CW Upfront: No Gossip Girl Spin-Off, Ashton Kutcher NYC Fashion Drama Green Light

Posted on: Thursday, May 21st, 2009
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Okay, first things first: check out Blake and Leighton arriving at the CW upfront wearing dueling short shorts. Now to the fall sked:

On Wednesdays, as expected, the CW is putting together a fashion-themed night, with “America’s Next Top Model” leading into new Ashton Kutcher-produced drama “The Beautiful Life,” which centers on the world of models in New York…

Meanwhile, in what came down to an 11th hour decision, the CW opted to order for midseason the drama “Parental Discretion Advised” (formerly known as “Light Years”), a drama from Liz Tigelaar about a girl who finds her biological parents.

Decision came down to the wire because the netlet had all but agreed to put the 1980s-themed “Gossip Girl” spinoff in the midseason slot. The CW went back and forth on which show to pick up, finally settling on “Parental Discretion” just a day or so before the upfront announcement.

Ostroff said the CW finally picked “Parental” because it was looking to balance out its heavy dose of sudsers with a show lighter in tone.

But she also didn’t close the door on picking up the “Gossip Girl” spinoff; CW will make a decision on that show in the coming weeks.

“We only shot six pilots, and every one of them was a real contender for us,” Ostroff said. “This is the toughest we’ve ever had in figuring out what to pick up… I’d love to find a place (for the spinoff) as the season goes on.”

The only night staying pat is Monday, where “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill” continue.