I've said it once and I'll say it again: If you love original filler programming on TV, Summer 2014 will be your Golden Age.
The CW is getting in on the summer programming act, which will come as no surprise to anybody paying attention to the network's steady hoarding of offerings like “Seed” and “Backpackers” and “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” as well as the available backlog of episodes for “Beauty and the Beast.”
On Thursday (April 17), The CW set its summer slate, including the long-awaited — by some people I'm sure — return of “Beauty and the Beast,” which comes two-plus weeks after the network's upfront presentation to advertisers, presumably cementing the drama's chances of a third season. [Short version: The CW makes its own rules, but several bubble dramas would appear to have a better chance of renewal than “Beauty and the Beast” and that doesn't even include spring success “The 100,” which would have to really stumble to not get a no-brainer pick-up at this point.]
The CW's summer schedule includes original programming on four of the network's five programming nights, with only Thursday seemingly sticking to encores.
Up first, June 2 will see “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” shifting to Monday nights, with an original episode and an encore leading into the return of “Beauty and the Beast,” which has been off the air since March.
The following night, Tuesday, June 3, The CW will premiere “Famous in 12” in the 8 p.m. hour. Redundantly described as a “reality docuseries,” “Famous in 12” features a family gunning for fame by letting cameras watch them around the close for 12 weeks straight. They will be aided in their quest to whore themselves to America by TMZ mastermind Harvey Levin. “Famous in 12” will be paired with repeats of “Supernatural.”
On Monday, July 14, The CW will create a comedy sandwich of sorts. New episodes of “Whose Line” will air at 8 p.m. with an encore at 9 p.m. In-between, The CW will premiere a pair of half-hour scripted comedies. “Backpackers,” which comes from the digital CW Seed platform, will air in the 8:30 slot, while “Seed,” which doesn't come from the digital CW Seed program,but does come from Canada, will air at 9:30.
Premiering on Wednesday, July 30 in the 8 p.m. hour, “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” will give aspiring magicians the chance to win a berth in Penn & Teller's Vegas show by fooling the veteran skeptics with a single trick. That will air with repeats of “Arrow” on Wednesdays.
For some reason, “Fool Us” isn't airing with the Dean Cain-hosted “Masters of Illusion,” a half-hour magic show airing on Fridays at 8:30 starting on August 1.
The premieres in list form:
MONDAY, JUNE 2
8:00-8:30 PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (New Night)
8:30-9:00 PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (Encore)
9:00-10:00 PM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Summer Season Premiere)
TUESDAY, JUNE 3
8:00-9:00 PM FAMOUS IN 12 (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL (Encore)
MONDAY, JULY 14
8:00-8:30 PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (Original Episode)
8:30-9:00 PM BACKPACKERS (Series Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (Encore)
9:30-10:00 PM SEED (Series Premiere)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
8:00-9:00 PM PENN & TELLER: FOOL US (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ARROW (Encores in a new timeslot)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
8:00-8:30 PM MASTERS OF ILLUSION (Series Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (Encore)
Anything there interest or intrigue you?