It was a sad day for comic book fans in late April when we reported that The CW was cancelling “Legends of Tomorrow” and “Batwoman.” While the latter was mired in some controversy following the departure of series lead Ruby Rose after season one, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” was a fan favorite. Imagine our surprise when The CW announced 7 additional series cancellations today.
Confirmed cancelled series include “Charmed” (the 2018 reboot now on season 4), “The 4400” (2021 reboot), “Naomi,” “Roswell New Mexico” (2019 reboot), “Dynasty” (2017 reboot) and “Legacies.”
The upcoming fourth season of “In the Dark” will also serve as the finale for the show.
“Legacies” is an especially noteworthy cancellation given that it’s a spin-off of “The Originals,” which was a spin-off of “The Vampire Diaries.” Which was arguably the biggest show The CW had that wasn’t “Supernatural.”
“Naomi” and “The 4400” only have the one season to their names, but the rest of the cancelled were all at least into their third or fourth seasons before getting the axe. Not completely uncommon but a bit unusual.
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The culling of all these programs comes at a time of uncertainty for the network. Despite being around for 15 years, the network has never turned a profit. It’s also a co-owned business between CBS and Warner Bros.; hence the C and the W. However, Warner Bros. is now Warner Bros. Discovery, and many other changes have been happening with the company ever since. For example, the merged company pulled the plug on CNN+ after less than a month because it didn’t fit with their future plans. Additionally, rumors about The CW being for sale and Nexstar’s possible interest in purchasing it have been circulating for sometime now.
How much of The CW cancellations are being driven by the network’s financial deficit and potential purchasing by an outside company? If Warner Bros. is trying to trim the fat, longer running programs tend to cost more, which could explain why a glut of their cancellations were of shows with several seasons under their belts. The network also has quite a few projects in development, notably “Babylon 5” from original series creator J. Michael Straczynski.
The whole situation surrounding the complexities of a failing broadcast network, the shift towards streaming platforms, and a company that is restructuring its entertainment offerings following a merger is the perfect storm of variables. There is no clear answer on what the future of The CW is. Which ironically, could make for an interesting television program unto itself.
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