In a sweeping wave of early renewals, The CW has picked up five of its favorites for the 2011-2012 season.
The pick-ups include such no-brainers as “The Vampire Diaries” and “America’s Next Top Model,” The CW’s two most popular shows overall, but also “Gossip Girl,” “90210” and “Supernatural.”
The CW is particularly proud of the Tuesday (April 26) announcement that “America’s Next Top Model” has been ordered for a pair of cycles for next season, including its first-ever All-Star Edition, which will air in the fall. The renewals will carry “ANTM” through Cycle 18.
The relatively youthful “The Vampire Diaries” is being picked up only for its third season, but the bloodsucking favorite is The CW’s most-watched show overall (with an average of 4 million viewers, if you factor in some amount of DVR viewership) and its top show in the netlet’s coveted female 18-34 demographic.
Although “Gossip Girl” gets guff for its plummeting overall ratings in its fourth season, the Monday drama remains The CW’s second most popular series among woman 18-34. Also struggling in overall viewership, “90210” gets big DVR bumps among young female viewers and will be back for its fourth season.
Also returning will be “Supernatural,” which has been one of the anchors of The CW’s solid Friday lineup this year. Of course, “Supernatural” will go into its seventh season without the help of the soon-to-end “Smallville.”
The CW’s pickups cleared up a few mysteries with upfronts still nearly a month away, but don’t worry, bubble-watchers. Freshman dramas “Nikita” and “Hellcats” remain in temporary limbo, as the the generally unkillable soap “One Tree Hill.”
Stay tuned…