10 Obscure CW Shows That Have Been Lost to Time

The conclusion of the Arrowverse might have marked the end of The CW’s glory days, but there’s no doubt the network will be back, bigger and better. The CW (the network’s name is derived from the first letters of the names of its two founding co-owners, CBS Corporation, and Time Warner) began its operations on September 18, 2006, as the successor to the WB and UPN, which had shut down a few years earlier. Since then, it has offered fans plenty of great shows.

The Vampire Diaries, Dynasty, Supernatural, and Veronica Mars, are some of the original CW shows that television lovers can easily name. Unfortunately, many other TV shows never got the same recognition. Some lasted only a season or two, while others had a decent run, yet their plots were never frequently dissected by fans. Hopefully, viewers can still give them a chance.

10

‘Hellcats’ (2010)

Anything for a scholarship! Hellcats follows Marti Perkins (Aly Michalka), a pre-law student at Lancer University, who was denied a scholarship. She thus joins the college’s cheer squad to get another one, and while at it, she makes a couple of interesting friends.

No Scholarship? No Problem

Conceived from a book by journalist Kate Torgovnic, Hellcats is a delightful comedy-drama that finds all cast members in tip-top endless crooning and joyous toe-tapping form. The young-adult adventure is pretty tuneful throughout, with sublime scores that cover not just college topics but major societal challenges. It earned a Golden Reel Award nomination for Best Sound Editing: Short Form Musical in Television, so be guaranteed a good time.

9

‘Aliens in America’ (2007)

Justin Tolchuck (Dan Byrd) from Aliens in America is struggling to make friends during his first year in high school, so his mother decides to host a foreign exchange student, hoping the move will be a game-changer. She expects a European boy, only to be presented with Raja Musharaff (Adhir Kalyan), a 16-year-old from Pakistan. At first, the family feels uncomfortable, but tolerance soon blossoms.

The Importance of Tolerance

In a time when racism, xenophobia, and immigration are major topics, Aliens in America feels like essential viewing. The show encourages tolerance but isn’t too preachy. Clever jokes hit you quickly, and the absurd moments never end. For teenagers, the series is also inspirational, encouraging them to live life to the fullest, even when schoolwork and other teen-related problems overwhelm them.

8

‘Emily Owens, M.D.’ (2012-2013)

Emily Owens, M.D. rarely gets a mention whenever great medical dramas are discussed, but it’s a gem. In it, Emily Owens (Mamie Gummer) gets an internship spot at her dream hospital only to realize that her high school arch-enemy has also been granted an opportunity there. Will the two learn how to co-exist, or will it be war as usual?

More Scheming than Treating

Think of Emily Owens, M.D. as Grey’s Anatomy meets Mean Girls. The scheming here often reaches Game of Thrones levels (with no violence, of course). Unfortunately, there is only a single season. Still, the show shouldn’t be missed. It’s stunningly photographed, with a tight, straightforward script brought to life by Jennie Snyder Urman, who was part of the production teams for Jane the Virgin and Gilmore Girls.

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7

‘Runaway’ (2006)

Runaway

Release Date

2006 – 2005

Network

The CW

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• 
• 
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  Erin McMurtry

  Gym Teacher

Runaway introduces us to the Hollands, a middle-class American family who have just moved to Bridgewater, Iowa, after Hurricane Katrina. They seem like a normal family, but they are actually on the run after the patriarch was convicted of a murder that he did not commit. Worse still, the person who committed the murder is eager to get them.

Fighting the Law and the Lawless

Deeply felt, overwrought, and exhilarating, this fast-paced show is anchored by yet another bravura Donnie Wahlberg performance, as a man who must protect his family and clear his name. There are echoes of The Fugitive here, and we should also credit series creator Chad Hodge for his expert handling of the plot, which allows suspense to boil up to the gasping climax. The show might not have lasted as long as he’d like, but Hodge later got the chance to prove himself again with Wayward Pines.

6

‘Reaper’ (2007)

Reaper

Release Date

September 25, 2007

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Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison) from Reaper intends to live a normal life only to learn that his dad once made a deal with Satan, promising him his firstborn son if he cured him of his illness. Now Satan has come to collect the debt. He wants Sam to be his bounty hunter, tracking down rebellious souls that have fled from Hell and sending them back using his new powers.

A Most Unusual Career

A humorous view of Satan and his malice, Reaper is a ravishing piece of work that adequately addresses the complicated and self-serving nature of humans. Bret Harrison is sensational as the confused protagonist who views his topsy-turvy world as only an Average Joe can. Andrew Airlie, as Sam’s father, and Ray Wise, as the Devil, round out an incredible cast, but it’s the crazy people Sam hunts that make this such a winning show.

5

‘Frequency’ (2016)

Life Is Wild

Release Date

2007 – 2007

Network

The CW

Directors

Brian Grant, Bryan Gordon, James Steven Sadwith

Writers

Elizabeth Hunter, Maggie Bandur

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  D.W. Moffett

  Danny Clarke

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  Alex Cranmer

  Jesse Weller

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  Andrew St. John

  Mia Weller

In Frequency, NYPD Detective Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) finds a way to communicate with her dead father using his old ham radio. The discovery emboldens her to try bring him back, but the move triggers the “butterfly effect”, changing various timelines in unpleasant ways. The two thus work together to fix the mess.

A Daddy-Daughter Duo You Can Root For

Series creator Jeremy Carver, who also served as a writer on Supernatural, gives Frequency an engaging time-travel twist. Peyton List’s charismatic turn as the central character reminds you of some of TV’s greatest detectives, but Riley Smith almost steals the show with his line delivery. This is Carver’s most innovative effort, and it undoubtedly pays off in spades. We should have gotten many more seasons.

4

‘Life Is Wild’ (2007)

Life Is Wild

Release Date

2007 – 2007

Network

The CW

Directors

Brian Grant, Bryan Gordon, James Steven Sadwith

Writers

Elizabeth Hunter, Maggie Bandur

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  D.W. Moffett

  Danny Clarke

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  Alex Cranmer

  Jesse Weller

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  Andrew St. John

  Mia Weller

There is never a dull day in the jungle and Life is Wild is further proof of that. In it, a vet and his second wife move their children to a South African game reserve run by the man’s former father-in-law. As expected, adjusting to the new surroundings proves tough and tensions soon emerge.

Foreign Fun

Life is Wild vividly evokes the more glamorous aspects of Africa, along with the distinctive banter and spirit of its people. The cinematography is stunning too, and shots of nature and wild animals will leave you in awe. Most importantly, the show emphasizes the importance of embracing foreign cultures and conserving wildlife.

3

‘Containment’ (2016)

Containment

Release Date

2016 – 2015

Network

The CW

Directors

Charles Beeson, Chris Grismer, David Boyd, David Nutter, Janice Cooke, Lance Anderson, Elliott Lester

Writers

Julie Plec, Marguerite MacIntyre, Chris Ord, Matt Corman, Jeff Stetson, Ariella Blejer, Dawn Kamoche, Elizabeth Peterson

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  Kristen Gutoskie

  Katie Frank

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  Christina Moses

  Jana Mayfield

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Containment concerns an epidemic in Atlanta. Several people are quarantined inside a containment zone, but tensions emerge, resulting in infighting and a major risk of the virus spreading across the globe.

Relevant in a Post-COVID World

Claudia Black achieves a career peak in Containment, delivering an extraordinary performance as a high-ranking doctor within the CDS. The screenwriters don’t delve deeply into the complexities of medicine, preferring to focus on the conflicts between the characters. We thus get to see how both nobility and unreasonableness can pop up in times like this. As some characters develop an innate sense of decency, others make strange moral choices.

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2

‘Privileged’ (2008)

Privileged

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  JoAnna Garcia Swisher

  Megan Smith

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  Ashley Newbrough

  Sage Baker

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  Allan Louis

  Marco Giordello

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Privileged’s central character is the twenty-three-year-old Yale-educated journalist Megan Smith (JoAnna Garcia), who doesn’t mind working at a tabloid rug, confident she will jump into the big leagues soon. Unfortunately, she gets fired, forcing her to take up a job as the tutor of a cosmetic mogul’s rebellious teenage twin granddaughters.

Tough Students

The comedy-drama boasts a remarkable unselfconscious display by JoAnna Garcia, whose embodiment of the graceful, journalist-turned-tutor is joyous and affecting. There are constant sparks of ripe humor to prevent the show from tipping into preachy career commentary. The show didn’t last long, but we feel privileged to have watched it.

1

‘Life Unexpected’ (2010)

Life Unexpected

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  Shiri Appleby

  Catherine Cate Cassidy

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  Kristoffer Polaha

  Nathaniel Baze Bazile

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  Austin Basis

  Matthew Math Rogers

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Life Unexpected introduces us to Lux Cassidy (Britt Robertson), a teen who has grown tired of living in foster care and wishes to be emancipated. Her biological parents must approve her request, so she seeks them out. However, she ends up bound to them in ways she never expected.

Late Parenting Can Still Work

This delightful, refreshingly funny teen drama benefits from top-notch direction and chemistry between the younger and older leads. Affirming once again that close parenting should trump hands-off parenting, Life Unexpected delivers a charming, heartwarming tale, chock-full of golden quotes. We would have loved to see more, but Once Upon a Time and Revenge might never have been so good if showrunner Liz Tegilaar had been tied to the show.