There was a time not too long ago when I referred to The CW as the “Happy Network” because it tended to renew its shows much more often than it cancelled them. Didn’t matter if the ratings weren’t great, the execs at the CW were playing the long game and sticking by the shows they had on their schedule. In fact, usually right about this time of year they would issue a blanket renewal for most if not all of their Fall shows, and perhaps some upcoming shows as well. Unfortunately, that interfered with the network maintaining profitability (though its co-owners Warner Bros. and CBS still made good money on the shows) and that opened the door to new owners Nexstar Media taking control starting with the 2022-23 season. The bloodbath that preceded the change in ownership well known to genre fans with shows like Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Legacies, Charmed, and more getting unceremoniously cancelled. And the new owners have already made it clear that not many shows on the current schedule will be carrying over to the 2023-24 season.
Nextstar Media is changing things up at the network, looking for inexpensive acquisitions and targeting an older audience. The shows that were produced by the prior regime certainly don’t count as big-budget productions along the lines of what Netflix and Amazon have been turning out. But they likely exceed the million-dollars-per-episode price point that the new owners are looking at, especially the genre entries. Nextstar Media has given the greenlight to a sixth season of non-genre series All-American, but sci fi and fantasy fans who tune into The CW will wonder if any of their shows will survive the cut.
We know that The Flash, Riverdale, and Nancy Dew will all be ending with the current season. We also know that Stargirl will not be going forward with a fourth season (unless HBO Max decides to pick up the show). That leaves The Winchesters, Kung Fu, Superman & Lois, and Gotham Knights vying for a possible pickup for the 2023-24 season. Below, I look at each of those and their chances for renewal.
Gotham Knights
(Upcoming, 1st season Premieres March 14th): Back in the days of The CW as the “Happy Net”, there was always one show that acted as a sacrificial lamb, apparently because the network execs felt that had to cancel something each year. That was usually a freshman show and one that debuted later in the season. I realize it is a different regime at the network now, but I still see this one as a pretty sure thing to fall. It is not tied to the Arrow-verse or any other of the various DC live-action universes. It likely has a price tag of notably higher than a million dollars per episode. And it does not have a built-in fanbase beyond those who have played the game (and I don’t know how close it will be to that property). I basically consider this one dead-show-walking, and unless it turns into a surprise hit, I expect it to be one-and-done.
Kung Fu
(Airing 3rd Season, Returns from Hiatus February 8th): This supernatural drama started out with good ratings–for a CW show–in its first two years but has seen those drop in its third season. It also does not necessarily fit into the “family friendly” older-skewing model that the new owners have in mind. It will also be well short of the syndication stretch at the end of the season having somewhere between 39 and 45 episodes across three seasons (its first two seasons were cut short due to COVID-related production delays). Unless the ratings really pick up when it returns from hiatus, this one appears to be another holdover from the prior regime that will be on the way out.
The Winchesters
(Airing 1st Season, Returns from Hiatus January 24th): Under the old regime, this Supernatural spin-off seemed to be a sure thing to stick around for at least a four-season run. And the early ratings have been good with the show placing as the third highest-rated series on the network this last Fall. But again, this one does not fit into the new direction the network is taking, and it certainly costs more than a million dollars per episode. The one caveat is that Warner Bros. still has some say in the network decisions, and they may reduce the licensing fee to keep this one going. But I believe that will depend on the decision made on the following show.
Superman & Lois
(Returning, 3rd Season Premieres March 14th): This one took over as the highest-rated genre entry on The CW last season and certainly seemed to be set for an extended run on the network. Since it is currently going into its third season, the assumption might be that it is close to the syndication stretch, but it only had fifteen episodes in its first two seasons (due to COVID-related production shutdowns) and may have around the same this year to keep costs down. That will put it at or below the 50-episode mark which means that it would take another couple of seasons to pass the 80+ ep threshold that the syndication market prefers. My guess is that Warner Bros. will be stumping for this show with whatever votes they still have at the network because it is a high-profile series. And they will probably offer it at a reduced licensing fee. James Gunn and Peter Safran have claimed that they are expecting “one to two more seasons” from the show, but if they can’t work out a deal to keep it going, then The Winchesters will probably get their nod over the Man of Steel and his family.
Which CW shows are you still watching and will you fight to save them if they are cancelled?
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows for the current season with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
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