How The CW’s Sale Could Affect Its Future Schedule
The CW CEO Mark Pedowitz knows fans of his network’s programming are really upset at its atypical round of cancellations this season.
The executive came prepared for his pre-upfront call with reporters early Thursday with a message to viewers: He tried. Broadcast’s longest-tenured network topper has a history of giving his long-running scripted originals a proper sendoff — see Thursday’s announcement that the forthcoming season of Riverdale would be its last — and shows like the axed Legacies were encouraged to write toward a series finale.
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“We encouraged all producers [of the bubble shows] to treat their finales as if they could be series finales. We wanted to do the right thing by the series and for the fans. … Unfortunately, some fans lose out by these decisions and that is never anyone’s intention,” Pedowitz told press including The Hollywood Reporter during his annual upfronts call. To that point, Pedowitz noted he had a conversation with The Vampire Diaries captain Julie Plec and pledged that Legacies, the conclusion of the three-show franchise, would have a proper finale.
Following years of renewing nearly its entire roster of U.S. scripted originals, The CW canceled half its roster. Batwoman, Charmed, Dynasty, In the Dark, Legacies, Legends of Tomorrow and Roswell are all gone from The CW’s newly announced 2022-23 schedule. Rookies The 4400 and DC’s Naomi also failed to make the cut, as The CW added only three new shows to its roster as a sale to likely station group owner Nexstar looms.
The network’s sale comes as its business model no longer makes financial sense for its parent companies, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery. With the end of its $1 billion Netflix output deal, originals moved to Paramount+ and HBO Max as The CW’s ownership also retains lucrative foreign rights to programs like Walker and its new spinoff, Walker: Independence.
“I realize [the cancellation] pattern was different from years past and can see why it came as a bit of a shock to fans,” Pedowitz said. “None of these were easy decisions. We had long conversations with our studios and parent companies, and everyone recognized this was a time of transition for The CW. Difficult financial and strategic decisions were made at every level.”
After losing half of his roster of scripted originals, Pedowitz’s new fall schedule instead features additional unscripted fare (Magic With the Stars) and foreign acquisitions (Family Law, Professionals) in place of signature series like Supergirl (which concluded this past season). Despite the increased reliance on foreign series and unscripted, and with its sale to Nexstar pending, Pedowitz remains committed to scripted. “Shifting ownership doesn’t change our goals for our company for 2022-23,” he said, stressing that “content was never a factor” in the cancellation decisions.
While Pedowitz noted the pending sale will take time, he hopes that once a deal does close that its new ownership will help The CW expand into half-hour scripted originals and programs from studios beyond Warners and CBS. (The CW’s current model called for half its programming to come from each of its corporate parents.)
“The world is moving at a pace that’s faster than I could have imagined,” Pedowitz noted when asked how he envisions the network’s schedule in two to three years. “I hope you’ll see a decent amount of scripted, even as we begin this transition to more alternative and more acquired programming. I do hope that we will enter the world of half-hour sitcoms being produced for the network. And I do hope, after there is a sale, that it will open up the avenues of other producers and studios to come to us beyond Warner Bros. and CBS, which means more opportunity.”
Elsewhere, Pedowitz stressed that The CW is “staying in the superhero business” despite its DC Comics lineup being pared down as part of the network’s so-called “Red Wedding.” As Warner Bros. Discovery searches for its version of Marvel’s Kevin Feige to better align its multiple universes across all platforms, Pedowitz views The CW’s remaining DC dramas The Flash, Superman & Lois, Stargirl and newly ordered Gotham Knights as being “interconnected” with DC’s feature side and HBO Max originals like Titans. “We’re not as robust as we were in years past … and want to stay in that business … sale or no sale,” he said.
That said, Pedowitz noted he plans to meet with Greg Berlanti — the architect of its vast DC universe — and producers to discuss the future of The Flash. Despite rumors that last season would be its last, Warners signed new deals with stars including Grant Gustin and renewed the show for its upcoming ninth season. “It’s too early to tell you,” he told THR when asked if The Flash could join Riverdale in coming to a close in the 2022-23 season.
In other news, Pedowitz noted that The CW remains optimistic about its Babylon 5 reboot and is redeveloping it for either this season or next as the younger-skewing joins other broadcasters in embracing year-round development. The network is also working with the creator of Riverdale on a Zorro update that could also be for 2022-23 or 2023-24.
Keep track of all of the remaining broadcast pilots with THR’s handy scorecard. See the full list of shows for the 2022-23 season on our renewal guide.
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