CW heads beyond the DC Universe with military drama ‘Valor’

PoliticsTV
Aug. 2, 2017, 3:23 p.m.

CW heads beyond the DC Universe with military drama ‘Valor’

Stephen Battaglio

The CW cannot live on superheroes alone.

The network has successfully forged an identity with genre shows based on the DC Comics library (“Supergirl,” “The Flash,” “Arrow,” “Legends of Tomorrow” and the upcoming “Black Lightning”). But military fatigues will be the uniforms joining the CW line-up this year as it adds “Valor,” a new drama about a special-ops unit.

At the summer editon of the Television Critics Assn. press tour Wednesday in Beverly Hills, CW President Mark Pedowitz said that he has sought to develop a military show since he arrived at the network six years ago. He saw the setting work with Lifetime’s “Army Wives,” a series that came out of ABC/Disney’s studio under his aegis.

Pedowitz noted the current political climate is the right moment for a military show since the armed forces are among the few institutions in a polarized American society that have maintained their respect and stature with the public.

“In this very fractionalized country, more people support the military than not, and they’ll give a show like this a shot,” Pedowitz said.

Other networks have the same idea. The new fall TV schedule has an array of military dramas including “SEAL Team” on CBS and “The Brave” on NBC.

“Sometimes you can’t control these things,” said Pedowitz. “It’s the CW, so we’ll have a different twist on it and hope the audience finds it.”

“Valor,” which has a young, attractive cast that includes Matt Barr and Christina Ochoa, will feel more like a soap than the other military entries coming this season.

The CW found its footing under Pedowitz, who has turned a once floundering enterprise into an effective platform to launch niche appeal series for its co-owners CBS and Warner Bros. Although the CW has no ratings blockbusters, the partners have successfully sold the shows to streaming services and overseas broadcasters. Even the CW series “Supernatural” remains a moneymaker for Warner Bros. as it enters its 13th season because of the revenue it generates on other platforms.

But Pedowitz noted it’s still necessary to have wide-appeal programs bring viewers in to the over-the-air TV affiliates that carry the CW, another reason why “Valor” is getting a shot.

“We’re broadcasters as much as we’re multi-platform players,” he said. “It’s still important to have a broad mix of shows. And I’ve always thought military shows worked.”