With upfronts in full swing, The CW has announced several bits of information regarding its Fall 2011 slate. First up, the good news (for the series' involved, at least): Nikita and One Tree Hill (which will most likely outlive all of us) have both been renewed for their second and ninth seasons respectively. On the other side of things, InsideTV is also reporting that cheerleading drama Hellcats will not return for its second season.
In addition to its renewals and cancellations, The CW has also announced a number of new shows set to premiere later this year. Most notably of these is the drama/thriller series Ringer which will mark Sarah Michelle Gellar's return to television. Ringer ends up at The CW after being passed on by its parent network CBS who claimed that the pilot didn't align with its brand (which, for me at least, is an indication that the show may actually be worth checking out). In addition to Ringer, the network also added Vampire Diaries-companion The Secret Circle, medical drama Hart of Dixie, and the Mario Lopez-hosted reality series H8R (which may take my own personal award for "Worst Idea I've Ever Heard"). Hit the jump to check out official synopses for each of these new shows.
InsideTV provides series synopses for Ringer, The Secret Circle, Hart of Dixie, and H8R:
Ringer:
Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as a woman, who after witnessing a murder, goes on the run, hiding out by assuming the life of her wealthy identical twin sister – only to learn that her sister’s seemingly idyllic life is just as complicated and dangerous as the one she’s trying to leave behind. The series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ioan Gruffudd, Kristoffer Polaha, Nestor Carbonell, Tara Summers and Mike Colter. RINGER is produced by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television in association with ABC Television Studios and Brillstein Entertainment with executive producers Pam Veasey (“CSI, NY,” “The District”), Peter Traugott (“Samantha Who?”) and Emmy Award-winner Richard Shepard (“Ugly Betty”). The pilot was directed by Richard Shepard.
The Secret Circle:
Based upon the book series by L.J. Smith (author of “The Vampire Diaries” book series), THE SECRET CIRCLE is the story of a young woman (Britt Robertson) who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she’s also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good versus evil. The series stars Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Gale Harold, Phoebe Tonkin, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Shelly Henning, Louis Hunter, Ashley Crow and Natasha Henstridge. Based upon the book series by L.J. Smith (author of “The Vampire Diaries” book series), THE SECRET CIRCLE is from Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Scream,” “Dawson’s Creek”), Andrew Miller (“Imaginary Bitches”), Leslie Morgenstein (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl”) and Gina Girolamo. The pilot was directed by Liz Friedlander (“The Vampire Diaries,” “90210”).
Hart of Dixie:
Culture shock awaits a young New York City doctor (Rachel Bilson) after she inherits a medical practice in a small Southern town inhabited by an eclectic and eccentric group of characters in this comedic drama. The series stars Rachel Bilson, Jamie King, Wilson Bethel, Cress Williams, McKaley Miller and Scott Porter. HART OF DIXIE is from Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Fake Empire, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, with executive producers Leila Gerstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Eli Stone”), Josh Schwartz (“Gossip Girl,” “Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“Gossip Girl,” “The O.C.”), Len Goldstein and Jason Ensler (“Gossip Girl,” “Chuck”). The pilot was directed by Jason Ensler.
H8R:
Celebrities go head-to-head with civilians who hate them to win their “haters” over. Mario Lopez hosts. H8R is from Horizon Alternative Television with executive producers Lisa Gregorisch (“Extra”), Jeremy Spiegel (“Extra”), and Mario Lopez.