The CW is kicking off the new year with some great news.
The young-skewing network has picked up 13 shows for the 2020-21 TV season.
The list of shows confirmed to return for the 2020-21 TV season includes The Flash (Season 7), Riverdale (Season 5), Supergirl (Season 6), Black Lightning (Season 4), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (Season 6), All American (Season 3), Charmed (Season 3), Legacies (Season 3), In the Dark (Season 3) Batwoman (Season 2), Nancy Drew (Season 2), Dynasty (Season 4), and Roswell, New Mexico (Season 3).
Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene, which bows next month has received an order for 13 additional scripts, meaning the network is probably going to pull the trigger on a full-fledged renewal unless the series debuts with a 0.0 rating.
The CW is well-known for making early renewal decisions, but the early renewals for Roswell, New Mexico and In the Dark are unprecedented, given that the network tends to wait until shows debut before making renewal or cancellation decisions.
The Arrowverse — minus Arrow — getting renewed is no surprise. They are the network’s flagship shows, and have continued to pull in solid ratings this season.
All American, which was reportedly on thin ice for a second season order last spring, getting a season 3 renewal was a no-brainer. The series returned with increased ratings on a new night, and continues to be a robust performer digitally.
Dynasty, which has become well-known for recasts, returning for a fourth season is a little bit surprising.
The series is currently averaging fewer than 400,000 viewers and around a 0.1 rating on Fridays. Previously, it was saved by a Netflix deal because the streamer carries the series in territories outside the U.S.
However, Netflix, for the first time since the series debuted, decided against airing episodes of the third season the day after the U.S. This means the series won’t hit the streamer in some territories outside the U.S. until the summer.
Many wondered whether this meant bad news for the show’s future.
As for Legacies, it was widely expected to get a renewal. It is holding up well on Thursdays in its sophomore season, and continues to keep The Vampire Diaries Universe alive.
Nancy Drew has been mostly soft in the ratings, but fits like a glove out of Riverdale on Wednesdays. Additionally, the network has stacking rights to keep all current seasons of the series on its digital platforms, breaking the norm, which usually only includes the 5 most recent episodes.
“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,” said CW prez Mark Pedowitz.
“We’ve been thrilled with the creative direction of all three new series, and even though we are in the very early stages of our new full stack streaming strategy, which allows viewers to catch up on our new shows from the beginning, we’re already seeing incredibly positive results from our multiplatform viewership for Nancy Drew and Batwoman.”
Already confirmed to be ending at The CW are Arrow, Supernatural, and The 100.
Okay, TV Fanatics.
What are your thoughts on these 13(!) renewals?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.