CW Importing UK Reality TV For Summer?

COMMENTS (17)

• It’s too bad they can’t just get the rights to retransmit some British dramas. I know Merlin wasn’t the biggest hit for NBC, but this is The CW we’re talking about, and to see Doctor Who or Torchwood in primetime – or even the UK version of Being Human – would be fantastic.

  After all, aren’t Warner Bros. and BBC allied somehow with DVD distribution? Might be worth looking into. Especially with BBC Worldwide still seeming interested in Torchwood redux for the U.S… it’d be a good testing ground.

  Comment by Craig — Wednesday April 21, 2010 @ 9:56pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Really starting to wonder again about the viability of the CW. I think they just started to make money (someone correct me if I am wrong) and now perhaps since their ratings are so drastically down they are not again? This just seems like another cost saving measure – though a pretty drastic one.

  Comment by TV101 — Wednesday April 21, 2010 @ 10:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Channel loses over $100MM a year. They say they recoup on after market sales, but it’s been the carry-over WB/UPN programming that’s been driving that train. Other than GOSSIP GIRL, no CW produced product has lasted long enough to make it to after market. As stated, this is a savings based decision.

    Comment by Paw — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 2:15pm PDT  Reply to this post

• So I’m guessing the programs will center on rich, spoiled, Caucasian teenagers from the UK.. That would be some bloody cup of tea.

  Comment by Really? — Wednesday April 21, 2010 @ 10:45pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • They do have a few of those in the UK, but the kids get their comeuppance, usually sent off to Africa or India to see what their spending does to the ecomomies of the areas.

    Better than the ass-kissing CW is doing with that Tinsley Mortimer thing.

    Comment by Joe Bua — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 1:35pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Why not give it a try? It’s better to recycle than to make garbage.

  Comment by John — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 12:37am PDT  Reply to this post

• What is meant by “retransmissioning”?

  Comment by Brian — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 4:08am PDT  Reply to this post

• Wow, that sounds like a programming decision only a finance executive could love.

  Comment by Z-Dog — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 5:24am PDT  Reply to this post

• Is this why the CW is such a runaway succcess? This kind of “innovative” thinking is a death knell.

  Comment by Jake Gittes — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 7:53am PDT  Reply to this post

• Turnabout is fair play – since BBC America essentially did the same thing by showing Season 2 of the US version of “Dancing With the Stars” in 2008!

  This year they are expanding into the non-reality branch by showing Season 3 of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

  Comment by Znachki — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 8:47am PDT  Reply to this post

• they could air “Paris Hiltons British Best Friend”

  Comment by Anonymous — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 9:14am PDT  Reply to this post

• Is this an indictment of Justin and what’s her name?

  Jesus. Clean up in aisle 2.

  Comment by I mean... — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 9:29am PDT  Reply to this post

• With Leno and HBO repurposing “Funny or Die” video and SHO showing Lisa Kudrow’s web series, we should worry about what’s going on here in the states.

  Networks are looking for cheaper ways to get contact. re-airing British show is something that should’ve been tried a long time ago.
  Next they will be showing videos of people getting hit in the nuts.

  Comment by DS — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 9:47am PDT  Reply to this post

• And now is there further proof that CW should cease as a network and Dawn Ostroff be shown the door once and for all? I mean, good grief!

  Comment by Tom — Thursday April 22, 2010 @ 3:49pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I believe this is a great idea, and a cost-saving one also. Millions of American’s download or stream the latest Doctor Who (which is a long-time mega hit over in the UK) why not show it to the americans in HD? rather then crappy 20inch monitor?

  I also agree with a fellow poster on here, UK’s version of ‘Being Human’ is fantastic!

  Comment by richard — Friday April 23, 2010 @ 5:20am PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m positively addicted to their Vampire Diaries show – it’s the first show I’ve ever watched on their channel.

  There are SO many UK shows that I’d LOVE to see available here! All the power to them – I hope it works.

  Comment by cloe — Sunday April 25, 2010 @ 1:22pm PDT  Reply to this post

• This would only make sense if it matched their current programming, a la “Skins.”

  Otherwise, they’re just running things that BBCA/Bravo already repeats 100x a day.

  (I so wish BBC America actually, you know, SHOWED what the BBC does.)

  Comment by Spike — Friday May 7, 2010 @ 11:06am PDT  Reply to this post