What exactly is The CW besides the lovechild of The WB and UPN? Well, at the official launch party outside on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank Monday night (Sept. 18), the fledgling network was Free 2 Be ...

... A Chartreuse World: That yellow-green/green-yellow crayon you never used as a child has reared its progressive head to become the network's signature color. Besides the obvious T-shirts, blazers, guest passes and confetti in that bold, secondary shade, green also showed its cheeky self in light-up ice cubes and pre-mixed mojitos.

And while green was in abundance, that didn't stop the Blue Man Group to color the festivities with their particular brand of creepy pantomime, just before the network's president of entertainment Dawn Ostroff and chief operating officer John Maata fumbled with a giant lever to symbolically switch over the signal to the CW.

... A Celebrity Windfall: Somehow Tyra Banks ("America's Next Top Model") flanked by Jared Padalecki ("Supernatural") and Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") just works. Ditto Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars") and Sophia Bush ("One Tree Hill"). A majority of The CW stars crowded together class photo-style on the event stage to give jittery publicists and reporters an eyeful of the network's celebrity richness.

The real fun began when the stars descended from the stage to mingle, answering impertinent questions, granting photo requests and generally having a good time. While cast members from the various dramas and comedies circulated, it was the reality show stars that caused the most excitement.

"ANTM's" Miss Tyra, judge Nigel Barker (in a striped button-down, natch) and former winners Yoanna House, Nicole Linkletter and Danielle Mahoney all showed up to make nice with fans at the "Top Model" gallery. Although Miss J. Alexander was slightly disappointing in a sedate blazer/pants combo with nary a high heel in sight, she added style with a blinged-out Sidekick and metallic hightops.

Some rather well-endowed, tightly clad women caused a bit of confusion -- thus the genesis of the bystander game "Hooker or Wrestler?" -- but eventually the conundrum was solved when a third category was added: Pussycat Doll.

... Completely With It: What other network party is going to combine pogo stick performers and back alley cigar smoking? Also, before the stars took the stage, eight energetic dancers in camouflage pants jumped around as a harbinger of the hipness to come, and an arcade, personalized T-shirt lounge, beauty boutique, tattoo club and "WWE Smackdown" photo station made the event cooler than your average Spring Fling.

The CW isn't just a young network, it's aimed at the young at heart, and the nightclub-attired guests abandoned their usual responsibilities (Umm, shouldn't I interview that person over there?) in favor of enjoying the frivolous experience.

... Comfortably Wasted: Never mind that there were drinks handed out at the entrance, at least six bars dotting the party landscape or that I tried a lovely rum (Flor de Cana) that didn't taste rummy at all -- partygoers had even more food choices than drinks to overindulge in, including: Kobe beef cheeseburgers, salmon ceviche, fresh mini doughnuts, sno cones, swordfish nachos, among other goodies. It's safe to say that no one left hungry, although maybe just a bit dehydrated.

If this is what The CW is all about, then I say, bring it on.

Comments

Hey, if the CW give shout-outs to Flor de Cana, I'm all for it. Gotta love that Nicaraguan rum!

random | Sep 19, 2006 1:17:09 PM | #

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