The biggest surprise from CW wasn’t any one of its pilot orders–it was the decision to renew THE CARRIE DIARIES, a show that showed little ratings promise in its first season. Apparently the explanation is that the series does very well on Hulu, and rates strongly with the younger segment of CW’s female demo. So there you go. Less surprising was the news that NIKITA will be back for a final run that reportedly may be as short at 6 episodes.
CW will need the shelf-space, because the renewal of Carrie means that 7 of the network’s series have been renewed and now 5 have been ordered, pretty good for a network that only programs 10 hours per week in the first place. In addition to last week’s order of the Vampire Diaries spinoff THE ORIGINALS, here are the newbies:
THE 100: Post-apocalyptic teens, as a chosen group of juvenile delinquents are sent to re-colonize Earth after the nuclear clouds have faded. Adults in the cast include Henry Ian Cusick (who left Scandal just before it got good) and Isiah Washington (another Shonda Rhimes refugee). The writer is Jason Rothenberg–his first series.
OXYGEN: Human/alien teen romance, with Aimee Teegarden (Coach’s daughter on Friday Night Lights) as star. It’s written by Meredith Averill, a senior producer on The Good Wife.
THE TOMORROW PEOPLE: Julie Plec won’t have much free time next fall, with yet another pick-up on top of Vampire Diaries and The Originals. She’s not the writer on this one, though (that’s Phil Klemmer, an experienced writer but first-time series creator). More very special teens, this time with super-powers a la X Men: First Class.
REIGN: Well, you know what they say about foolish consistency and hobgoblins. Amid all the network’s vampires, aliens and superheroes, Reign is about 15-year old Mary, Queen of Scots. It’s written by Stephanie Sengupta and Laurie McCarthy–the latter created the short-lived Windfall.
That leaves CBS and ABC still on the clock.
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