Nellie Andreeva

cwUPDATE: I hear pilot Changelings (aka Betwixt) is dead. Amy Sherman Palladino’s pilot had been out of contention for a long time. And I hear HMS and Nomads have “minimal life” in them as the network has not made its midseason pickup decisions yet.

PREVIOUS: CW just picked up two new series, Nikita and Hellcats, and renewed both of its bubble series, One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected, while formally axing Melrose Place, which had had zero chance of returning. Nikita had been a frontrunner from the start and started making if-come deals with writers two weeks ago. As for Life Unexpected and One Tree Hill, Life Unexpected had a very soft launch in midseason but the network brass love the show creatively and see a growth potential in it. Meanwhile, veteran One Tree Hill has been very strong in the ratings lately, boosting its chances for renewal. Additionally, producing studio Warner Bros. TV secured an “if come” deal with creator/showrunner Mark Schwahn, now based at CBS Studios, which also helped the renewal decision.

 

NIKITA stars international action-film star and martial arts expert Maggie Q (“Mission Impossible III”) in the title role as a spy and assassin for a top secret U.S. government agency, who rebels against the system that created her and will stop at nothing to bring their powerful operation to an end. NIKITA is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers Craig Silverstein (“Bones,” “K-Ville”), Danny Cannon (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Chuck”), McG (“Supernatural,” “Chuck,” “The O.C.,” “Charlie’s Angels”), and Peter Johnson (“Supernatural,” “Chuck”). The pilot was directed by Danny Cannon. Co-starring are: Lyndsy Fonseca (“Desperate Housewives”), Shane West, Aaron Stanford, Ashton Holmes (“Boston Legal”), Tiffany Hines (“Bones”), Melinda Clarke (“The Vampire Diaries”) and Xander Berkeley (“24”)

HELLCATS is a coming-of-age drama about a you pre-law student (Aly Michalka, “Bandslam”) whose world is turned upside-down when she loses her scholarship and has to join the college’s competitive cheerleading squad.  This fun, energetic series is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama, politics and pressure surrounding the high school football program at a Southern university. HELLCATS is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Tom Welling Productions, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Murphy (“Desperate Housewives”), Tom Welling (“Smallville”) and Allan Arkush (“Heroes”).  The pilot was directed by Allan Arkush. Co-starring are: Ashley Tisdale (“High School Musical”), Heather Hemmens (“CSI: Miami”),  Robbie Jones (“One Tree Hill“),  Matt Barr (“Harper’s Island”), Sharon Leal (“Private Practice”) and Gail O’Grady (“NYPD Blue”)

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