TCA Press Tour 2011: CW president Dawn Ostroff has not made a decision about departing the network
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Vampires. Tech-savvy Upper East Siders. A butt-kicking (and hot) rogue spy. And teens living in one of wealthiest ZIP codes in the U.S.
As the CW prepares to celebrate five years in the TV landscape, Dawn Ostroff, the network’s entertainment president, cited the “creative strength” of its lineup — which includes “Gossip Girl,” “Vampire Diaries” and “America’s Next Top Model” — for the network’s success; the network is up 8% in total viewers this year.
But the baby network Ostroff helped nurture since its formation in 2006, might be without its mother soon. Rumors have swirled that Ostroff plans to leave the network at the end of her contract in June to relocate to New York with her family.
“It is a really personal decision that my husband and I have been grappling with and discussing with our family, but we have not made any decision,” Ostroff told Show Tracker Friday after a brief introduction at the TCA press tour. “Right now, I’m just totally focused on our pilots; I’m knee-deep in them. I’m going home tonight to read all the scripts. I’m concentrating on work.”
That includes production on the pilot “Danni Lowinski” a comedic drama created by Jennie Snyder Urman (co-executive producer on “90210”), about a young woman who swaps careers, ditching being a hairdresser to become a lawyer, which began production on Friday.
Ostroff is also promoting the network’s upcoming reality series ‘Shedding for the Wedding,’ in which nine overweight couples compete to lose weight and win the wedding of their dreams.
Executive producer Dave Broome, who appeared on a panel at the press tour Friday, said the series is about ‘losing weight for couples the right way and trying to get their life started.’
Asked what he thinks of the series ‘Bridalplasty,’ which pits brides-to-be against each other to win extreme physical makeovers, Broome said: ‘I despise ‘Bridalplasty.’ I would never make a show like that.’ (Brome is also an executive producer on “The Biggest Loser.”)
“Shedding” is hosted by Sara Rue (‘Less Than Perfect’) who lost weight through Jenny Craig in real life and is planning her wedding for this spring. It premieres Feb. 23 at 9 p.m.
-- Yvonne Villarreal