The CW made a big push on Monday to expand its year-round programming, adding two new series to its summer 2015 slate: unscripted series “A Wicked Offer” that tests what couples would do for money and British online-romance comedy “Dates.”
“A Wicked Offer” is described as an outrageous and darkly comic series which invites real life couples to earn cash prizes by engaging in scandalous and controversial tasks which may involve unsuspecting friends and families. The unscripted hour-long series is executive produced by Jenny Daly (“Storage Hunters,” “Mystery Diners,” “Container Wars,” “Invention USA”) through her T Group Productions, Inc production company.
The CW also acquired nine episodes of the U.K. comedy series “Dates,” starring Oona Chaplin (“Game of Thrones”) and Ben Chaplin (“Thin Red Line”). Each episode of the series focuses on a first date between people who met online. Featuring a largely revolving cast, the series is billed as exploring the issues, intricacies, romance and danger of modern relationships and the thrills, calamities, lies and truths of first dates. Andrew Scott (“Sherlock”), Katie McGrath (“Dracula”), Amanda Hale (“The White Queen”) and Gemma Chan (“Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit”) co-star. Bryan Elsley created the series, which was produced by Balloon (Dates) Ltd., distributed by eOne and aired on Channel 4 in Great Britain.
Neither series has been given a premiere date.
In January the network renewed all of eight of its Fall dramas, including breakout freshman series “The Flash” and “Jane the Virgin.”