The CW sells off Sunday night lineup

[wamdue]

so basically theCW doesnt air on Sundays anymore, it becomes the MRC Channel

leaves me with a few questions like, Will it still be branded the CW?

seems kind of desperate to me.

The CW has contracted out its Sunday night programming to production company Media Rights Capital.

MRC will provide a block of shows, including two new comedies and two new dramas, details of which have not yet been announced.

The CW said the deal, which will take effect from the autumn, would allow it to focus on shows for weekday primetime slots.

"This is a strategic move by The CW that will give viewers more original programming on Sunday nights than we have ever had," said CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff. "As the leading independent producer of television programming, MRC will bring a slate of high-quality entertainment to our air on the most competitive night on television, while we will focus our resources and efforts on strengthening our Monday through Friday schedule."

Keith Samples, television president for MRC, added: "Our blend of comedy and drama will be exciting, accessible and a perfect fit for the network and its affiliate constituency."

 

[Christopher]

And this is after they've already farmed out their Saturday morning programming to 4Kids Entertainment (which means 4Kids will be competing against itself, since it programs FOX Saturday mornings as well). All this outsourcing doesn't speak well for the network's long-term viability.

 

[Kryton]

Hmm...for decades, way back into the classic old-time radio days, Sunday was the most coveted media night of the week--from Milton Berle and Jack Benny to Bonanza and the Ed Sullivan Show.

How things change, I guess!

 

[Cicero]

^ I can't remember the last time I watched a regular series on Sunday night, though I do remember very popular programs holding Sunday timeslots in the early 90s. Things must have changed fairly quickly.

 

[benny]

Sunday night is a tough time to program. In the fall, you're up against baseball playoffs and football. If that wasn't enough, Fox's animation block still brings in viewers and ABC is a formidable network on Sunday. It gets slightly easier in the spring, but you still have established shows airing new episodes.

CW and WB have never been good on Sunday night. Entirely too much competition. They might have done better just showing rebranded reruns like WB used to do. Oh well, it's done now.

 

[wamdue]

I wonder if we will find out about the MRC shows in the upfront (which should be soon)

 

[Kryton]

Wonder whether the affiliates are obligated to carry the lineup or if they have the option of going with syndication instead.

 

[cylkoth]

so basically theCW doesnt air on Sundays anymore, it becomes the MRC Channel

leaves me with a few questions like, Will it still be branded the CW?

seems kind of desperate to me.

Sunday will still be branded as the CW. This arrangement is no different than the early Smackdown years on UPN. The WWE bought the Thursday timeslot from UPN, selling the ad time themselves to recoup the investment. They finally reversed things a few years before the merger and started paying a license fee to the WWE, so they could collect more profits. It's been going on for years, just not in primetime, for scripted shows. Many niche sporting events, like motocross, had their organizations produce their telecastS, and bought the time on ABC, NBC, to air them.

 

[Bad Bishop]

"This is a strategic move by The CW that will give viewers more original programming on Sunday nights than we have ever had," said CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff. "As the leading independent producer of television programming, MRC will bring a slate of high-quality entertainment to our air on the most competitive night on television, while we will focus our resources and efforts on strengthening our Monday through Friday schedule."

Keith Samples, television president for MRC, added: "Our blend of comedy and drama will be exciting, accessible and a perfect fit for the network and its affiliate constituency."

I've never heard of MRC. I'm bracing myself for a slate of stinkers from them on Sunday nights.

This move is the clearest proof that The CW is a sinking ship.

 

[wamdue]

^ there is RUMOUR MRC might show Moonlight

 

[wamdue]

ok I found this

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/05/cw_media_rights_capital_set_up.php

The CW quietly revealed details of the four new shows likely to air on Sunday nights as part of its new Media Rights Capital-produced lineup.
Titles of the new shows flashed during the network's upfront party Tuesday. In an interview later, CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff confirmed that MRC has identified two dramas and two half-hour comedies it plans to program on Sundays.
Ms. Ostroff said it's possible the titles could change, but as of now, the four shows are:


—"F.A.T. City," a scripted procedural crime drama set in Las Vegas.
—"Valentine's Day," a "Cupid"-like romantic drama.
—Comedies "Murphy's Law" and "Surviving Suburbia."

 

[Temis the Vorta]

—"F.A.T. City," a scripted procedural crime drama set in Las Vegas.
—"Valentine's Day," a "Cupid"-like romantic drama.
—Comedies "Murphy's Law" and "Surviving Suburbia."

Well I guess they could have been more boring and unoriginal if they tried, but not by much.

 

[wamdue]

there are alot of people on this forum, who have made lots of posts saying theCW wont last past its first season, well so far its on its 3rd seasons, and is starting to get traction with its new shows, it even survived the strike.

However its Sunday nights, now farmed out to MRC, are a total disaster

(from Deadlinehollywooddaily)

I'm told that financier and producer Media Rights Capital has canceled two of the four shows it put on The CW after being given the rare opportunity to program a network's Sunday nights. Both Valentine and Easy Money had been put on hiatus with skeleton crews while more scripts were written. Now both series are on permanent hiatus, which is a nicer way of saying they've been cancelled. MRC still has authority to program Sunday nights on The CW for the entire 2008-2009 season so it'll be choosing two replacement shows right away.

how on earth are MRC going to survive this season? I would be amazed if they make it half way at this point, god only knows what these new shows will be.