CW orders pilots for Green Arrow, 'Sex and the City', 'Beauty and the Beast' TV series

Credit: DC Comics

It's all about name value with regards to the CW's announced pilot orders today, with the netlet greenlighting a trio of projects including "Arrow", a show based on the popular "Green Arrow"DC comic book series "The Green Arrow"; "The Carrie Diaries", based on the "Sex and the City" prequel novel by Candace Bushnell; and a remake of "Beauty and the Beast", the '80s TV show that starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman.

"Arrow", which is planned as a modern reimagining of the exploits of the DC Comics vigilante, comes from top TV writer/producer Greg Berlanti, who has created such series as "Everwood", "Eli Stone" and last season's short-lived fantasy series "No Ordinary Family" starring Michael Chiklis. He also served as an executive-producer on ABC's now-defunct "Brothers and Sisters". Director David Nutter ("Shameless", "Game of Thrones") is expected to helm the pilot. Justin Hartley, who played the character on the CW's "Smallville" for several seasons, is not attached to reprise his role.

The script for "Arrow" was written by Berlanti's frequent collaborator Marc Guggenheim (they created "Eli Stone" together) alongside Andrew Kreisberg, whose previous credits include stints on "Eli Stone", "Boston Legal" and the currently-running Syfy series "Warehouse 13". The script is based on a story by Berlanti and Guggenheim, both of whom, interestingly, also worked together on last summer's ill-fated "Green Lantern" movie starring Ryan Reynolds. Nevertheless, it seems they aren't quite finished with the color yet...

"The Carrie Diaries", meanwhile, was adapted by Amy Harris, who previously served as a writer and co-producer on "Sex and the City". So she clearly knows the world. Her previous stint as a writer and consulting producer on "Gossip Girl" will also likely serve her well on the project, which will center on Manolo Blahnik aficionado Carrie Bradshaw's coming of age in 1980s Manhattan. Bushnell is serving as an executive-producer.

(Incidentally, this is the second CW pilot pickup for "Diaries" production company Fake Empire this season; they're also behind "Cult", a mystery-drama which was previously ordered by the netlet.)

As for "Beauty and the Beast", which according to Deadline is "loosely based" on the '80s CBS series, the show is a "modern day romantic love story with a procedural twist". Jennifer Levin ("Brothers and Sisters", "Without a Trace") and Sherri Cooper ("Brothers and Sisters", "Everwood") wrote the script for the pilot; the two are also executive-producing alongside Ron Koslow, the creator of the Linda Hamilton series.

Given "B&B"'s now-home at the teen/tween-friendly CW, it's perhaps a safe guess that the two main characters have been aged down considerably from those depicted in the original show (Hamilton and Perlman were both in their 30s at the time), though that isn't clear at this point.

So, does anyone have thoughts on any of this? If nothing else, this trio of orders certainly highlights a portion of the CW's game plan for the coming season...