The CW at TCA: “Everwood” and the Power of Emotional Connectivity

The final panel of the day was for Everwood the drama that largely launched the careers of creatorexecutive producer Greg Berlanti and stars Gregory Smith Rookie Blue Emily VanCamp Revenge Chris Pratt Guardians of the Galaxy and Justin Baldoni Jane the Virgin among othersamp160 amp160It was included in the CWamp8217s day for several reasonsamp160 Its enduring popularity and that of its cast with TCA members the fact that The CW is going to begin running it on its streaming site CW Seed and simply to call renewed attention to the latterIt proved to be one of the most popular sessions of the summer tour to dateEverwood pulsed with contemporary family drama and human emotion in a way no other series had done since the arrival last season of NBCamp8217s This Is Us Comparisons between the two were inevitableamp8220As a viewer I am very happy for shows like This Is Us and as somebody who gets to make TV Iamp8217m really happy for shows like This Is Usamp8221 Berlanti saidBerlanti choked up when he was asked to reflect on the experience of making Everwoodamp160 Throughout the session many of his cast members choked up as well while classic clips from the show had more than a few critics misty with nostalgia amp160amp8220Iamp8217m sorry This is an emotional day for meamp8221 he beganamp160 amp8220The show obviously was about coming of age amp160I was so lucky that I made it when I did at the beginning of my career amp160Iamp8217m very blessed amp160Iamp8217ve been really proud to work on a lot of things Iamp8217ve worked on since but I think probably people that know this show probably know me better in that way amp160It was very personal And every four or five years I try and do something thatamp8217s as personal againamp8220But it was dealing with a lot of themes from that point of view at that moment in my life that were resonant to me getting out of high school how to navigate life as a single parent things that the Everwood community was dealing withamp160 I wanted to put on television subject matter that was in the news but not necessarily reflected in dramas amp160I think the cornerstone of it was this notion that tragedy makes us real you know and that we suffer tragedy and we overcome it and we become you know richer deeper more meaningful people amp160I hadnamp8217t suffered a lot of those things when I was 29 years old and wrote this show amp160Iamp8217ve gone through a lot of them since amp160I think about how differently I see things now than at the time we made Everwoodamp160 amp160I was really blessed to create itamp8221Earlier the day kicked off with CW President Mark Pedowitz pictured below who began by joking amp8220I can answer the Supernatural question now amp160amp8216As long as the boys want to do it and the ratings hold Supernatural will stay on the airamp8217amp8221amp160 He was referring to the question asked of him at every TCA tour about the seemingly unstoppable horror drama which actually began its run on The WB two years after Everwood beganamp160 It is the only firstrun show on The CW today that began its life on either The WB or UPNThere was much interest in Valor which is one of many military dramas set to debut on broadcast and cable networks in the months aheadamp160 The others include Seal Team on CBS and The Long Road Home on National Geographicamp8220Valor is extending The CW brandamp8221 Pedowitz saidamp160 amp8220Iamp8217ve wanted to do a military drama for the last six years amp160This is our third attempt to do one amp160We believe we have the right mix for the show now amp160At the end of the day itamp8217s going to be a great soap on top of it having a military background amp160amp8220I found when I was involved with ABC Studios doing the Lifetime military drama Army Wives people wanted to see these types of showsamp8221 he continuedamp160 amp8220I have always felt military shows worked amp160In this very fractionalized country more people support the military than not and will give a show like this a shotamp8221Although it is also a soap Dynasty amp8211 a remake of the monster hit from the amp821680s is another animal altogetheramp160 Critics wondered why The CW is interested in adding it to its schedule and whether or not the young audience the network pursues is even aware of the originalamp160 amp8220The answer to that question is when Josh Schwartz Stephanie Savage and Sallie Patrick came to us with the pitch we werenamp8217t going to say no to themamp8221 Pedowitz explainedamp160 amp8220Sallie came off Revenge amp160Josh and Stephanieamp8217s pedigree with The OC and Gossip Girl is impeccable amp160They can put a new twist on a brand that Dynasty creators Richard and Esther Shapiro did back in the amp821780s amp160Itamp8217s about the 1 percent of the 1 percent amp160Itamp8217s fun amp160Itamp8217s escapism amp160We thought as part of our mix weamp8217re losing Vampire Diaries weamp8217re losing Reign and we want to keep more women watching usamp8221But why not a fresh new serial critics wanted to knowamp160 Why yet another reboot or retread a trend that is sweeping broadcast television of late generally with lessthespectacular resultsamp160 amp8220Dynasty gives us an IPamp8221 Pedowitz notedamp160 amp8220It gives you a hook to at least get the conversations going amp160We know that thereamp8217s an audience for it post45 amp160For those younger than 45 it becomes a questionamp160 Is this a new show for them amp160We hope it isamp8221Pedowitz was asked if he shared the opinions expressed by Turneramp8217s Kevin Reilly earlier in the tour about an inevitable contraction in the number of networks vying for audience attention todayamp8220All I can tell you is for many years since Iamp8217ve been in the industry from a broadcasting point of view theyamp8217ve been saying broadcasting is deadamp8221 he repliedamp160 amp8220Itamp8217s far from deadamp8220I think cable is going through contractionsamp8221 he continuedamp160 amp8220Weamp8217ve seen this before Kevin came out and spoke about it amp160There will be contraction amp160Itamp8217s just the nature of the beastamp160 But the one thing I am confident of is that the way The CW is situated today as a multiplatform player itamp8217s going to be around for a hell of a long timeamp8221Click on the social media tiles above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively those of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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The CW at TCA: “Everwood” and the Power of Emotional Connectivity

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The CW at TCA: “Everwood” and the Power of Emotional Connectivity

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