It’s that time of year again. Networks are passing out renewals and cancellations like suckers in a bank drive-thru. While the bigger fish continue to pound their 2017-2018 slates into shape, The CW has mostly locked its in place. Before we get into the changes, let’s take a look at the shows that have been renewed for another season…
- “The 100”
- “Arrow”
- “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
- “The Flash”
- “iZombie”
- “Jane the Virgin”
- “Legends of Tomorrow”
- “The Originals”
- “Riverdale”
- “Supergirl”
- “Supernatural”
If you’re a fan of any of those series, this is very much good news. That goes double for “iZombie” and “The Originals” fans, as the fate of both was up in the air until renewals for them finally came through today. Neither show does particularly well in the ratings department, but both are run by producers who the network values having a continuing relationship with due to past history and future projects.
Now for the bad news. If you didn’t already know, the current seasons of “The Vampire Diaries” and “Reign” were/are their last. The good thing is that the showrunners knew this going in, so hopefully both series managed to close out in a meaningful way. On the cancellation end of the spectrum, neither “No Tomorrow” nor “Frequency” will be returning for another season.
The CW has picked up four new shows thus far, out of the six pilots ordered earlier this year. “Black Lightning“, the latest DC series from Greg Berlanti, was announced as part of the network’s slate today. Word is that it might not debut until the mid-season, however. Also picked up were a new take on “Dynasty“, the military-themed “Valor“, and “Life Sentence“, a dramedy series starring Lucy Hale (“Pretty Little Liars“).
Left undecided at this time are the pilots for “Insatiable” and “Searchers“. The former is a Ryan Seacrest-produced drama series about a lawyer-turned-beauty pageant coach. The latter a genre drama series from Berlanti about a brother-sister duo roadtripping around the country uncovering myths, legends, and other strange mysteries. I’m honestly surprised the latter wasn’t instantly picked up, since it sounds like Indiana Jones by way of “Supernatural“. I’m guessing the pilots for both weren’t as impressive as the network hoped, which means they will likely be retooled and revisited for potential a potential mid-season premiere.
