Redemption

Week one of premiere month and all I have to say is the CW is bringing back some of the WB and redeeming itself in the process. After Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars were canceled I didn't know if I could watch any "new" shows on the CW. Then Gossip Girl came along last season and I realized one day a week I could tune in.

Fast forward a year and this Monday not only did Gossip Girl deliver a stellar opening to its sophomore season (minus the cougar storyline), but then One Tree Hill started with not only a Coldplay led soundtrack, but also the right girl was at the airport (I am looking over the creepy Dan storyline that I will have to fast forward through).

The "new" 90210 premiered Tuesday and I was surprised to find myself spending the first two days of premiere month glued to the CW. Familiar faces and even more familiar names, enough extravagance to make me want to date again (but only hot guys with their own jets and don't kiss on the first date), and new characters and story lines that keep close enough to the original not to alienate those of us die hards who not only watched every episode the first time, second time, and third time, but still tune in to SOAPnet for more. Plus a little mystery.... whose child is that blonde curly mopped child Kelly introduced as her son?

So, right not it looks like the CW is going to win 1/3rd of my viewing week. How did it happen? A departure from the reality shows and a return to hour long multi-generational dramadies. All three shows I watch have solid story lines for high schoolers and their parents. It seems that other networks have abandoned shows that will appeal to high school aged viewers and left that programming to the CW and MTV. Even Fox which made its name on the original 90210 has left that aspect of broadcasting behind. When they got big enough, they rid themselves of what set them apart... and the WB and eventually the CW stepped in. Let's hope the CW doesn't outgrow its fans too.

What a Way to Go - R.I.P. Veronica Mars

Tonight was the season series finale of Veronica Mars. Had you not been following the upfronts coverage from the last two weeks and known that Veronica Mars had in fact been canceled and that Kristen Bell had a new series, albeit the role of voice over, Gossip Girl for the CW next year, you might have missed the finale part of the series finale. This comes down to the writers only in part. The CW kept Veronica Mars in limbo until the last moment. The finale had been shot, edited, and in the can for weeks by the time the news came.

Word just a few weeks ago was the creators wanted to come back next season with it being 5 years in the future with a very different cast showing what Veronica became. They weren't given that shot, nor were they given the opportunity to say a proper farewell. I might have even dismissed that if the CW had at least given the traditional farewell through a cheesy montage of moments throughout the years and a thanks for watching after the credits rolled. There was nothing, NOTHING indicating this was the end.

Now don't get me wrong here. The episode was actually pretty good. It was good for a mid-season let's come back next week to resolve this, or possibly even a season finale... but not a SERIES FINALE! As a fan, I am disappointed, no not just disappointed, I'm angry and let down. I kept looking at the clock thinking are there really only 12 minutes left and nothing is tied up, certain, FINAL. The credits rolled and my b.p. kept rising. Then a commercial. Really, a commercial. Seriously, a commercial. At least with Gilmore Girls which was a so/so finale, but at least a finale, there was the heartwarming montage and thanks at the end. With Veronica Mars there was nothing. Have I said yet that there was nothing finale about the Veronica Mars finale?

Honestly, I am not a big fan of the cheesy montage, but the CW is and that is why I am so surprised it wasn't there. I didn't watch the season finale of 7th Heaven, but I would just about stake my television on there being a thanks for watching tagged onto the ending.

I asked before what we would like to see from the writers in a finale. Should they give us the ending we want, etc... Tonight the question goes to the network. What is their responsibility to the fans? If they can't give the show a heads up enough to write a proper series finale, what should be do to appease the masses? Should the cast and crew been given a shot to put together a proper finale aired at a later time?