The turmoil continues at The CW under new owners as layoffs have hit and now word has broken that freshman series The Winchesters will be not be getting additional episodes added to its first season (the same is true for non-genre entry Walker: Independence). The upcoming Gotham Knights, which is set to premiere at Mid-Season, will also be capped at thirteen episodes. Typically, the broadcast networks place a thirteen-episode initial order for a new series and will add on episodes (up to nine) if the ratings justify it. The numbers for The Winchesters have been decent across its first three episodes, but the network has decided that it will not be ordering anymore eps for its first year. Nexstar Media Group took majority control of the network in the fourth quarter, and now they appear to be heavily underway cleaning house. Stargirl was cancelled on Monday, and I am considering pretty much all of the genre entries to be on notice.
The new owners have plans for a change in direction that includes unscripted programming as well as inexpensive acquisitions with a “wholesome” bent that target an older audience. In the past, The CW has skewed towards younger viewers, so all the shows carried over from that regime are out of sync with the new direction. The thirteen-episode caps for The Winchesters and Gotham Knights do not preclude them from getting a second-season renewal. But the other shakeups suggest that these shows may not stick around long. The Flash, Riverdale, and Nancy Drew will be ending this season, and Kung Fu along with Superman & Lois and the new shows could follow them out the door. Expect more announcements in the coming weeks, and don’t get to attached to any show on The CW at this point. And fans of The Winchesters should take this opportunity to make a Call to Action on the social networks in support of the show, perhaps hoping that it could make the jump to HBO Max.
The Winchesters is a prequel to The CW’s long-running series Supernatural which follows John Winchester and Mary Campbell in their early days when they met and started hunting monsters. It stars Meg Donnelly, Drake Rodger, Nida Khurshid, Jojo Fleites, and Demetria McKinney with Jensen Ackles onboard as narrator.
In Gotham Knights, Bruce Wayne is murdered (spoiler alert?) and his adopted son creates an alliance with the children of Batman’s enemies to become the next generation of saviors for Gotham City. It stars Oscar Morgan, Fallon Smythe, Tyler DiChiara, Olivia Rose Keegan, Navia Robinson, and Misha Collins.
The 2022-23 season is well underway with more cancellations and renewals to come. You can see the status of all the currently airing and returning sci fi and fantasy shows on our Cancellation Watch Page. And be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
