In a rather unusual move, the CW has renewed virtually every show that is currently on the network’s schedule for the 2020- 2021 season.
Returning for additional seasons next fall will be All American, Batwoman, Black Lightening, Charmed, Dynasty, The Flash, In The Dark, Legacies, Legends Of Tomorrow, Riverdale, Roswell, New Mexico and Supergirl.
The only current shows not getting renewed are the three that have previously announced that they were ending this season – Arrow, Supernatural and The 100.
The only show not given a direct, new season pickup is the freshman Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene, which is set to premier next month. The network did order a second set of thirteen scripts that would compose a second season, if ratings justify one.
Not only is a near 100% schedule renewal virtual unheard of in television, the renewals coming so early during the current season is also unprecedented. In a statement, CW President Mark Pedowitx indicated that the early renewals are to give the show creators extra lead time in planning their next season.
These early orders for next season give our production teams a head start in plotting out story arcs and a jump on hiring staff, and this also provides us with a strong foundation of established, fan-favorite CW shows to build on for next season.
And while things are certainly sunny for all the shows being renewed, it does mean that there is not many open slots available for the number of shows that the network is still developing. Vying for one of those rare berths are a Walker, Texas Ranger reboot which will be headlined by Supernatural‘s Jared Padalecki, a reboot of the classic Kung Fu series, a sequel to the 1960s cult classic Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and two new entries into the network’s shared DC Comics franchise – an Arrow spinoff and Superman & Lois starring Supergirl‘s Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch.
