Judging by the preview scoop the network has provided, we’ve got four weeks of extreme primetime fun coming up on The CW.  Here’s just a sample of the highlights:

Gossip Girl:  Little rebel Jenny plans a guerilla fashion show; Eleanor gets a new boyfriend—who Blair, naturally, despises; a prominent cast member dies; and guests include Willa Holland (The O.C.), John Patrick Amedori, Wallace Shawn and Cyndi Lauper. 

One Tree Hill:  Peyton assembles a USO concert; and the film-noir style episode written by Chad Michael Murray airs. 

90210:  Harry’s 22-year-old biological son shows up on his doorstep; and Jennie Garth returns.

Privileged:  Megan uncovers a shocking secret about Laurel’s past—and begins dating someone “new.”  Guests include celeb blogger Perez Hilton, Kathy Najimy (Sister Act) and Sarah Drew (Everwood). 

America’s Next Top Model:  The cycle 11 winner is announced on Nov. 19. 

Smallville:  Supergirl (Laura Vandervoort) and Lana Lang return; Davis tells Chloe she’s marrying the wrong man; Brainiac replaces Chloe’s memory with Kryptonian code—but can the Fortress of Solitude unscramble it before her wedding day?

Supernatural:  Castiel calls in a warrior angel, Uriel (Robert Wisdom); and Dean tells Sam what happened to him in hell. 

The Game:  Tasha goes toe-to-toe with Penny Marshall (Rick’s pushy mother); and first-year resident Melanie meets her own Dr. McHottie (supermodel Jason Olive).  Other guests include Tisha Campell-Martin and Duane Martin.

It was interesting to hear two CW execs drawing legitimate comparisons between current dramas and two series which rank among all-time fan favorites.  President of entertainment Dawn Ostroff tells Variety that “the chemistry on Gossip Girl is similar to Friends.  The first year of Friends, the cast really took off and was photographed everywhere.  That’s what happened on Gossip Girl.  It’s a one-in-a-million thing, like catching lightning in a bottle, and I think 90210 can do that, as well.”  The Friends castmates were relatively unknown when their comedy began its decade-long run, and few had heard of the young Gossip Girl stars, either.  Pretty faces, soapy storylines and hundreds of magazine stories later, both shows are now a permanent part of TV pop-culture.  Privileged creator Rina Mimoun also kindled memories of a famed love-triangle when teasing the romantic foibles awaiting her star, Joanna Garcia (Megan), to Zap2it.  “We feel that Will (Brian Hallisay) and Charlie (Michael Cassidy) are very much our Noel and Ben,” the two characters who long battled for Felicity’s affection.  “Clearly Charlie is Noel, and Will is Ben.  They’re both similarly aloof…sort of that handsome playboy thing where you’re not sure if they’re going to come around.”  Your thoughts?

With so much competition on the airwaves, viewers are making one thing clear: they’re not going to miss their CW shows.  For the second straight week, CW dramas dominated the new ratings system which charts what folks record and watch within seven days.  All seven of the network’s first-run programs from Monday thru Thursday rank within the top 17 broadcast series, with 90210 (#1) gaining up to 42% additional viewers on top of those who see it live.  Privileged, Gossip Girl, America’s Next Top Model, One Tree Hill, Smallville and Supernatural followed, with audience gains ranging between 22.6% and 30% during this fall’s unofficial TV premiere week.  The findings are even more impressive among The CW’s core demographic, women 18-34, with 90210 drawing nearly 60% and Top Model nearly 50% more time-shifted viewers, according to numbers released Friday by MediaWeek.  And, as one reader pointed out, fans who record the programs often watch them more than once.

Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill returned in top form last night, with season premieres that surely have fans buzzing today.  Really, the episodes were so packed with drama, it’s hard to isolate the standout scenes…but here’s a good start (in no particular order):

Blair breaks Chuck’s heart—twice!—on Gossip Girl.  Their first confrontation, when they abruptly left the dinner table, ended with Blair in tears.  Later, she gave him a chance for redemption, but playboy Chuck couldn’t squeeze out the three little words of commitment she wanted to hear.

Serena’s grandmother reunites her heartsick granddaughter with Dan Humphrey, a 180-degree turnaround from her uppity attitude at the Debutante Ball last fall.  Kudos to the casting director who nabbed Caroline Lagerfelt for the role.  She not only plays the society matron beautifully, she also bears a striking resemblance to her daughter (Lily) on the show.  Fans of the original 90210 series might remember Ms. Lagerfelt as David Silver’s mother.

Severely-injured Dan Scott awakes to find himself a prisoner of crazy nanny Carrie, who, it turns out, ran him over on One Tree Hill!  It was reminiscent of the film Misery, except Carrie has much more torturous (and deadly) plans for Dan—until he helps her reclaim little Jamie.  Yikes!

Victoria!   Brooke’s estranged mother is a cold villainess with a capital “V.”  Her initial showdown with Brooke was menacing, but her confrontation with sweet Millicent was downright chilling.  Anyone else think Victoria is behind the climactic mugging at Clothes Over Bros? 

Fake out!  OTH creator Mark Schwahn pulled a fast one, opening the show with a “married” Lucas and Brooke, followed by similar scenarios with Peyton and Lindsey.  Only later did we see the real airport lovefest with Lucas’s true soulmate, Peyton.

Each generation of teenagers seems to have a new set of problems to deal with, and the “communication age” has certainly brought unique issues to Gen Y (those born between 1980-94) and Gen Z (1995-2001).  Recently, three CW stars tried to pinpoint troublesome trends with TeenTelevision.  Chace Crawford (Nate on Gossip Girl) said, “There’s a pressure to grow up faster now.  With the internet and all the information, it’s hard to keep kids with any level of pure innocence.”  Sophia Bush (Brooke on One Tree Hill) concurs, adding, “They attack celebrities on blogs and teens are attacking each other on MySpace.  There is so much negativity around, especially for young women.  They’re so competitive.  You just hope they’ll learn to love themselves for what they are; embrace yourself.”  For her co-star, Chad Michael Murray (Lucas), it’s all about the basics of family.  “I think (teens) have a lot less respect for their parents…that needs to be addressed.”  When parents ask you to do the dishes, finish your homework or mow the lawn, “don’t make them ask you twice,” Chad advises.  “Give mom and dad a big hug and kiss and it’ll go a lot farther.”  What are the major issues facing young people at your school?

Nestled among yesterday’s New York Times front page headlines about the mortgage crisis, battlefields and executive power shifts is a story about a rookie TV show whose “profound” clout is being felt by retailers everywhere: Gossip Girl.  In stylistic terms, the CW drama “may well be the biggest influence in the youth culture market,” says trendspotter Stylesight. Teenagers and young women are taking note of the fashions worn by the prep schoolers and adult socialites, and many show up with magazine tear-sheets asking to buy the exact outfits.  “I like that whole upscale collegiate feeling,” notes one NY designer, who has watched her sales double in the year since Gossip Girl premiered.  The show’s relative sophistication is “a move away from a Hollywood look that was very casual and improvised, to something more polished, more big-city chic,” praised an Intermix exec.  Teen Vogue says we should expect fall runway collections to reflect the GG influence, as well.  Crested blazers, oversized cardigans, ruffled plaid shirts…sound familiar?  Fans of the show can click here to find out who wore what and when; and you can read the entire NY Times article here (archived thru 7/14/08).   

In a busy week of staffing various CW shows, Laurie Metcalf signing on to lead a family of loan sharks is just too good to be true. One of the most loved and respected actresses in Hollywood, Laurie is widely-known for her comedic role as Roseanne’s sister, Jackie, a gig that earned her three Emmy Awards. More recently, she went over the edge as “Carolyn Bigsby,” igniting a memorable supermarket hostage shootout on Desperate Housewives. She’ll play the no-nonsense matriarch in our new Sunday night fall drama, Easy Money, penned by two writers from The Sopranos. Elsewhere, Oscar nominee Anne Archer joins the cast of Priviledged, previously titled Surviving the Filthy Rich; and Madchen Amick sizzles as an older love interest for Chace Crawford (Nate) on Gossip Girl. Most fans know Amick from Twin Peaks or her stint as Christopher’s absentee wife, Sherry, on Gilmore Girls. Smallville’s Clark Kent will have his hands full with Doomsday (Sam Witwer)—the villain who kills Superman in comic book lore—and new vixen Tess (Cassidy Freeman). To Metropolis, Witwer’s a typical mid-20s player, but the dark, haunting mysteries of his true origins soon begin to emerge. Finally, Supernatural creator Erik Kripke was sad to report that Katie Cassidy’s character, Ruby, became a victim of the non-existent Canadian exchange-rate. Production up north is no longer a bargain. More casting news is expected shortly. Your thoughts on these additions…?

There’s an important election this fall, but for America’s youth their pop-culture vote’s already in progress.  The CW dominated the annual Teen Choice Award nominations, with nearly half of the network’s 27 nods snared by Gossip Girl.  One Tree Hill and Smallville followed with four apiece, while America’s Next Top Model (3), Beauty & the Geek and Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious each scored a slot among the TV categories.  Freshman drama Gossip Girl will compete for Best Drama, Drama Actors and Actresses, Breakout Show, Breakout Stars and Choice Villain.  This is the 10th Anniversary of the Teen Choice Awards and, interestingly, WBNX stars and series swept to victory from the very start—with shows like Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, Buffy and Friends and winning big in ’99.  This year’s ceremony will be held Aug. 4, and teens aged 13-19 can vote daily for their favorites.  Yes, it’s a huge popularity contest…but like they say on the Upper East Side, you’re no one until everyone’s talking about you—or voting for you.  Click here to cast your ballot!

Eight popular WBNX series have DVD releases scheduled for this summer.  Here’s a quick rundown of the shows and extras you can expect.  Many of these sets can be pre-ordered now on amazon.com.

Degrassi: The Next Generation, Season 6, with 19 episodes: (now available)
Extras include deleted moments and bloopers, cast auditions, the Degrassi Yearbook and more.

Girlfriends, Season 4, with 24 episodes: (July 29)
No extras announced.

Gossip Girl, Season 1, with 18 episodes: (Aug. 19)
Features include unaired scenes; 3 new featurettes; music videos; gag reel; and a free audio download of the original best-selling book, read by Christina Ricci.

One Tree Hill, Season 5, with 18 episodes: (Aug. 26)
Bonus material includes unaired scenes; 100th episode celebration; OTH musical stars behind-the-scenes; “Fast Forward” discussion with cast and crew about moving the storyline ahead four years; commentary on two episodes by series creator Mark Schwahn and key cast and crew; gag reel; and a bonus offer for a digital copy of the entire season.

Everybody Hates Chris, Season 3, with 22 episodes: (Aug. 26)
Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and commentaries on selected episodes.

Supernatural, Season 3, with 16 episodes: (Sept. 2)
Features include an in-depth look at the series’ special effects; inside the classic 1967 Chevy Impala; segments with creative team members discussing favorite aspects of episodes; Ghostfacers! Confessionals gallery; gag reel; and a digital copy of the entire season.

Smallville, Season 7, with 20 episodes: (Sept. 9)
Extras include featurettes on Supergirl and Jimmy Olson; Smallville Legends mobisodes; commentaries with producers Al Gough and Miles Millar, plus cast members John Glover and Justin Hartley; a comic book; and unaired scenes.

According to Jim, Season 1, with 22 episodes: (Sept. 9)
After seven years and 162 episodes, this family comedy finally gets a DVD release!  No details yet about extras.

Summer vacation?  Many of your CW idols are asking “What’s that?” as they race to the sets of new film projects in nearly every corner of the U.S.  On the West Coast, James Lafferty (Nathan on One Tree Hill) just landed a lead role in the sequel to 2001 hit Donnie Darko, and he’ll be joined in the cast by Ed Westwick (Chuck on Gossip Girl).  Lafferty’s TV co-star, Sophia Bush (Brooke), teams with Jesse Bradford to disrupt Brandon Routh’s tranquil life in Table for Three.  And Tree Hill’s Mouth (Lee Norris) remained in North Carolina for the true story, Blood Done Sign My Name.  Lee plays one of the murderers of a black Vietnam vet whose eventual acquittal leads to small town outrage.  Connecticut welcomes Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively (Serena) to shoot The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, based on a novel to be released Aug. 5.  She portrays teenage Pippa in the drama of a woman heading quietly toward a nervous breakdown.  And Blake’s buddy, Matthew Settle (Rufus), is on-location in Austin, TX, filming Ex-Terminators, a dramedy about scorned wives and revenge.  Reaper’s Bret Harrison (Sam) and Danneel Harris (Rachel on OTH) are among college kids going wild in the New Orleans based comedy, Mardi Gras.  And, as previously noted, the Supernatural hunks have stayed in the horror genre, with Jensen Ackles filming My Bloody Valentine in Pittsburgh, and Jared Padalecki carving up Friday the 13th in Texas.  Seeing each of these stars on the big-screen should only enhance their CW series’ popularity.  They’re young and in-demand…vacations can wait.