CW Schedule: ‘Originals,’ ‘Supernatural’ on Tuesdays; ‘Nikita’ Final Run Set for Midseason

The CW is making major changes to its 2013-14 schedule, reinventing Mondays and moving veteran Supernatural for the third time in as many years and giving the prime post-Vampire Diaries slot to rookie Reign.

Presenting fall 2013-14 lineup to Madison Avenue advertisers on Thursday morning in New York, the network also confirmed that Maggie Q drama Nikita would wrap its four-season run with a six-episode midseason conclusion.

Starting its fall season in October for the second year in a row in a bid distinguish itself, Mondays will feature two returning series in new time slots after the series finales of 90210 and Gossip Girl with Hart of Dixie returning for its third season at 8 p.m. and Beauty and the Beast at 9 p.m.

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The younger-skewing network is betting big on The Vampire Diaries showrunner Julie Plec, launching spinoff series The Originals to anchor Tuesday and spreading her three shows across the week.

Rather than pair the New Orleans-set vehicle with its flagship series, Originals — which comes with built-in brand recognition of the CW’s highest-rated series — will serve as a lead-in for Supernatural, which returns to its original time slot at 9 p.m.

Wednesdays feature one of few unchanged slots on the schedule with a night of Greg Berlanti and the Amells. Arrow, starring Stephen Amell, will stay put at 8 p.m. and be used to launch Plec and Berlanti’s adaptation of The Tomorrow People, featuring Robbie Amell, Stephen’s cousin.

On Thursdays, Vampire Diaries — which successfully launched Beauty and the Beast this season — will again be used to launch a freshman show in the CW’s surprise addition, Reign. The historical drama about a young Mary, Queen of Scots, is a departure from the other four freshman entries the network picked up and comes with an international appeal the network is high on.

Fridays will feature a fashion theme with low-rated but critical darling The Carrie Diaries moving from Mondays to open the night, followed by the first co-ed run of America’s Next Top Model at 9 p.m. Worth noting: The CW confirmed that season two of Carrie Diaries would feature how Carrie (AnnaSophia Robb) met Samantha Jones, one of the core characters featured in Sex and the City.

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In addition to Nikita‘s final run, midseason will see freshman sci-fi dramas Star-Crossed, starring Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights) and Matt Lanter (90210) as well as The 100 (with Lost‘s Henry Ian Cusick) join the schedule. New reality series Famous in 12, a social experiment tracking one family in a bid to become famous in 12 weeks with the help of TMZ and Harvey Levin. 

For the CW, splitting Arrow and Supernatural makes sense as both shows brought in a much-needed demographic to the network: young men.

“We had a terrific season last year, growing our audience on-air, digitally and socially.  Now we are building on that success by continuing to add more original programming all year long, and by adding high-concept, exciting shows to our schedule that will help us continue our mission of broadening out our 18-to-34-year old audience,” CW president Mark Pedowitz said.

The CW’s full schedule follows, new shows in all caps.
* denotes new time slot

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. Hart of Dixie*
9-10 p.m. Beauty and the Beast*

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. THE ORIGINALS
9-10 p.m. Supernatural*

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. Arrow
9-10 p.m. THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

THURSDAY
8-9 p.m. The Vampire Diaries
9-10 p.m. REIGN

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. The Carrie Diaries*
9-10 p.m. America’s Next Top Model  

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit