here's the scoop from the CW (updated with full press release):
THE CW ANNOUNCES ALL ORIGINAL EPISODES
OF MONDAY NIGHT DRAMAS
FROM JANUARY THROUGH MAY
NEW DRAMA “Life Unexpected”
PREMIERES JANUARY 18, 2010
JOINING HIT SERIES “One Tree Hill” AND “Gossip Girl”
IN MONDAY NIGHT ROTATION
November 11, 2009 (Burbank, CA) ? The CW Network announced today it will air all-original episodes of three series – Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and the new drama Life Unexpected – on Monday nights from mid-January through May 2010. The three series will air in a revolving schedule as follows:
The network’s new drama series, Life Unexpected, will premiere Monday, January 18 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET), following the return of original episodes of One Tree Hill that night in the 8:00-9:00 p.m. timeslot.
On March 8, Life Unexpected will move to the 8:00-9:00 p.m. timeslot, followed by the return of original episodes of the pop-culture sensation Gossip Girl from 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET. On April 19, after Life Unexpected has completed its initial 13-episode run, the Monday-night schedule will finish the broadcast season with One Tree Hill at 8:00 p.m. and Gossip Girl at 9:00 p.m.
Gossip Girl is The CW’s number one series in W18-34 (3.4/8). This week’s episode of One Tree Hill hit or matched season highs.
Life Unexpected is the story of 15-year-old Lux (Britt Robertson, “Swingtown”), who, after spending her life bouncing from one foster family to another, has decided it’s time to become an emancipated minor. Her journey through the legal maze leads Lux to her biological parents, Nate “Baze” Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha, “Mad Men”) and Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby, “E.R.”). When a judge unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to make a belated attempt to give Lux the family she deserves. Life Unexpected is produced by Mojo Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Liz Tigelaar (“Brothers and Sisters,” “What About Brian”), Janet Leahy (“Boston Legal,” “Gilmore Girls”) and Gary Fleder (“October Road”).
One Tree Hill was created by Mark Schwahn and is executive produced by Schwahn, Joe Davola, Greg Prange, Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins. “One Tree Hill” is a Mastermind Laboratories and Tollin/Robbins Production in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Filmed in New York and based on the popular series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, Gossip Girl is from College Hill Pictures and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Josh Schwartz (“Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“The O.C.”), Bob Levy (“The Vampire Diaries”), Leslie Morgenstein (“The Vampire Diaries”), John Stephens (“Gilmore Girls,” “The O.C.”) and co-executive producer Joshua Safran.
The Monday midseason rotation will be as follows:
January 18 – March 1
8:00-9:00 pm One Tree Hill
9:00-10:00 pm Life Unexpected
March 8 – April 12
8:00-9:00 pm Life Unexpected
9:00-10:00 pm Gossip Girl
April 19 – Season Finales
8:00-9:00 pm One Tree Hill
9:00-10:00 pm Gossip Girl
Does this have any sense at all?
I actually think this is a good move… Because the only two other available options were Tuesdays @ 9 after Melrose airs its 18 episodes, or Wednesdays @ 9 after ANTM – which means it would go up against Idol and would have virtually no chance of success. OTH (as bad as it is) might actually serve as a very good lead-in because out of all the CW shows, OTH is the most compatible with LUX…
WTF. Taking GG and OTH off the air for 6 weeks is a good idea?
Of course it does! Don’t you know that youngsters have no attention span? This will liven things up! Keep them watching!
they all suck except supernatural anyways
LOL
Why don’t they just cancel Melrose, move Gossip Girl to Tuesdays at 9pm and put Life UneXpected on Mondays at 9pm? It’s not that difficult. One Tree Hill seems more compatible with the new show than GG and GG would be fine at a new timeslot.
And apparently no chance of a back 9 for LuX?
Charmin, Idol airs at 8 this season.
Brad, absolutely no chance of a back 9, but I’m not sure how typical it is for mid-season shows to get full season orders.
But no back 9 isn’t an indictment in this case. Whether there will be a season 2 will be determined by the ratings.
Considering Lux is debuting in January (and for 13 episodes) I thought maybe it had a chance of getting an additional 5. Oh well. Guess those crappy “reality” shows will show up in Melrose’s spot (if that does not get 4 additional eps) and/or after ANTM.
While I like the idea in theory of having all of Life Unexpected air without a break, and without repeats, it seems …jarring, I guess, to split the time periods like that. I mean, viewers get used to watching it at 9 for six weeks, and then you swap it to 8? And expect people to follow it? Or expect new viewers to join in? Seems really weird. Although I don’t really have another solution, because if they left it at 9, when Gossip Girl returned, they’d have to place that at 8, which would probably tick off the GG viewers.
Wait, so OTH will have no new episodes for 6 weeks and then they’re just going to air the finale?? I don’t think that’s smart. Just finish the OTH season on March 8, and then air LUX and GG together until April 19th. I feel like airing the OTH finale just randomly like that will ensure that no viewers turn in.
Oh god this is the worst idea EVER! I’m glad that Dawn is so focused on Gossip Girl that she doesn’t have time to fuck up with Supernatural’s scheduling.
What I don’t get is why they don’t just run LUX at 8pm the whole time rather than moving it around. It seems like it’d be a lot more family-friendly than OTH or GG too.
Also surprised that, in the interim, GG or OTH don’t move to Wed. to pair with Top Model or something.
Wow, this show sounds awful. Bring back Privileged!
Does it means that we will not have new episodes of GG since november until march??I cannot believe it!!
looooooooooooool one tree hill will air all episodes wxcept for the finale will air after 6 weeks , who is the stupid person who made this idea ?
@Tony -
OTH can’t finish in March because as a regular CW show, it needs to run during May sweeps.
@chicc_o -
OTH is going to have mini breaks from now through to January (there’s a 2 week hiatus after episode 10), which will mean that there will be around 4-5 episodes to burn off during April and May sweeps.
Has the CW said how many episodes they ordered of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill? They both should each have 12 episodes aired by the end of 2009.
The CW wants Life Unexpected to have a lead-in and not compete against House, at least before it gets an audience.