There’s a lot marketed at twentysomethings (tequila, Priuses … anti-wrinkle cream?), and often times the precise targeting is somewhat transparent, or at least unobtrusive. With a few clicks, Netflix will start knowing that you like "witty, visually stunning" movies or iTunes will start recommending indie kids check out Jack Penate. Pretty precise, pretty helpful. But the CW’s fall line-up might as well have been created from a file folder called "the average teen girl," because its ploys are so obvious, stereotypical and centered on incredibly mainstream trends that it is almost insulting. Except for the fact that it is, most likely, irresistable. "Gossip Girl" was groundbreaking, getting the type of fans that "Dawson’s Creek" netted back in the day, and even inspiring Target’s latest designer collection by Anna Sui. "90210" was well-received enough that they decided to bring in "Melrose Place," probably in hopes that we all watched them when we were drinking our juiceboxes and thus have traces of Brenda Walsh running around in our subconsciouses. But the vampire show is pure bandwagon. Most teen books on the bestseller list are vampire-centric, so the teen-girl-marketing network would be stupid not to follow suit. And "The Vampire Diaries," the CW’s go at it, seems just a hop and a skip from "Twilight." They meet in class, he wants to eat her (probably too much to have sex with her … nothing ruins coitus like a hungry vampire), but with an orphan-y twist. (There’s nothing kids like better than orphan stories. See: "Annie," "It Takes Two," "The Rescuers.") So will it be the addicting bloodfest it seems? We’ll have to see. It premieres tonight at 7.
First week highlights: "Melrose Place" opened with a bit of coke-sniffer gossip and a murdered lady in a pool. Ashlee Simpson is less annoying when she’s not surrounded by the cast of "7th Heaven." A&E predicts a winner. Best of all, "America’s Next Top Model" is all girls under 5’7. Observation: short models are SKINNY models. Tyra really focused on the weird life stories this year, so expect lots of drama.
A&E, so far, is rooting for tough-upbringing survivor Sundai, whose name is somewhere between the day of the week and the ice cream treat. And like with all gorgeous girls, Tyra gave her a no-fun hairdo.