The CW: Net expands to five nights of originals with addition of ‘Nikita,’ ‘Hellcats,’ others

By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/24/2010 12:01:00 AM

The CW, the little network with big stars (as evidenced by the crush of autograph seekers barricaded behind the network’s upfront green carpet), is expanding, adding a fifth night of original content next season for 10 hours of original programming. It is the biggest menu of originals in the net’s history.

Dawn Ostroff, The CW’s president of entertainment, said the network has grown “one hit at a time,” and when executives weighed new contenders against returning content, including last year’s breakout drama The Vampire Diaries, there was nowhere to go but into Friday. Next season, instead of reruns on Friday, The CW will have the 10th and final season of Smallville at 8 p.m., followed by Supernatural at 9 p.m.

New drama Hellcats, about a law student who joins her college’s cheerleading squad to get a scholarship, will air on Wednesday, after America’s Next Top Model. And second new drama Nikita, starring Maggie Q, will join the lineup Thursday, after Vampire Diaries.

Unscripted makeover show Plain Jane debuts in July, while Shedding for the Wedding, a reality series about couples trying to lose weight for their wedding, is targeted for midseason.

At its upfront presentation, Ostroff touted The CW’s young, digital-savvy viewers who watch CW shows online. The network, she said, is “TV for Generation D,” as in digital: “The CW reaches viewers in the new paradigm.”