Most of the series that are currently airing on The CW are still in peril as cancelations loom. The CW, which was formerly The WB, was home to quite a few popular series including The Arrowverse, a family of series derived from DC Comics. However, The CW was put up for sale earlier this year, leaving many of their most popular series on the bubble. They were eventually acquired by Nexstar, who closed their deal last month, but in the meantime they announced the cancelation of an unprecedented slate of series including the Vampire Diaries spinoff Legacies and the Arrowverse's Legends of Tomorrow, Naomi, and Batwoman. They also announced that the seasons of Riverdale, The Flash, Stargirl, and Nancy Drew would be their last.
Per slate of The CW programming. Nexstar is pivoting away from shows produced by Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery as they prepare their own original series for the 2023-2024 season. CFO Lee Ann Gliha said that any carryover programming will be "minimal at that point," though CEO Perry Sook followed up by saying that they may look to hold over "a couple of shows that distinguish themselves." Read their full quotes below:
Lee Ann Gliha: We will have some carryover commitment for the CBS (Paramount) and the WBD (Warner Bros. Discovery) programming in [the 2023-2024 season], but it’s minimal at that point.
Perry Sook: And there may be a couple of shows that distinguish themselves this year that we want to hold over to next year.
What CW Shows Have the Best Chance at Surviving?
So far, the only CW scripted shows that haven't yet been canceled are Kung Fu, the Supernatural prequel The Winchesters, All American and its spinoff All American: Homecoming, Walker and its prequel Walker: Independence. There are also two DC projects still airing: the one remaining Arrowverse series Superman & Lois, and the freshman series Gotham Knights. Their programming also includes unscripted series like Penn & Teller: Fool Us, World's Funniest Animals, and Family Law.
So far, the series that seems to be in the safest position is Walker. Considering the fact that the Jared Padalecki-led Western series (which is a reboot of Chuck Norris' Walker, Texas Ranger) is popular enough to have earned a prequel likely means that it has a strong enough base of viewers to justify its continuation should the numbers stay firm. However, Walker: Independence by itself may not have the juice to carry on, considering that its period setting likely comes with a higher price tag. Other than Walker, it seems most likely that Nexstar will be most interested in keeping The Winchesters on board, as the network's ties to the long-running hit series Supernatural are a major facet of its success over the last decade.
On the other hand, while the Arrowverse used to be the bread and butter of The CW, their previous mass cancelation of shows from the franchise likely doesn't spell good news for Superman & Lois. Fans of the Arrowverse have had to say goodbye to a great many of their favorite series over the past five years, so they may need to prepare for one more. However, that series is anchored by widely popular star Tyler Hoechlin, who may be enough to help the series hang on by the skin of its teeth.
Source: Variety