Giacomo Gianniotti Weighs in on CW's Big Changes Ahead of 'Wild Cards' Premiere (Exclusive)
The network has been in the midst of a major rebranding since its Nexstar acquisition in 2022.
As The CW continues its rebrand, the network will be premiering a brand new show tonight, Wild Cards. Starring Giacomo Gianniotti and Vanessa Morgan, the dramedy pairs the two up as a demoted detective and con woman who must work together to solve crimes in order to move back up the ranks and stay out of jail, respectively. The series was announced last fall as one of two new scripted shows ordered by The CW, and following the network's huge slash of scripted originals.
While speaking to PopCulture.com, Gianniotti weighed in on Wild Cards being part of this new era of The CW, that was previously known for steamy teen dramas, the supernatural, and superheroes. Now with only four veteran original scripted shows returning for the 2023-24 season, and a whole lot of sports and unscripted series, The CW is more or less unrecognizable. With Wild Cards, the Grey's Anatomy alum says the show will help connect the past and future content of the network.
"I think the network's in a state of transition," Gianniotti shared. "There's still some things from the previous CW that are still taking place, and then there's new things like Wild Cards that are coming in to bridge that gap and introduce the new way that The CW wants to be seen, which is raising that demographic age and having shows that are more pitched towards adults, rather than teens and just more fun and light."
"I think the world is in a dark place right now," Gianniotti continued. "There's shortage of atrocities all over the world happening and crazy headlines that make you sad. So having a show that lifts you out of that, that's lighthearted, that isn't going to bring your day down, I think is important. I think that's what people are looking for, to watch now and at the end of their day, something that's going to lift them up."
Even though The CW may not be the same as it once was, it sounds like there will still be a lot to look forward to. The CW has canceled a lot of shows, many of them pretty prematurely, but unfortunately, not much can be done. What can be done, though, is making sure this new era sticks. There are still plenty of upcoming scripted originals from The CW to look out for, both new and returning, with Wild Cards being one of them. The new series premieres tonight, Jan. 17, at 8 p.m. ET.