The CW continues to narrow the ranks of its script slate, as the network is currently in the process of a possible sale to the Nexstar group of stations.
The station run by Mark Pedowitz has canceled Charmed, Dynasty, Roswell New Mexico and newbies the 4400 Y Naomi. The future is yet to be determined Legacies, Tom Swift Y Star Girl. In the dark Stargirl Y NancyDrew stem tom quick They haven’t been released yet. The CW has also chosen not to renew In the dark beyond its upcoming fourth season.
The news follows the cancellations of Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow last month. Sources say the sound stage leases for the two DC Comics dramas have ended and producers Warner Bros. TV did not want to extend them.
The network delivered early renewals to its top seven shows in March with pickups for All American, Flash, Kung Fu, Nancy Drew, Riverdale, Superman and Lois Y Walker. All American: Homecoming it was renewed early Thursday.
This is easily The CW’s biggest round of cancellations in years, as the youth-focused network under Pedowitz, the broadcast’s longest-serving frontman, had worked for some time to stabilize and grow its slate to the point where that the original series was released all year round. That changed this year with The CW’s corporate sponsors, CBS Studios (a division of Paramount Global) and Discovery’s Warner Bros. Warner Bros. TV, seeking to divest the network from their respective portfolios.
The CW was previously buoyed by revenue earned from Netflix’s $1 billion deal that saw all of the network’s scripted series air on the service. The CW opted not to renew that deal because Warner and Paramount wanted to stream their originals on their respective platforms, HBO Max and Paramount+. International revenues have also largely vanished as those rights, instead of being sold abroad and contributing millions to their respective studios, are now kept in-house as well. The Nexstar group of stations is considered the favorite to buy The CW, although other interested parties are also in the mix. A deal is not expected to come before initial presentations next week to Madison Avenue ad buyers.
Meanwhile, The CW has been doing its best to keep business as usual, with Pedowitz delivering three pilot orders this year. While Nexstar knows how shows work on The CW, early indicators are that the station group, if a deal can be reached, could keep things business as usual for the foreseeable future.
Still, a sale of The CW could, over time, change the face of the network, as it’s unclear what a potential buyer’s long-term plans might be.
batwoman (canceled after three seasons)Charmed (done after four)dynasty (five seasons), legends of tomorrow (Seven)Roswell New Mexico (four), In the dark (four) and rookies the 4400 Y Naomi they were among those left out of the March renovations. Many had been staples on the show due to the lucrative streaming and international deals that preceded the arrival of HBO Max. Dynasty, for example, it is the lowest-rated scripted series on television, but due to its well-known title it was a huge international success.
The end of legends of tomorrow Y batwoman leaves The CW with a DC slate that includes The flash (which is expected to conclude with its previously announced ninth season) and Superman and Lois. (Prolific producer Greg Berlanti has another DC show in the works for The CW with a pilot. gotham knightsthat is not considered batwoman cleave.)
Now that Warner and CBS Studios are shedding The CW, a new corporate parent is likely to open the doors to other outside buyers and possibly offer some sort of guarantee to both studios for a certain volume of shows over a predetermined period of time. At the same time, The CW will now have room in the schedule for potential new series and other low-cost unscripted programming, as its corporate parents look to cut expenses for a potential new owner.
The CW has three pilots in the works, all of them spin-offs or based on well-known properties: DC Comics drama gotham knights; Walker: Independence, prequel to the reboot starring Jared Padalecki; Y Supernatural prequel The Winchesters. They all have ties to The CW’s longest-running drama, Supernaturalas Misha Collins stars gotham knights. All are expected to be picked up for the series.
Keep track of all broadcast pilots, casting calls, and series orders with THRThe practical dashboard. And follow along while all the bubble shows await news about their future with our renovation guide.