The CW: Constantly Worthless

When the WB and UPN combined to create the CW network just two years ago, I was optimistic. While dissolving of the WB — mostly owned by Time Warner — and UPN — owned by The CBS Corporation — was a disappointment because the two did offer above-average programming most of the time, merging seemed genius because the CW would have the best of both worlds on its airwaves.\nYet less than two years into the CW’s broadcast history, the network has not improved itself one iota, and in fact, is probably in a worse place now than either the WB or UPN were before the merger. And although there are a few factors the CW can’t control, most of their own missteps have led them here.\nFirst of all, the CW cannot really be blamed for their anemically awful ratings. For the period of March 24 through March 30, the CW averaged 2.3 million viewers, more than 5 million less than the worst “big” network, NBC. They should be given a pass for being a second-year network and having a target demographic of 18-34 year olds, even if most of their shows did a bit better on their previous networks.\nHowever, a fair number of the decisions the CW has made regarding programming and scheduling have soured its chances of becoming a respected network. The executives started off on the wrong foot in 2006 by not bringing relatively popular shows “Everwood” and “Blue Collar TV” over and passing on the excellent “Aquaman” pilot from “Smallville” executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar. Then they followed those classic decisions by not picking up “Invasion” after ABC cancelled it, even after flirting with the idea for a while and then canceling cult favorite and critical darling “Veronica Mars.” \nEven with all of those decisions enraging potential fans, the CW still had a chance to turn it all around coming into the 2007-2008 TV season. Three of its new scripted shows, “Reaper,” “Gossip Girl” and “Aliens in America” were considered by many pundits to be some of the best in the new crop of programs. \nBut of course, the network’s shoddy scheduling format put “Reaper” all over the place and “Aliens in America” is as good as cancelled. “Gossip Girl” is the only one of those shows, all of which are high-quality, that is guaranteed to make it to a second season, and only because it appeals to enough teen girls. \nMuch worse, the CW’s best scripted assets are “Smallville” and “Supernatural,” yet neither gets as much plugging as does junk like “One Tree Hill” and reality shows. Instead, both are placed on Thursday nights, the hardest timeslot during the week, where they struggle to get viewers. And although it’s good to see them holding their own against the major networks, putting one of them on another night would benefit the CW tremendously. \nThe CW is never going to move out of fifth place, but by making continuously dreadful judgments about its programming and schedule, it’s guaranteeing that the margin between it and the major networks will only grow. It almost makes you wish for the days of Michigan J. Frog and the Dawson.