Fall 2006 TV Preview: The CW

The union between the former WB and UPN starts here in the new network, The CW. The network was to take the strongest series from the two networks. There are a few shows from each network that I watch, thankfully all of them have survived the merger, thus far.

Sunday

• 7:00. Everybody Hates Chris (10/1). Great show, terrible time slot. This is one of those shows that is smart, creative, and entertaining for the whole family. I just wish it was on some other time.
• 7:30. All of Us (10/1). Never watched it. This will be the fourth season for the show inspired by the union of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith.
• 8:00. Girlfriends (10/1). Never watched this either, but it is coming back for its seventh season.
• 8:30. The Game (10/1). This new series, produced by Kelsey Grammer, centers on the girlfriend of an NFL player, and the stress that that brings.
• 9:00. America's Next Top Model (encore). No thank you.

Monday

• 8:00. 7th Heaven (9/25). The longest running family drama in TV history returns for an 11th season, despite the announced series finale last season. The show never appealed to me, but they do have a large following.
• 9:00. Runaway (9/25). This new series stars Donnie Wahlberg as a man wrongly convicted of a violent crime on the run with his family. They live under an assumed name in a small town under the fear of their secret being discovered, while the real killer stalks them. This could be interesting.

Tuesday

• 8:00. Gilmore Girls (9/26). This is another long running series, returning for its seventh season, takes a quirky look at familial relationships in a small town. I have seen this on occasion, and always found it to be an entertaining show.
• 9:00. Veronica Mars (10/3). This is one of most anticipated returning series. It is coming back for its third season. It is like a cross between Nancy Drew and Buffy, it is a mystery show with attitude. Kristen Bell stars as the title character. Watch this, love it, tell your friends.

Wednesday

• 8:00. America's Next Top Model (9/20). Like I said earlier, no thanks.
• 9:00. One Tree Hill (9/27). Never appealed to me, but the series returns for season four. It chronicles the drama surrounding a pair of half brothers in a small town who come from vastly different backgrounds.

Thursday

• 8:00. Smallville (9/28). I could have sworn last year was supposed to be its final season. It is coming back for a sixth go around. I have always enjoyed this revisionist tale of Superman before picking up the mantle. It will be interesting to see where it will go following Lex's takeover by Zod.
• 9:00. Supernatural (9/28). Hopefully this show will be able to keep up the momentum from its surprisingly good first season. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki star in this series that feels a bit like X-Files crossed with Angel.

Friday

• 8:00. WWE: Smackdown (9/22). My interest has waned in recent months, but I am one of those fans of sports entertainment.

Saturday

• I do not see them airing any original programming on Saturday nights. I have seen listings for a rerun of WWE: Smackdown, which will probably be used when it is preempted for sports, such as Mets baseball in New York, which The CW inherited from The WB, which the had acquired from UPN. Funny how circular things can be....

So, have they succeeded in putting together a worthy lineup?

Be sure to check out my previews for Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC.