CW's 'Carrie Diaries' Boss Is 'Optimistic' About Season 2 Renewal
With just two episodes left in its first season, "The Carrie Diaries" has yet to receive word of a Season 2 renewal (while "Arrow," "Supernatural" and "The Vampire Diaries" were re-upped in early-February).
"The Carrie Diaries" certainly premiered to much buzz, which was driven by the curiosity factor of a prequel to HBO's "Sex and the City." But, some wondered if it would appeal to The CW's younger-skewing audience – one that may be too young to remember how Sarah Jessica Parker's sex columnist had women all over drinking cosmopolitans and running in Manolo heels.
Its viewership repeatedly hovers just around the million mark and last week's new episode garnered a 0.4 rating/1 share in the ad-coveted 18-49 demo.
Despite the show's numbers, executive producer Amy B. Harris tells reporters, "I am such an odd combination of negative and optimistic, and I feel very optimistic."
In many ways, Harris's positivity makes sense. For years, The CW has decided its shows' success in a variety of ways that have placed it ahead of the curve compared to other broadcast networks, which have relied heavily on Nielsen ratings.
That's the advantage of focusing on a younger skewing demo – 18-34. That means that other factors come into play – DVR, online viewing, social media penetration and product placement play a bigger role in the network's advertising metrics.
"I don't like Tuesday mornings when I have to see my ratings necessarily, but we are No. 2 in streaming for the network after 'The Vampire Diaries.' And let's face it … that's the future."
"I haven't watched a scripted show live in five years, except my own," Harris adds before she launches into her appreciation that today's viewers can watch TV whenever and wherever they want.
And even though "The Carrie Diaries'" future is uncertain, Harris says she's watching "a bunch of 'Sex and the Citys'" in preparation for Season 2 and already plans on picking up the high school drama in the summer before the characters' next year of school.
"I did not want to live for one season," Harris, who was also a writer/producer during "SATC's" six-season run and a consulting producer on "Gossip Girl," says.
"I was, like, this is the thing I am chasing and I want to blow up a lot of stuff for these characters, so that when we come back we get to see where those chips fall."
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