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 by | Donnie Wahlberg |
| Starring | J 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 origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 23 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Horizon Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | The CW |
| Original release | September 23, 2007 – February 24, 2008 |
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
- "CW Now" Canceled, Hollywood Reporter, February 14, 2008
- Breaking News - The CW Adds "Top Model" Encore, Benches "Now", The Futon Critic, February 8, 2008
