The CW has provided early renewals for much of its scripted schedule, including Lightning.
The network has also been renewed All American, The Flash, Kung Fu, Nancy Drew, Riverdale, Superman & Lois and Walker.
Traditionally, the youth outreach network distributes early renewals, sometimes as early as January, to the majority of its board – a blessing for its owners CBS and Warner Bros.
Scorecard for cancellations / renewals: TV broadcasts ended or will continue in the 2021-22 season
This year, however, the television company’s future is in the air with the local affiliate group Nexstar circling around, and Deadline understands that a new majority owner would likely influence some of its renewal decisions. The network must also take into account elements such as streaming rights to shows and other variables that determine a pickup.
The renewal of the flagship series Lightning for a ninth season – making it the network’s longest-running Arrowverse series, taking over this mantle from Arrow, which ended after eight seasons – was paved earlier this year with the news that star Grant Gustin was in talks for a new deal. There’s still nothing from The CW about whether season 9 will be Lightnings svanesang.
Some of the other renewals were more given than others. All American was expected to return for season 5, and Superman and Lois and Walker were good for their third season.
Riverdale was also expected to return for its seventh season, but similarly, there is no word on whether this will be its final season.
Kung Fu launched only its second season earlier this month, but is now returning for a third.
Nancy Drew, however, is thought to be a little more on the bubble and returns for a fourth season. It comes as a spinoff series Tom Swift has also not yet launched on the network.
2022 CW Pilots & Series Orders
There are two other tranches of shows that the network has yet to make renewal decisions on – and these are expected to come in the next month or so ahead of the upfronts in May.
4400which was launched in October, Naomiwhich premiered in January, and All American: Homecomingwhich started last month, everyone will be hoping for a second season.
There are also questions about the future Legends of Tomorrowwhich is in its seventh season; Dynastywho is in his fifth; Charmet and Legacies, who are in their fourth season; and Batwomanwhich is in its third.
Stargirl’s third season and In the dark fourth season has yet to premiere, while Roswell, ny Mexico was picked up for a fourth season prior to his third season.
The scripted updates follow a batch of unscripted updates, including Penn & Teller: Fool Us and The masters of illusionboth returning for their ninth season, and The world’s funniest animal, which is heading into season 3.
Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and CEO of CW Network, said: “As we prepare for the 2022-23 season, these script series, along with the alternative series we renewed earlier, will serve as the start of a solid foundation by using some of the our most watched series that we can build on for next year and beyond.These dramas are also important to our overall digital strategy as they are some of our most streamed and socially engaged programs and we look forward to adding more new and recurring series to help strengthen and expand our multiplatform footprint. “