Don't know if any of you saw the reports today about Mark's new projects.  There were articles on Variety and Zap2it, and probably elsewhere.

Apparently he is going to do 2 pilots for The CW--one about girls training to be spys for the CIA and another about two singers (I'm guessing country singers since the show is titled Nashville and will be co-written and co-produced by Brad Paisley) trying to make it in the music world.

Just wondering what you guys think of the concepts (though there are hardly any details to really judge) and what you think it means for the future of OTH.

As you may recall, Mark was initially brought on to do the Melrose reboot last year but then it didn't work out.

Yeah, not surprising at all that Mark would be dabbling in some new pilots, as he's always got new ideas and ventures in his back pocket.  The one about training girls for the CIA---sounds lame as all get out, lol---and I would be shocked if anything ever came out of it, but the Nashville one does sound promising considering how popular country music is and if Brad Paisley is involved, it might stand a chance.  Plus Mark does know a thing or two about music, hehe, so I could see it.  But these are just pilots, no telling what might become of them at this point.  But what I think it does show is how much clout Mark has with the network and how well thought of and respected he is.  The CW's not stupid, with the massive hit OTH is for their network, they would be wise to go to him!!!

As for the future of OTH and what this means for the show, it has no bearing on it at all.  OTH is on auto-pilot right now, as with any long rung show, so no effects there, as it'll be around for as long as Mark sees fit.  I wouldn't worry at all about Mark stretching himself too thin, and if anything, he's definitely got the team at OTH to pick up the slack should he need to rely on certain writers a bit little more, and if anything I would definitely be in favor of Herro and Strauss writing more, as those guys are awesome!!!  But Mark dabbling in new pilots, not surprising at all!!!

Thank goodness that it fell through with Mark, because that show is about to tank, and be on it's way out, I believe!!!

DC, I don't know how I feel about Mark's possible new projects. Like NoleGirl stated, the one about the girls in the CIA does sound lame, but maybe it could have some potential. The pilot about the two singers trying to make it in the music world also sounds lame to me, and I even find it reminiscent of THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE: TBL where one of the main characters tried to make it in the modeling world, too. I see that project of the two singers trying to make it in music as bombing just like how TBL did.

Noles, please don't say that the new MELROSE PLACE show is almost on its way out. Please say that it is not so because I am loving the series dues to how the show's producers are incorporating characters from the original series into the show. To me, The CW execs should cancel 90210 (even though I do like that show, too), since the series is doing such a poor job of incorporating old characters from the original show, as well as the entire BH 90210 franchise. I think that The CW should leave MP on the air, and just beef up the show a lot more to make it work if the show's ratings are failing.

Sorry Soapman, but it's just doing really badly---just like TBL which already got canned, and 90210 is doing just as poorly.  I'm  glad that you're enjoying the new MP, but just going off my gut, I would be surprised if these shows have much staying power.

Yeah, I don't know for certain how it's all going to shake out, but it's really hard to warrant shows coming back when the ratings aren't there combined with no loyal fanbase, especially for this network.  Perhaps they might give MP more time, but I don't think they will for both 90210 and MP, and the fact that TBL already got canned---it just goes to show you that the viewership isn't there for those shows like they thought!!!

Noles, well, I am hoping that with HEATHER LOCKLEAR returning to the new MP show, this might help to save the series. As you know yourself, Heather has that special kind of "saving power" (as she helped to save the original MP), so maybe the show's viewership will spike up with Heather's impending return next month. I just hope that the MP writers will keep Heather on for the rest of the season, but I don't know if they actually can afford her because Ms. Locklear is such an EXPENSIVE actress. Heck, I even read that Heather Locklear's salary by the end of the original MP show was enough to do a pilot for a new series, which just shows how much it costs to have her on a TV show. Now, I guess it is a good thing that Heather Locklear didn't join Desperate Housewives like she was originally approached to do because her high salary would have meant less airtime for other actors and actresses on the show. LOL!

Yeah, while Heather joining can only help the show, without a doubt, don't look for her to become a regular, as you just pointed out----she's too expensive for the likes of a new show!!!  Heck even on OTH, they still haven't been able to come up with enough money to bring back Haley's parents just for even one episode because Huey Lewis and Bess Armstrong are too expensive at this point.  They were trying so desperately to get them back in S4 for the Honey Grove episode, which was supposed to be the reason for the gang to get out of town as Naley were going to go on a road trip to see them and take their friends along before the baby came, but they couldn't secure them financially, so instead they wrote the gang going to rescue Mouth.

And I'd put the likes of Heather Locklear right up there or even further than Huey and Bess with the salary she rakes in, so yeah----good thought about her possibly being able to save the show, just not sure it's realistic though, but perhaps she will help the ratings increase?  I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, hehe, but they definitely need way more viewership!!!

90210 is doing significantly better than Melrose Place, and is getting about the same numbers it did last season.  Last week's episode, for example, had 2.2 million viewers but it increases significantly when you add in the DVR viewership that comes out a week later.  It is consistently the most DVRed show of all the networks each week, and The CW sends out a press release almost every week touting that.  They even just announced an iPhone app specifically for 90210, MP and Gossip Girl so it seems that are still investing in all three of those shows even though OTH does better than them in the ratings.  That said, I'm with Soap--I much rather see 90210 canceled since IMO it's dishonoring the memory of the original. Unfortunately, the network doesn't care about that and in their minds, where the original doesn't matter, it's doing quite well for them. 

Noles, I agree with you for the most part about Schwahn and the pilots.  I really only disagree in one spot: like Soap, neither premise sounds promising to me.