Brad Schwartz

For CW, it’s been a brisk transformation

This was a quick change, sort of like Superman in a phone booth or The Flash anywhere.
Less than two years ago, CW was the network of superheroes and such. Superman was in Smallville, Jughead was in a gang, Batgirl was in charge, The Flash was in a hurry..
And now? The network is a mash-up of cops, crooks and Canadians (lots of Canadians), plus golfers, wrestlers and more. It has shed most of its old shows, with a few exceptons, including “Walker” (shown here), which returns soon. It also shed its brand image.
“What is NBC’s brand?” Brad Schwartz, the CW program chief, asked the Television Critics Association. “What is CBS’ brand? What is ABC’s brand? What is Fox’s brand?” Read more…

CW’s solution for summer and fall: O, Canada

Maybe the “C” in the CW network stands for “Canada.” Consider the moves this week:
— One day, CW announced an ambitious summer schedule that includes four scripted shows from Canada, three new and one (“Family Law”) returning.
— The next, it said another Canadian show will be on its fall schedule. “The Spencer Sisters” (shown here) will star Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber as mother-and-daughter detectives. Read more…