*The CW orders its first pilot — ’Runaway,’ which will be shot at Sony. Go figure.

Since last month’s announcement that UPN and the WB Network will die and become reincarnated as something called the CW, the TV biz has been atwitter about what sort of programming direction the new entity will take this fall. Will CBS honcho Les Moonves push for more urban, high-concept UPN fare like "America’s Next Top Model"? Or will the CW (yes, it’s a stupid name, but we hear it’s changing) go more exurban and squishy, à la WB’s "Dawson’s Creek," "Everwood," etc.?

Now comes a clue. The CW just ordered its first drama pilot, "Runaway," about a family that goes on the lam after its patriarch is convicted of murder. The writer is Chad Hodge, who worked on Fox’s ill-fated "Tru Calling" with Eliza Dushku. "Sex and the City’s" Darren Star, who previously had a deal with UPN, is attached as an executive producer; there’s no cast yet. But the most interesting angle is the studio - Sony, of all places. Because CW is a joint operation between CBS and Warner Bros., everyone assumed Warners would have the inside track on studio business. Guess not.

Meanwhile, questions still swirl around the WB’s "Gilmore Girls," which despite early reports might not be a slam-dunk for CW’s fall schedule. Network and talent-agency sources say the CW still doesn’t have a deal with creator Amy Sherman-Palladino or with cast members, including Lauren Graham.