CW Comedies Change Time Slots

The CW has shaken up its schedule big time in anticipation of what promises to be the most dismal winter television season in recent memory, all thanks to the current writers strike, of course.

As a result, the familiar Monday-night comedy block of Everybody Hates Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends, and The Game will move one day backward (or six days forward, depending on your perspective) to Sundays.

Freshman young-adult soap Gossip Girl and returning reality series Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious will air in the sitcoms’ former time slots, starting on January 28 for Gossip and February 18 for Pussycat.

There’s also a change in store for the rookie dramedy Reaper. On February 28, it will take over Supernatural‘s traditional post-Smallville time slot of 9pm EST on Thursdays. Since the long-running Superman drama is one of the fledgling network’s strongest performers, I’m sensing that executives are doing their best to help the newbie build a bigger audience with a better, proven lead-in.

Good for them, although I, a diehard Supernatural fan, will be missing the period’s former occupant. At least the Thursday programming will retain its thematic cohesiveness, with a similar paranormal/fantasy focus. In the meantime, Reaper will return in repeats in its original Tuesday-8pm time slot on January 15, where it will remain until the Thursday switch ushers in three weeks of fresh episodes prior to another slew of repeats.

As for the Monday sitcoms, they will continue airing repeats on the same day and at the same times, until their departure on January 21. They will then return on Sunday nights, in the same order between 8pm and 10pm, with Chris and Aliens beginning new episodes immediately while Girlfriends and The Game continue in repeats from February 10 throughout March.

There’s no indication yet what will happen afterwards, and, as usual, all of this information could change at any time if CW executives make additional programming decisions. I’ll keep everyone posted.