Kids In Expensive Clothes: The CW Finds Secret To Success

New York Times:

CW, the part-time television network that a year ago looked like much less than the sum of the two mini-networks from which it emerged, is offering a few indications this fall that it may have found a key to survival: high school kids in expensive clothes.

Thanks largely to the popularity that two teencentric shows, "Gossip Girl" and "90210," have forged with a young female audience, CW Network seems to have developed both a brand identity and some promising ratings in the first two months of the television season.

And not a moment too soon. Last year, as CW executives contemplated week after week of bad numbers, both in revenues and ratings, they found themselves choking on incongruity. How could they have one of the most talked-about shows on television in "Gossip Girl" and almost no viewers to show for it?

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Tamoomoo]

I am 30 and I watch 90210. I admit it. I'm annoyed with the show, though, they've been on hiatus for three weeks and it just started last month. I don't get it.

[happycat]

I don't watch it? How does it compare to the original? I was addicted to that one.

[BlackJAC]

A lot of shows go on hiatus or into reruns in October due to the baseball playoffs and the World Series.

[happycat]

I am so thankful that my kid's school in NYC makes them wear a uniform. It makes life as a parent so much easier. The pressure for kids these days is hard enough. I hope that when my kids become teens they manage to stay true to themselves and to the values that they were taught. My husband and I feel very comfortable saying "no" to our kids. Parents who indulge every materialistic wish that their child has in the long run is going to cause a lot of harm.

[rini]

My thirteen year old daughter loves "Gossip Girl."

To me these kids are old conformist preppie types with horrible values. My daughter thinks they are cool. I guess my aging hipster ways are not the thing now.

Arghhh!!!

[rektruax]

Arghhh!!! indeed. As Lenny Bruce said, "there's nothing sadder than an old hipster". So I don't even try.

My 13 year old really likes that program too. It's bad... Really bad. About as vacant and insipid as it gets. That goes for the "music" she likes too. Oh well...

My folks didn't appreciate my love of Vampire flix and Mahavishnu Orchestra either.

[BlackJAC]

Relax. The show will jump the shark after the high school graduation episode like all teen soap operas do, and it will be cancelled shortly thereafter. She'll also outgrow it because what's really cool at 15-20 becomes really pathetic at 30.