What’s Hot on the CW Network?
Written by: Kimberly Bennett
For those of you who do not know me, I am a huge TV fan. I watch a lot of different shows and this year happens to be the CW’s biggest year yet! Before last year, I didn’t really watch a lot of shows on the CW but since last year’s freshman series, Beauty & the Beast, starring Jay Ryan, Kristin Kreuk and Austin Basis, I immediately started watching more of the CW shows. If you remember WB-11’s Smallville, then you’re ahead of everyone else. Smallville was one of the few series that lasted 10 seasons and was formally owned by the Warner Bros. Company. However, in 2006, CBS and Warner Bros formed a partnership and became the CBS and Warner Bros. Company (or, for short, CW-TV).
Past series of the CW includes: Smallville, Ringer, The Secret Circle, Cult and more.
Current series: Hart of Dixie, Beauty & the Beast, The Originals, Supernatural, Arrow, The Tomorrow People, The Vampire Diaries, Reign and The Carrie Diaries. Nikita’s last five episodes will premiere on Friday, November 22nd.
I happened to be a major fan of Smallville and though I haven’t seen the series and its entirety, I am glad to know the series ended with a great resolution. As for Secret Circle, I was sad to see the freshman series go but the replacement series, Beauty & the Beast, is phenomenally greater.
Anyway, moving on.
Because I believe the CW is doing a lot better this year than it has been in a long time, I am going to provide the titles of each CW show as well as its most recent synopsis. You can then decide which show is worth watching.
Please note that although the website states the airing is 9/8 c., the CW does not know about St. Louis’s 7 PM News on KPLR 11. That is why all of the shows are pushed forward an hour.
Monday Nights:
8 PM ~ 9 PM: Hart of Dixie (3rd Season)
“Rachel Bilson leads a stellar ensemble cast in this fish-out-of-water comedic drama about small-town living, big city attitudes and complicated love triangles. It’s been nearly two years since Dr. Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) moved to BlueBell, Alabama, and shook up life in this small town. Now Zoe navigates between bad boy Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel) and good hearted George Tucker (Scott Porter), while Lemon Breeland (Jaime King) achieves her dream of being a business owner – even if that business is The Rammer Jammer, and her mismatched partner is Wade. Zoe’s best friend and landlord, Mayor Lavon Hayes (Cress Williams), has finally gotten over Lemon, finding happiness with AnnaBeth (Kaitlyn Black), complicated by the fact that she is Lemon’s best friend. And Zoe’s associate, Dr. Brick Breeland (Tim Matheson), pursues love, but his daughters won’t endorse his new fiancée. Zoe’s love life is still a mess, and she’s not sure what the future holds in store for her, but we know it will be juicy and full of fun.
“HART OF DIXIE is from Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Fake Empire, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Leila Gerstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Eli Stone”), Josh Schwartz (“Gossip Girl,” “Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“Gossip Girl,” “The O.C.”) and Len Goldstein.”
(Source: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/hart-of-dixie/about )
9 PM ~ 10 PM: Beauty & the Beast (2nd Season; Sophomore)
“Catherine “Cat” Chandler (Kristin Kreuk, “Smallville,” “Chuck”) is a smart, no-nonsense detective, spurred to action after hired killers murdered her mother – and would have murdered Cat, too – if something, some beast, hadn’t stopped them. Ten years later, a case brings her to Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan, “Top of the Lake,” “Terra Nova”), a supposedly deceased soldier living off the grid with the help of his loyal childhood friend and scientist, J.T. Forbes (Austin Basis, “Life Unexpected”). Cat is shocked to discover that her mother was involved in an experiment to make super-soldiers and, when the experiment went wrong, the soldiers, including Vincent, were turned into uncontrollable beasts. Vincent managed to escape the experiment alive, but is now being hunted by Muirfield, the organization that sent the gunmen after Cat’s mother. Vincent had been tracking them, which led him to be in the right place to save Cat on that terrible night ten years ago. He’s been drawn to her ever since. Cat, too, is drawn to Vincent, and an epic love begins. Muirfield reappears and infiltrates Cat’s life, costing her some of her closest relationships.
“She’s lied to her own sister, Heather (guest star Nicole Gale Anderson), and to her best friend and partner, Detective Tess Vargas (Nina Lisandrello, “Nurse Jackie”), in order to protect them. When police cases involving “beast” elements go unsolved, Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Lowan (Sendhil Ramamurthy, “Covert Affairs,” “Heroes”) is assigned to track down this mysterious “vigilante.” Lowan, who uses questionable methods in his attempt to capture this beast, quickly recognizes Cat’s attachment to the creature, admits he is also a beast, and kidnaps Cat in the hopes of luring Vincent to his death. In the final battle, Gabe is seriously wounded by mysterious men in a helicopter who capture Vincent, separating Cat from the man she loves and has sacrificed everything for. As season two begins, Cat reunites with Vincent after last season’s abduction – but not in the way she planned. He’s changed: his scar has disappeared, his memory has been wiped clean, and he returns as a supercharged beast on a mysterious mission. Cat needs to unravel the reasons behind Vincent’s change if she has any hope of recovering their epic love, while also trying to solve the secrets that swirl around her own life. With the help of friends J.T., Tess and reformed ADA Lowan, Cat is determined to get answers and save her soul-mate. ”
(Source: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/beauty-and-the-beast/about )
Tuesday Nights
8 PM ~ 9 PM: The Originals (1st Season; Freshman)
“Family is power. The Original Vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together, always and forever. Now, centuries have passed, and the bonds of family are broken. Time, tragedy and hunger for power have torn the Original Family apart.
Klaus Mikaelson, the original vampire-werewolf hybrid, has returned to New Orleans, the city his family helped build, the city from which he and his siblings – Elijah and Rebekah – were exiled a century ago by their relentless hunter father. Drawn back by a mysterious tip that a plot is brewing against him in the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter, Klaus is surprised that the city still feels like home to him despite the decades he’s been away. Curious as to why Klaus would return to the one place he swore he would never set foot again, Elijah follows his brother and learns that the beautiful and rebellious werewolf Hayley – Klaus’ onetime flame – has also come to the French Quarter searching for clues to her family history. Hayley has fallen into the hands of a powerful witch named Sophie Deveraux. When Sophie reveals to the brothers the almost unbelievable news that Hayley is carrying Klaus’ unborn child, Elijah realizes that the Original family has been given a second chance at humanity and the redemption they desperately crave.”
(Read More → http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-originals/about )
9 PM ~ 10 PM: Supernatural (9th Season)
“Season Nine begins with the fallout from the angels’ descent to Earth. Sam and Dean are faced with a world inhabited by thousands of powerful beings who immediately begin to form their own agendas. Before they can tackle the threat of the “loose nukes” roaming the countryside, Sam and Dean must face their most personal battle yet. Meanwhile, Castiel awakes to find himself more vulnerable than he’s ever been. As the threat of the angels escalates, the boys are tasked with finding a way to reopen the gates of Heaven and send the Host packing. But a dark secret hangs over Dean’s head – has he finally crossed the line to protect his family?
From Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” “The O.C.”), Robert Singer (“Midnight Caller”), Jeremy Carver (“Being Human”), Phil Sgriccia and Adam Glass.”
(Read more → http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural/about )
Wednesday Nights
8 PM ~ 9 PM: Arrow (2nd Season; Sophomore)
“After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance.
“As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be – flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle – while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel’s father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver’s own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.”
(Read more → http://www.cwtv.com/shows/arrow/about )
9 PM ~ 10 PM: The Tomorrow People (1st Season; Freshman)
“They are the next evolutionary leap of mankind, a generation of humans born with paranormal abilities – the Tomorrow People. Stephen Jameson stands at the crossroads between the world we know and the shifting world of the future. Up until a year ago, Stephen was a “normal” teenager – until he began hearing voices and teleporting in his sleep, never knowing where he might wake up. Now, Stephen’s issues have gone far beyond the usual teenage angst, and he is beginning to question his sanity. In desperation, Stephen decides to listen to one of the voices in his head, and it leads him to his first encounter with the Tomorrow People — John, Cara and Russell — a genetically advanced race with the abilities of telekinesis, teleportation and telepathic communication. The Tomorrow People are being hunted down by a paramilitary group of scientists known as Ultra.
“Led by Dr. Jedikiah Price, Ultra sees the Tomorrow People as a very real existential threat from a rival species, and the outcast group has been forced to hide out in an abandoned subway station just beneath the surface of the human world. Trading in secrets, Jedikiah offers Stephen the chance for a normal life with his family and best friend, Astrid, if he will help in the struggle to isolate and eradicate the Tomorrow People. On the other hand, Cara, John and Russell offer Stephen a different type of family and a home where he truly belongs. Unwilling to turn his back on humanity or the world of the Tomorrow People, Stephen sets out on his own path – a journey that could take him into the shadowy past to uncover the truth about his father’s mysterious disappearance, or into an unknown future with THE TOMORROW PEOPLE.”
(Read more → http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-tomorrow-people/about )
Thursday Nights
8 PM ~ 9 PM: The Vampire Diaries (5th Season)
“In the tumultuous fourth season of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, the world of Mystic Falls was turned upside down when the beautiful and compassionate Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) came face-to-face with her worst nightmare – life as a vampire. While Elena struggled to control her new powers and the overwhelming thirst for blood, the astonishing news that a cure for vampirism may actually exist reached Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) Salvatore, the two vampire brothers who love her. Their search for the cure leads the brothers, along with Elena’s brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) and her best friends Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Caroline (Candice Accola), to a horrifying confrontation with the ancient and all-powerful immortal, Silas, who has been entombed with the cure for more than 2,000 years.
“But Elena isn’t the only vampire who longs to return to life as a human, and the question of who will take the cure is resolved in the heart-stopping season finale, along with moments of unexpected joy, unspeakable sorrow, and a confession of true love. The series heads into its fifth season with some characters headed off to college, a newly cured vampire trying to survive as a human, and a shocking Salvatore secret. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. The series was developed by Kevin Williamson (“The Following,” “Scream”) & Julie Plec (“Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), who serve as executive producers along with Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Pretty Little Liars”) and Caroline Dries (“Melrose Place,” “Smallville”).”
(Source: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-vampire-diaries/about )
9 PM ~ 10 PM: Reign (1st Season; Freshman)
“Hidden between the lines of the history books is the story of Mary Stuart, the young woman the world would come to know as Mary, Queen of Scots. The teenage Mary is already a headstrong monarch ─ beautiful, passionate and poised at the very beginning of her tumultuous rise to power.
Arriving in France with four close friends as her ladies-in-waiting, Mary has been sent to secure Scotland’s strategic alliance by formalizing her arranged engagement to the French king’s dashing son, Prince Francis. But the match isn’t signed and sealed, it depends more on politics, religion and secret agendas than affairs of the heart. Prince Francis is intrigued by the fiery Scot, but like most young men, he resists the idea of settling down into marriage, especially when he has a history with a lady of the court and his own point of view on the wisdom of an alliance with Scotland. Still, an attraction between Mary and Francis is ignited.”
(Read more → http://www.cwtv.com/shows/reign/about )
Please note that Reign is in fact historically inaccurate. The producer and director purposely wanted to change the history of King Henry VIII because they believe it would give the show more appeal. I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from watching the show; just warning future viewers beforehand.
Friday Nights:
8 PM ~ 9 PM: The Carrie Diaries (2nd Season)
“It’s the summer of 1985, and, for the first time, 17-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) can call Manhattan home. After her boyfriend Sebastian (Austin Butler) and best friend Maggie (Katie Findlay) betrayed her, Carrie is happy to accept the offer to spend the summer living in the downtown loft apartment of her Interview magazine boss Larissa (Freema Agyeman). But as summer turns to fall and Carrie heads into her senior year, she and her friends and family discover that letting go of old loves and embracing new dreams comes with some tough new realities but also incredible new opportunities. Based on the novels “The Carrie Diaries” and “Summer and the City” by Candace Bushnell, THE CARRIE DIARIES is from Fake Empire in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Amy B. Harris (“Sex and the City,” “Gossip Girl”), Josh Schwartz (“Hart of Dixie,” “Gossip Girl”), Stephanie Savage (“Hart of Dixie,” “Gossip Girl”), Len Goldstein (“Hart of Dixie”) and Candace Bushnell.”
(Source: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-carrie-diaries/about )
Starting November 22nd at 9 PM ~ 10 PM: Nikita (in its last season; only 5 episodes)
“When Nikita (Maggie Q, “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Mission Impossible 3”) was a troubled teenager on death row, she was “recruited” by a secret U.S. black ops program known only as Division. They faked her execution and turned her into an assassin. Nikita never lost her humanity, and when she learned that Division was a corrupt organization, she went rogue, exposing their covert operations, destroying their plans, righting their wrongs.
“Two years later, she finds herself working for a new Division, fighting alongside a team of allies she’s gathered throughout her adventures. They have vowed to clean up the mess left behind by the old Division – rogue spies, violent assassins – Nikita is hunting down killers just as skilled as she is.
“In her campaign to end Division’s legacy, Nikita teamed with Michael (Shane West, “ER,” “Once and Again,” “A Walk to Remember”). He’s the man who trained her – and the man who loves her. A stalwart soldier in the fight, Michael is determined to build a life for himself and Nikita, a life beyond the turmoil of their day jobs.”
(Read more → http://www.cwtv.com/shows/nikita/about )
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Mind you, I know all of the current TV shows are nearing their midseason finales but if you haven’t seen the first season (or any season), I suggest you give each series 5 episodes before you decide whether or not they are worth your time. All of the non-freshman CW series can be found on Netflix and/or you can buy the seasons (even the current ones) on Amazon or iTunes.
If you do in fact watch any or all of these TV shows, please vote for your top two favorite shows!
