New CW Sunday shows announcement names everything but the stars, cast and, um, Moonlight

They didn't announce the stars, casting, hosts or episode plotlines.

But when the CW network decided today to announce what its new Sunday lineup would look like in prime time this fall, it did reveal the information about which it seems to care most: the producers and the executives behind the shows.

That's because the CW notched another milestone in desperation this spring, turning over its Sunday night programming to Media Rights Capital, a production company formed under the wing of high powered Hollywood talent agency Endeavor.

  One thing they did confirm; despite a pitch to pick up CBS' canceled vampire detective drama Moonlight, the CW took a pass. (I'm betting it has a lot to do with the special effects price tag for all those scenes with the freaky long teeth and yellow eyes.)

Under this new stab at creating TV shows, neither the CW nor MRC has filmed any pilot episodes. Instead, they've pulled together the series by forging deals with producer/writers behind such TV shows as Reaper, Dirty Jobs and Reba. They will push ahead the start of prime time to 6:30 p.m. -- bringing them in direct competition with the end of many football games -- and the producers creating the shows are expected to meet this week to talk with advertisers about product placement opportunities inside their shows.

Before a single performer has been announced.

Don't get me wrong, I think the old system of developing TV shows made little sense -- filming all the pilot episodes for promising series at the same time, so networks have to fight over the best talent; creating 100-plus pilots priced at $2-million or so each just to build a slate of 35 new shows; scheduling them all to start in the same week in September.

But I'm not sure the solution to that bassackward system is to build series around talent agent relationships and product placement agreements. Here's the details on the new shows, from today's release:

6:30-7:30         IN HARM'S WAY – A reality show that looks at lives of people doing dangerous jobs.  Executive Producer is Craig Piligian (“Dirty Jobs,” “American Chopper,” “Survivor”). 

7:30 - 8:00       SURVIVING SUBURBIA – Half-hour comedy about a family and their new neighbors.  Kevin Abbott is Executive Producer (“Roseanne,” “Grace Under Fire,” “Reba,” “My Name is Earl”). 

8:00-9:00         VALENTINE, INC. – One-hour drama/comedy about an agency that finds lost loves, true loves and mends broken hearts.  Kevin Murphy is Executive Producer (“Reaper,” “Desperate Housewives”).

9:00-10:00       EASY MONEY – One-hour drama about a family that runs a high-interest loan business.  Executive Producers are Andy Schneider and Diane Frolov (“Northern Exposure,” “The Chris Isaak Show,” “The Sopranos”).

            All of the shows will begin production, pilot-free, by mid-June.  MRC and The CW sales team will begin meeting with advertisers and agencies this week.  Consistent with the MRC integrated business model, all five showrunners will participate in the initial meetings to present their creative points of view and hear advertiser needs from the on-set of the creative process.

            “Our approach...is simple: when you put talented people like our artist partners and the advertising folks together in a room, they come up with smart and creative solutions to problems.  We want them integrated and talking from the beginning,” explained Satchu and Wiczyk.