Aaron Spelling reportedly took it personally when Darren Star (who had created "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place" for Spelling's EP-led company) abruptly left both shows and took this project to CBS. Perhaps coincidentally, Fox aired both longer episodes and a newly-scheduled new episode of both shows on the same nights that C.P.W. was premiering in September 1995.
Aaron Spelling deliberately scheduled two of his Fox productions that Darren Star had created in order to ruin the early ratings of CPW. Even though both "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place" aired at 8PM and the latter show didn't even air on the same night of Wednesday that CBS slated CPW to air at 9PM EST, 90210 aired a two-hour premiere that cut into CPW premiere audience, and Melrose Place had a "special airing" of a new episode the following week at 9PM EST after the regular 1-hour episode of 90210 before that.