CW network gives vote of confidence to 'Girlfriend'

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - The CW television network chief offered a strong vote of confidence Sunday to the slow-to-catch-on comedy "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" amid hopes that lead actress Rachel Bloom's Golden Globes nomination would kick-start some interest.

Critics love the quasi-musical where Bloom's character Rebecca Bunch moves to a strange town in pursuit of a former flame, but ratings have put it in the danger zone. The Monday night comedy is paired with "Jane the Virgin" on the CW schedule.

"We believe in the show," said Mark Pedowitz, CW president. "We stand by this show. We believe there's a place on the schedule for this show, so we're going to give it a chance to be seen."

Neither Pedowitz or Aline Brosh McKenna, executive producer of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," said they believed the show needed to be retooled in order to attract more viewers.

The show's unusual nature - Bloom broke out into a French cabaret song about mental illness in one episode - could be an impediment to viewers. Each show usually has a couple of fully-realized musical numbers.

"It's an out-of-the-box show so it's hard to get people to understand totally what it is," McKenna said. "When you watch one episode, I think people get it."

Considering it's rarely an exact science to figure out what makes some shows succeed and others fail, it's not wise to let the creative process be influenced by theories on what can make it more popular, she said.

"You just try to make the best show that you can in the hope the people find it," she said.

Meanwhile, fingers were crossed for Bloom, who co-created the show, getting the boost of attention that a Golden Globe could provide.