The CW has announced drastic changes to its programming, as superhero series seem to have “got their time.”
During the network’s Upfront show, The CW’s entertainment president Brad Schwartz spoke about his programming vision going forward, which includes a significant dip in the superhero series that the network has been focused on over the past 11 years building the Arrowverse universe and other series, like Riverdale and Nancy. Drew, which was targeting the age group of 18-34 years.
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter“They’ve been main features of The CW for a long time,” Schwartz told reporters in response to a question about the future of Superman & Lois. “As we look forward and try to make this network bigger and more profitable, frankly, as much as we all love those shows but they got their time,” Schwartz told reporters. It doesn’t work linearly, he noted that the network will try to attract an older audience by “increasing its size and broadening its reach”.
The strategy is an effort to turn a profit by 2025, a goal set by The CW’s new owner Nexstar Media Group, which mainly owns local US television stations across the country.
Confusingly, the average age of The CW viewers is 58, Nexstar president and chief operating officer Tom Carter said on a conference call last August, according to a report from the CW. TV Line, just before the acquisition in October from Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global. Both retain a minority stake in The CW.
“We can’t write a check for $10 million an episode for Dragons.
In the first half of 2022, Legacies, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Charmed Reboot and Dynasty were all cancelled, prior to the May 18 announcement of the Kung Fu spin-offs of The Winchesters and Walker Independence. The final seasons of The Flash and Riverdale were announced last year.
Gotham Knights, Superman & Lois and All Americans: Homecoming are still waiting for a similar fate, with Schwartz noting that a decision will come “soon” as the companies involved analyze the “expensive” production costs.
“We have to be entrepreneurial in the way we look at content. We can’t write a $10 million an episode check for a series with dragons,” said Schwartz.
In a preview of the 2024 season, Schwartz announced a co-production of a series called Joan, which will star Sophie Turner as a famous jewel thief. In addition to The Librarians: The Next Chapter, a spin-off series from the popular TNT series. and the acquisition of The Swarm, a German environmental sci-fi series. and Sullivan’s Crossing, a Canadian medical drama series starring Chad Michael Murray based on books by Robin Carr.
