CW Now

CW Now is a news program/news magazine series which premiered on The CW on September 23, 2007. It was a brand extension of the syndicated Telepictures news magazine Extra, and featured anchors and correspondents from that show, including co-hosts Mario Lopez and Tanika Ray. The program was devoted to topics of interest to young adults (ages 18–29, the audience targeted by the network), including entertainment news and technology topics, sometimes drawn from Extra itself, setting up the latter to inexplicably compete with the latter's own weekend edition.

CW Now
Logo of CW Now
Created byDonnie Wahlberg
StarringJ Boogie
Tanika Ray
Donnie Wahlberg
Nina Dobrev
Stephen Amell
Paul Wesley
Jake Picking
James Harvey Ward
Will Estes
Bug Hall
Taylor Momsen
Candice King
Melissa Ponzio
Elizabeth Blackmore
Jessica Stroup
Chris Brochu
Michael Trevino
Rob Wiethoff
Bianca Santos
Sean Faris
Erik Von Detten
Melody Kay
Alyssa Diaz
Riley Smith
Persia White
Torrey Devitto
Marguerite MacIntyre
Annie Wersching
Ned Luke
Roger Clark
Melissa Fumero
Kaili Vernoff
Kayla Ewell
Scarlett Byrne
Megan Tandy
Michaela McManus
David Gallagher
David Anders
Malese Jow
Nicole Fiscella
Marnette Patterson
Ana Nogueira
Alex Mckenna
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes23
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companyWarner Horizon Television
Release
Original networkThe CW
Original releaseSeptember 23, 2007 (2007-09-23) 
February 24, 2008 (2008-02-24)

Show description and advertising concept

During The CW's first upfront presentation, network executive Dawn Ostroff announced to advertisers that they would pursue a then-new advertising strategy for the series (resembling the current day concept of native advertising combined with an advertorial), which the network called "CWickies" (pronounced quickies). Under the concept, an advertiser's content would be blended into the program rather than the show taking traditional commercial breaks, allowing the show to make the incorrect claim that it would be "commercial-free" in the traditional sense.

Only Walmart would truly take advantage of the format with their products blended into every episode of CW Now, and comedian Lewis Black mocked the concept in a "Back in Black" monologue on The Daily Show's September 26, 2007 episode. The "CWickies" concept would also be tried for the commercial breaks between Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars on Tuesday evenings in a more traditional ad format (this time tying in with American Eagle Outfitters's aerie underwear brand), where it also failed to attract interest due to the target audience of each series finding the conversations between actors in "CWickies" ads about aerie and the plot points in those two series unnatural and stilted.

The show was produced by Telepictures and Warner Horizon Television.

Reception

On the January 20, 2008 episode, CW Now received a 0.2/0 in the 18–49 demo. The zero share was a record low for the network. A repeat of Aliens in America (which followed CW Now) received even lower ratings with only a 0.1/0 in the 18–49 demo. Against Super Bowl XLII on Fox on February 3, 2008, the show set the network's all-time ratings nadir, with a 0.1/0 in the 18–49 demo, a 0.3/0 in the households, and only 349,000 viewers.

Cancellation

On February 8, 2008, The CW announced that CW Now would be going on hiatus, though only five days later, it was announced that the February 24, 2008 episode would be the series finale.[1] The show was replaced with encores of America's Next Top Model.[2]

References

  1. "CW Now" Canceled, Hollywood Reporter, February 14, 2008
  2. Breaking News - The CW Adds "Top Model" Encore, Benches "Now", The Futon Critic, February 8, 2008
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