead-off Friday, going into the latest cycle of “America's Next Top Model.”
“This has been a terrific season for The CW, and is a result of a strategy we set in motion a few years ago to broaden out and grow our audience,” blurbs CW President Mark Pedowitz. “We had our most watched season, and our highest-rated season among men, in seven years. We launched The CW”s most watched series ever with 'The Flash,' and with 'The Flash' and 'Jane the Virgin,' we received more critical acclaim than ever before.”
Pedowitz continues, “The CW is heading into next season with incredible stability and strength, and continuing its strategy of adding more original programming all year long. Our new fall series 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' is original and hilarious, and will work as a perfect companion for 'Jane' on Monday nights, while at midseason we have the much-anticipated 'DC”S Legends of Tomorrow,' and the tense action of 'Containment.' These three new series are a terrific complement to our already strong schedule, and allow us to keep building on our momentum in 2015-16.”
Yes, midseason will be home to the “Flash”/”Arrow” spinoff and also to the Julie Plec-produced outbreak drama “Containment,” appropriately retitled from “Cordon.”
One of the most interesting parts of The CW's announcement is this “DC's Legends of Tomorrow” key art in which you not only see a glimpse of Caity Lotz's new costume, but she's identified with the key art as “White Canary.”
And that means that “The 100” is also being held for midseason, while the fourth season of “Beauty and the Beast” is being saved for whenever it airs. The CW also still has “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” available.
Here's the fall in list form:
THE CW”s 2015-2016 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM JANE THE VIRGIN
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE FLASH
9:00-10:00 PM IZOMBIE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARROW
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
9:00-10:00 PM THE ORIGINALS (New Night)
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM REIGN (New Night)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA”S NEXT TOP MODEL
Anything jump out?