For the past month, the CW has been advertising that we’d have new episodes of “Smallville” and “Supernatural” on the 28th of January.
So imagine my surprise to discover that they’re airing “Vampire Diaries” and “Nikita,” even though my DVR is still under the impression that it’s recording the originally intended programs.
Anyone else got this on their local stations? Anyone know what the hëll is going on?
PAD
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I read on “TV Squad” that CW decided to give Vampire Diaries and Nikita another airing on Friday because they were competing with American Idol on Thursday.
Have a look at http://www.tvline.com/2011/01/smallville-supernatural-returns-delayed-a-week/
→ don’t want to annoy fans in Chicago and Baltimore that did not get them yesterday.
Yup, same for me.
Nikita’s not a bad show, certainly a bright point for the CW.
Vampire Diaries… knows its audience. It’s 100% Twilight genre, no Buffy or even Moonlight to be found.
Kind of a bizarre programming switcharoo choice, but as long as they air the episodes eventually, I guess, what do I care?
Found this at Superherohype.com:
The CW will now air “Collateral” on February 4
The CW has announced that “Smallville” episode “Collateral” has been pushed back one week, from January 28th to February 4th. Here are the “Smallville”-related items from the press release:
– On Friday, January 28, (8:00-9:00 p.m.) an encore of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES episode titled “The Descent” will air in place of the previously announced SMALLVILLE episode titled “Collateral.”
Also, please note the following changes to schedule on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2:
– From 8:00-9:00 p.m., an encore of the SMALLVILLE episode “Icarus” will air in place of the previously announced episode of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES titled “The Descent.”
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2
“SMALLVILLE” – (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
“Icarus” (TV-14, V) (HDTV)
HAWKMAN AND STAR GIRL RETURN! – The VRA is in full effect and things take an unfortunate turn of events after the Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) tries to stop a mugging but is attacked by citizens for being a super hero. Clark (Tom Welling) discovers that the civilians who attacked Oliver were all marked with a darkness tattoo. Carter Hall (guest star Michael Shanks) and Star Girl (guest star Britt Irvin) return to help Clark deal with Slade’s (guest star Michael Hogan) re-emergence after he kidnaps Lois (Erica Durance). Cassidy Freeman also stars. Mairzee Almas directed the episode written by Genevieve Sparling (#3X6011).
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4
“SMALLVILLE” – (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
“Collateral” (TV-14, LV) (HDTV)
CHLOE SULLIVAN RETURNS TO SMALLVILLE – Clark (Tom Welling), Oliver (Justin Hartley), Lois (Erica Durance) and Dinah (guest star Alaina Huffman) are released by the VRA after being captured at Hawkman’s funeral but each of them have flashbacks of Chloe (Allison Mack) holding them against their will. When Chloe returns, Dinah warns the others that Chloe may now be a traitor. Oliver dismisses her concerns but Clark is unsure if he can trust Chloe after she disappeared without an explanation. Cassidy Freeman also stars. Morgan Beggs directed the episode written by Jordan Hawley. (#3X6012).
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11
“SMALLVILLE” – (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
“Beacon” (TV-14, V) (HDTV)
MARTHA KENT COMES HOME – Clark (Tom Welling) is surprised to see Martha (Annette O’Toole) on the news speaking at a pro-vigilante rally. However, surprise quickly turns to horror when he and Lois (Erica Durance) watch as Martha is injured in an attack on national television. Meanwhile, Lionel (John Glover) reveals himself to the world and reclaims LuthorCorp from Tess (Cassidy Freeman) and Oliver (Justin Hartley). Lois and Chloe (Allison Mack) decide to cheer Clark up by showing him videos from thousands of vigilante supporters professing their support for The Blur. Videos were created and submitted by actual “Smallville” fans. Mike Rohl directed the episode written by Don Whitehead & Holly Henderson (#3X6013).
Hope that helps!
deadline.com reported that the CW was pretty excited about how those shows they are repeating did and decided to try to squeeze some more viewers out by pushing the S/S evening back a week.
Plus, sweeps start next week. Why burn new episodes that “don’t count” when they can try to get viewers for their new shows that dared compete with Idol?
I got the same surprise as you did, PAD. I turned on my TV, expecting to watch Smallville, only to find that The Vampire Diaries was on. Okay, whatever. I’ll just watch Doctor Who (“Terror of the Autons”) until Supernatural comes on at 9.
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9 o’clock rolls around…
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Nikita?! What? What?? What???
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Fine. Whatever. At least the blog entry I wrote summarizing the current season of Smallville and Supernatural to date– which has yet to be posted because of technical difficulties– won’t appear after those shows come back from their long winter’s naps, after all.
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Wonder if fans of The Vampire Diaries and Nikita were aware of the schedule change. If not, it’d be ironic if some of them didn’t bother to turn on their sets, thinking their shows wouldn’t be on.
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I did watch a few minutes of Nikita before turning my attention back to Doctor Who. Maybe I’ll watch an entire episode some time.
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Gray64, you might want to post a spoiler warning next time you describe events in upcoming episodes.
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Michael Hogan as Slade Wilson, AKA the Terminator? Okay. I guess that works. Never thought, while watching Battlestar Galactica, “he should play the Terminator.” But then, I never thought, “you know, the Terminator should show up on Smallville.”
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I only saw Terminator in the “Icarus” episode, having missed his previous appearance(s?), so I don’t know how much his TV incarnation differs from the comics version. But Clark and company are calling him “Slade”, like they’re on a friendly, first name basis with him? I understand they also did that in a Teen Titans cartoon. Is that right? Seems a bit odd in both instances.
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And in the comics, for the last several years, everyone has apparently been calling him “Deathstroke”, instead of “Terminator.” Yeah, I know his full name is “Deathstroke the Terminator”, but he was called “Terminator” for well over a decade. And the character predated the film The Terminator by four years. So that can’t have anything to do with it. What? Did he decide that “Deathstroke” was a “kinder, gentler” name for a mercenary/soldier of fortune/assassin than “Terminator”?
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On the other hand, Garfield Logan, who was “Changeling” for the entire run of New Teen Titans, and who insisted in DC Comics Presents #26 (which offered a preview of the Titans) that his former name, “Beast Boy” was “for the birds”, has gone back to calling himself “Beast Boy.” Go figure.
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And why did Slade Wilson– who really should be addressed as “Mr. Wilson” by Clark, et al, since they’re not first-name level buddies– become the Terminator? I understand a neighborhood kid named Dennis drove him to it.
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Rick
For some weird reason, heroes keep calling him “Slade” in the comics too. I suppose it’s because it’s cooler-sounding and more distinctive than Wilson.
Maybe it’s to diminish him? If some bully in high school named Mervin started calling himself Kid Funky Fly wouldn’t you take every opportunity to call him Mervin to his face? Of course you wouldn’t, he’s a bully and would shove your head into the toilet. But that’s why it’s so cool to be s superhero.
To answer some of your questions, Rick…
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Fans of Vampire Diaries and Nikita really only had to be concerned if they were in the markets that pre-empted them the night before. For most of the country, those same episodes aired two nights in a row.
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As for Slade Wilson on Smallville, Lois, at least, calls him “Slade” because he’s an old family friend. Definitely a change in his origins, since the show’s tying him into this season’s Darkseid arc. And, yeah, the bloody awful Teen Titans cartoon called him “Slade,” too. As I understand, since the show was quite clearly aimed at kids, they opted not to use “Deathstroke” or “Terminator” because…well…no one dies in kiddie-fied, brain-numbing, dumbed-down, wanna-anime.
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Concerning his name in the comics, the use of “Deathstroke” seemed to pick up around the time he got his own book, back in ’91 – the same year that Terminator 2 was released. Between the movie and tie-in comics, the book was released under the character’s “full” name, and later became Deathstroke the Hunted. There’s been a gradual shift to using “Deathstroke” ever since.
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Yes…I’m a geek. What of it? 😉
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–Daryl
I caught Vampire Diaries when it first premiered with immediate dismissal that it was any good, but I was at someone else’s house. My friend’s wife was curious and so we mocked it, and then enjoyed Supernatural that followed (Supernatural being one of the most consistently awesome shows on tv— can’t say that for Smallville, which I also watch and am glad to see these last few seasons really take off).
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Anyway, it took six or so episodes for Vampire Diaries and its breakneck speed and ‘onion’ approach to storytelling to really snare me. But snare me it did. It is really an enjoyable show if you consider to watch it from the first episode onwards.
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Nikita is a show that I’m tempted to remove from my DVR, and yet after watching each new episode I’m too curious to give up on it and now intend to see where it goes by season end. I do know that those first half-dozen episodes were far too bland as the creators took the show way too seriously. They seem to have responded to criticism and loosening up.
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I have an RSS feed to IGN TV and had the heads-up about this encore airing of Vampire Diaries and Nikita. However, the cable box still recorded them thinking they were new Smallville and Supernatural episodes.
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PAD, I follow your RSS feed and enjoy your rather rare Cowboy Pete entries (even though I tend to gloss over the ones that are about shows I don’t watch), but I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned Supernatural before. I did a Google search of your site and it seems that a few of your fans enjoy the show. Do you watch it?
I gave up on watching Smallville back around, I think, the second season. I might have to start again, though, if Michael Hogan is going to be appearing on even a semi-regular basis.
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I do fear that Hogan might be headed for a bit of typecasting. Saul Tigh lost an eye during the Cylon occupation of New Caprica; Deathstroke only has one eye…
Yeah, that made me laugh when I realized it halfway through the ep. “Wait, doesn’t he only have one eye? Wonder if it’ll be the same eye when he invariably loses it here…” So he’s gone from a robot with one eye to… a guy with one eye and the same nickname as a more famous robot…
I never could work up the interest in Vampire Diaries, even though people say it’s not as horrible as it looks. I suppose because I like True Blood, and one vampire TV show at a time is enough for me. I like that in True Blood they don’t beat around the bush so much in regarding to sex.
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Nikita, well, I am really not into the spy/action genre, so I gave it a pass. The actress looks a lot hotter than the one in the old 1990s version, though.
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I’ve watched the entire first season of Supernatural, and I just didn’t see what people find so special about the show. It’s watchable, but mostly it’s just competent monster-of-the-week stuff. I can only assume that it gets a lot better in later seasons? Should I endure and buy the Season 2 DVD set?
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Just so people don’t think I’m a grumpy guy that don’t like anything, I still watch Smallville, even though the show had it’s ups and downs over the years.
I feel the same way about True Blood, in that since I watched Vampire Diaries first I’ll stick with it and pass on True Blood. Especially since the main actress’ accent in True Blood makes me hate her.
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Supernatural has an overarching mythology that was intended for a five season run. And I recall the first season having enough of that for it to be evident but without biting off more than the creators could reasonably assume it could deliver since the networks only renew one season at a time. You really do get a better idea of where it is going in season 2.
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As for Smallville, I’m surprised I went past the episode when Lex FINALLY did what he had to do in season 7. Getting to that point, with that horrid Lana Lang plot line that became nigh unbearable, was itself a miracle. I wish the CW fired Millar and Gough sooner.
I’ve never seen any of Vampire diaries, but i watched part of the first episode of True Blood and (as a fan of the Charlaine Harris books) switched it off in disgust.
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However, your remark that “…the main actress’ accent in True Blood makes me hate her” fascinates me – as an (almost) life-long denizen of the South (fifty-six of sixty-three years) and regular visitor to Louisiana, i was favourably impressed; loved the fact that the character with the best Southern/Louisiana accent in the series is played by a French-Canadian who grew up in New Zealand…
Well, something you have to understand about accents is, with no offense meant, sometimes they can grate on the nerves. Entirely irrational, true, but there you are. I’ve met folks who can’t stand Boston accents, Brooklyn accents, southern accents, etc. Something about ’em just puts you off. The opposite can be true too, of course; a lot of people say a posh English accent makes you sound intelligent, regardless of what you say (think of Bertie Wooster, after all).I myself find English Cockney accents particularly irritating, for no really good reason.
mike weber
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I’m from the South too and it isn’t the accent in particular that bothers me, just her portrayal of it.
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I agree with Gray64’s point. There are accents that I just cannot stand. I won’t name them, since that topic isn’t really relevant.
I started to watch Vampire Diaries. About halfway through the first ep, I asked myself if I’d be watching this if there weren’t vampires. Then I pointed out to myself that I wasn’t watching 90210, which I rather suspected was this without vampires. So, to avoid being a hypocrite, I turned it off.
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I’m pretty sure I don’t regret the decision overly much.
Well, Fringe was good last night.
“Fauxlivia” heh-heh
Did they actually use the name in the show? Because the recapper at Television Without Pity has been calling her “Fauxlivia” since the swap…
Yes, Peter says Walter came up with it.
Then that recapper is a reader of Michael Ausiello’s columns, now at TV Line after recently leaving Entertainment Weekly, who’s been using the term all along, as well.
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Chalk another one up for the “originality” at TWOP.
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–Daryl
You know, Daryl, Ausellio also reads TWoP, as well as the other way around.
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I think you’re letting your dislike for the site’s style of snark get in the way of your enjoyment of the show incorporating a clever term like that.
Admittedly, I have a bias against their “reviews,” based upon my experience with them, Jonathan. That experience doesn’t include seeing any examples of originality.
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So, absent seeing posts from TWOP and Ausiello with time/date stamps confirming which used the term first, I’m inclined to give Ausiello far more benefit of the doubt than TWOP. And, really, it’s not important enough in the grand scheme for me to try to find such time/date stamps.
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–Daryl
I watch Vampire Diaries, but I started only because I read the books way back when they first came out in the early 90’s. Of course, the show is nothing like the books, but then, the author also has absolutely nothing to do with the show. – Of course I had no idea they were replaying it. I wish I had because I miss the first half of Vampire Diaries due to watching Big Bang Theory.
Hah.
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/01/smallville-and-supernatural-bump-cw-decision-may-backfire.html
Some of the Facebook comments seemed to think that Smallville had been pre-empted because of the unrest in Egypt. Maybe something in the episode touched a nerve, with the Hawkman/Egyptian storyline being featured this season. However, re-airing Thursday night’s Vampire Diaries and Nikita to compensate for a rating massacre against American Idol makes sense makes sense.
Vampire Diaries has some promise, but bad acting from pretty people and too much time spent on teenybopper soap opera stuff nearly ruins the show. True Blood and the original British version Being Human are so much better. I haven’t seen enough of Syfy’s being Human knockoff yet to form an opinion.
I’m enjoying Nikita. Spending an hour looking at Maggie Q isn’t a terrible thing. A supporting cast rounded out by Shane West, Xander Berkeley and Melinda Clarke make the show worthwhile. This week’s episode featured hilarious product placement for Kia. If that’s what CW needs to do to keep Nikita on the air, I’ll live with it.
At 8:00, I caught Southland’s MLK episode on Comcast On Demand. It’s a nice ensemble piece.
Fringe at 9:00 was also a new episode. I’ll catch Law & Order UK On Demand.
I have been assuming that the delay in showing new episodes of SMALLVILLE is related to the shooting in Tuscon. One of the upcoming plotpoints is (SPOILER) the on-camera shooting of Congresswoman Martha Kent (SPOILER ENDS). The similarity may have made execs at The CW nervous.
Happens all the time. Last minute lineup change, and the powers that be don’t inform the folks who do the DVR lineups. Even worse with 3rd party DVR(TiVo). Verizon changed half its channels, but didn’t inform TiVo until 2 weeks later. LOTS of wrong programs recorded.
Back when “Crime Story” was on (its two seasons represent one of the better cop shows ever), a local friend who worked at TV Guide told me that they were constantly getting behind on shooting/production, to the extent that , with some regularlity, either TV Guide got no synopsis of upcoming episodes … or it was wrong.
Rene said, “I’ve watched the entire first season of Supernatural, and I just didn’t see what people find so special about the show. It’s watchable, but mostly it’s just competent monster-of-the-week stuff. I can only assume that it gets a lot better in later seasons? Should I endure and buy the Season 2 DVD set?”
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Rene,
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I think Supernatural is one of the best shows on TV. If you’re hesitant to buy the DVDs, borrow them from a friend, or get them from the library, video store or NetFlix.
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I get the impression that you’ve only watched season one of Supernatural, not that you saw bits and pieces of later seasons, too. If that’s the case, and if you don’t mind spoilers for events that happened after season one, here are some of my thoughts about the show (scroll down a bit in all three cases):
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http://www.michronicleonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=202%3Arandom-musings-10-01-09&catid=36%3Arandom-musings&Itemid=88&showall=1
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http://www.michronicleonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=336&catid=36:random-musings&Itemid=88
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http://www.michronicleonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=801&catid=36:random-musings&Itemid=88
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Rick
Yes, I only watched Season 1 of Supernatural. I prefer to avoid spoilers. But thanks, I’ll give the show a chance and buy the Season 2 DVD… eventually. I have too many other shows I’m watching right now.
While I didn’t watch SUPERNATURAL from the start, it really has impressed me. The show evolved from a standard “This creature killed our mother, let’s get revenge” to something often epic and (literally) Biblical in scope. They even managed to get in a fresh take on the whole “the show is a show within a show” idea, where the stories of the show are presented as a work of somebody on the show. (That was in “The Monster at the End of the Story.”)
As for SMALLVILLE… no. Originally it began as DAWSON’S CREEK MEETS THE KRYPTONITE FREAK OF THE WEEK, with Clark pining over Lana and Lex hovering between good and evil. Then it kept drifting further and further (Jor-El wants Clark to conquer the world! Lionel Luthor knows Clark’s secret! Prophecies!), then they gave Clark one of the dopiest superhero names ever (“The Blur?” really?), then Lois had a crush on the Blur, then they made Green Arrow a regular (though usually with no costume or, well, arrows), and now Darkseid is a force of evil and not an individual… Too much. I’m curious to see how it ends (Will Clark actually don the Superman costume? Will Michael Rosenbaum be back as Lex for the finale? Will Lex and Lois’ memories get erased so it fits in more with the “real” Metropolis storyline?) but it’s more curiosity about how it all ends than looking for a satisfying conclusion to a terrific show.
Smallville may have many flaws, but I don’t think drifting away from the original concept is one of them. I don’t think I could take much more of Clark pinning for Lana and fighting monsters of the week (though Lex Luthor’s characterization and relationship with Clark used to be the high point of the show).
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Well, one of the reasons I wasn’t impressed by Supernatural’s Season 1 was that I really don’t like the monster of the weel format. But that is me.
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I suppose you had either to accept that they were doing a vastly different take on the DC Universe or forever grip about every change, because they’be changed a whole lot. Curiously, I think Green Arrow (and the Legion) was one of the DC concepts they followed most closely.
I’ve only watched one full episode of Smallville (the Geoff Johns-penned JSA episode). I couldn’t understand how a show that bad has lasted so long.
Smallville definitely got better over the years.
I nearly dumped it during the early years and the elimination of Lana was the best thing they did.
It’s definitely it’s own version of the DC universe though. Looking forward to see how they wrap up the series this year.
I noticed the delay in Smallville when I went to watch from the Tivo last night, and found Vampire Diaries.
But then I had to tell Tivo to record Smallville again this Friday. Since it thought it already recorded an episode called “Collateral”, the season pass would have skipped this week. So, note that, Tivo users, to be sure it eventually records the right episode.
I’ve always considered Smallville to be in it’s own continuity: Earth-Smallville, so to speak. Given that Luthor both crooked-then-good-then-dead (and now alive again?) father and dicey-but-reformable-until-everybody-started-treating-him-like-crap-so-he-became-not-so-much-evil-as-pìššëd-at-how-his-supposed-friends-were-treating-him son know Clark’s face extremely well without the traditional glasses disguise, I can’t for a minute believe any secret vs. public identity dichotomy could exist and be workable. The home name of The Man Who Will Be Superman is known to his greatest enemy. Come again?
It’s funny how much agreement there is about how the program was in the beginning. Even before it premiered, I told my wife “It’s going to be Dawson’s Creek but with super powers.”
I’m wondering if Tom Welling simply likes the role (and the steady job) so much that this is why the program has now in it’s ninth season — he is being not-Superman long after the old Earth-I and Earth-II Kals changed their names from Superboy to Superman, which was when he was a sophomore in college according to the crib sheet Mort Weisinger and Nelson Bridwell mailed to letter-writers to the comics in the ’60s. I keep seeing rumors Mr. Welling would like even another year, although Michael Rosenbaum is quoted again and again that he’s not coming back to be Lex for even a program conclusion.
All I know is this is not like any version of Superman I ever read in any comic, old or new.