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The Supernatural universe almost had a powerful new chapter with Wayward Sisters, but things didn’t work out the way fans had hoped. The spin-off was first announced in June 2017 and was supposed to follow Sheriff Jody Mills, played by Kim Rhodes, as she trained a group of young women who had all lost their families to supernatural events.

Unlike Supernatural, which was all about the bond between brothers Sam and Dean, Wayward Sisters was built around a chosen family of women learning to fight monsters and survive together.

The show was developed by longtime Supernatural creatives Andrew Dabb, Robert Berens, Robert Singer, and Phil Sgriccia. It even got a backdoor pilot during Season 13 of Supernatural, which gave fans a first look at what the spin-off could become. Sadly, in May 2018, The CW decided not to move forward with it.

Writer Robert Berens broke the news on May 11, 2018, and Andrew...

Back in 2017, Supernatural fans got some exciting news — a new spinoff called Wayward Sisters was in the works. The show was meant to star Kim Rhodes as Sheriff Jody Mills, a fan-favorite character from the original series.

It would have followed Jody, along with Sheriff Donna Hanscum (played by Briana Buckmaster), and a group of young women who all had their lives turned upside down by supernatural events. Under Jody’s guidance, they were set to become a fierce team of monster hunters. It was going to be a show about chosen family and survival, with a strong focus on sisterhood rather than brotherhood like the original show.

The backdoor pilot aired during Supernatural’s thirteenth season, and fans were hopeful it would be picked up. But sadly, that didn’t happen. In May 2018, the CW decided not to move forward with the spinoff. That news hit fans and the creators hard.

There's a whole lot of "TV show" in the TV show "Riverdale." Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's small screen Archie Comics adaptation -- an inspiredly chaotic queer work that's as cheerfully absurd as it is painfully earnest when it wants to be -- burns through storylines like there's no tomorrow. It's how, in the end, the show is able to indulge in subplots involving everything from illegal teen convict fight clubs to diabolical sorcerers from alternate realities to the tickle porn industry. (That last one is very real and even features "The Last of Us" actor Spencer Lord.) The same goes for the genres it dabbles in, though there are two in particular that "Riverdale" consistently returns to throughout its run: horror and musicals.

Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that "Riverdale" birthed a pair of spin-offs in the forms of the horror-flavored "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and the wholesome showbiz fantasy of "Katy Keene.

Though "The Dark Knight" is obviously the more successful of the Christopher Nolan movies, and one of the 100 best movies of all time according by our standards, some believe it's not the best Batman movie Nolan made. That honor could go to "Batman Begins," a movie that feels more like a comic book movie than a James Bond story, a movie with fantastic production design that doesn't just look like New York City or Chicago. Instead, the film introduces Kowloon-inspired slum district of the Narrows that has become a big part of Batman mythos. "Batman Begins" also has one of the best Bat-suits in film and some incredible visuals in its recreations of all-time great scenes from Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One."

All right, we'll concede that Ra's al Ghul is not nearly as memorable a villain as Heath Ledger's Joker, but Liam Neeson's immortal antagonist is still menacing,...

In 2021, The CW ordered and shot a live-action “Powerpuff Girls” pilot starring Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, Yana Perrault and Donald Faison, only for the series to be canceled and never see the light of day — until now.

Footage from the canceled series has been leaked onto YouTube and made into a trailer. Sources at CW confirmed to Variety that the footage is real, but a final trailer was never assembled before “Powerpuff Girls” was axed. At the time of the cancellation, CW may have been putting together a trailer for upfronts, but sources say the leaked footage would not have passed CW standards. The network sometimes used outside vendors to assemble trailers, so the leak could have been a rejected trailer from a third party. It may also have been a Warner Bros. TV trailer created for L.A. screenings or San Diego Comic Con.

Nevertheless, the leaked footage spread on social media Thursday.

Live-action adaptations of beloved animated shows are becoming another hot commodity, following the success of shows like Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender and Cowboy Bebop. The CW was also looking to capitalize on that popularity with a live-action adaptation of Cartoon Network's beloved The Powerpuff Girls. However, any attempts at transforming sugar, spice, and everything nice into live-action were halted in 2023 when the show was officially canceled. Two years later, a trailer for the CW's canceled Powerpuff Girls show has leaked online...and it's probably a good thing it was axed.

The new trailer, which comes to us via a post on Reddit, reveals the drastic changes made to the original show in the CW's version. The new series planned to age-up Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles into young adults who quit being superheroes after accidentally killing Mojo. Blossom ran away, Buttercup became a firefighter, and Bubbles became an...

The CW announced plans for Powerpuff in 2020. Understandably, fans of Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls were in equal parts excited and filled with trepidation about a live-action sequel.

The network's approach to the material raised eyebrows from the start, largely because each member of the iconic trio was set to be portrayed by, and as, adults. Still, Diablo Cody and Heather Regnie's role in developing the project felt like a step in the right direction, as did the fact Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum Chloe Bennet was tapped to play Blossom.

Dove Cameron was chosen as Bubbles, with Yana Perrault picked to bring Buttercup to life on screen. Scrubs alum Donald Faison, meanwhile, was cast as Professor Utonium.

After being shot, the pilot was revealed to have fallen flat, with The CW's former Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz admitting the whole thing was a "miss.

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There's just something about a procedural cop drama that just seems to work well on network television. From "NYPD Blue" to "The Rookie" and everything in between, there's a massive audience for such things. That's why The CW looked to reboot "Walker, Texas Ranger" several years back. The original show starred legendary actor and action hero Chuck Norris as the title character. For the reboot, the network turned to "Supernatural" star Jared Padalecki in what would simply be titled "Walker."

Unfortunately for viewers, "Walker" season 4, which finished its run in 2024, was the end of the line for the show. The spin-off "Walker: Independence" is also at the end of its run after just a single season. There will be no fifth season of adventures for Cordell Walker, with Padalecki left to figure out what he'd like to do with his career next.

Quick Links Legends of Tomorrow Happened When the Arrowverse Grew Too Large The Thunderbolts* and Legends Characters Never Led Their Own Stories Legends of Tomorrow Redeemed Characters and Introduced New Ones

The following contains light spoilers for What If…? Season 3, Episode 3, "What If…Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?" now streaming on Disney+.

With Deadpool & Wolverine being the only cinematic release from Marvel Studios in 2024, anticipation for the films in 2025 has grown. Before viewers get to watch Captain America face off against the Red Hulk, however, a team-up film starring Marvel Cinematic Universe misfits will hit theaters. Interestingly, Thunderbolts* shares a lot in common with one of the best shows from The CW: DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

When the Arrowverse was just two series -- Arrow and The Flash -- many popular DC heroes and rogues filled the cast. Rather than lose these characters and the actors who played them,...

Over the past decade or so, the limited series has become one of the most prestigious and highly regarded entertainment formats. Shows like "The Queen's Gambit," "Chernobyl," and "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story," helped establish the limited series as a dominant force in Hollywood, and the accompanying category at the Primetime Emmy Awards has been one of the most competitive over the last several years. Acclaimed series like "I May Destroy You," "Mare of Easttown," "Unorthodox," and "Ripley" — all of which likely would have been shoo-in winners in earlier years — have lost out recently after well-earned nominations

But what exactly is a limited series? The current official rules from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences state that to be eligible for any awards in the limited series categories, a show must have "two (2) or more episodes with a total running time of at least 150 program minutes that tells a complete,...

It was the year 2012 when Marc Guggenheim and Stephen Amell released the iconic CW show Arrow. The show became a pop culture phenomenon that changed superhero television history for good.

Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen in Arrow | Credits: DC Entertainment

Leading the charge was Arrow lead star Stephen Amell. But before the renowned actor was signed for the project, there was another. Fan-favorite actor Justin Hartley was considered by millions to be Oliver Queen before co-creator Marc Guggenheim actively dismissed him.

How Smallville Led To Stephen Amell’s Arrow

Before Arrow, there was a 2001 show named Smallville that focused on the life of Superman as a superhero protecting teenagers. Naturally, there were a ton of actors who appeared as characters from DC Comics in the show.

Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow in Smallville | Credits: Warner Bros. Television

Throughout the entire 10-season run of the show, Justin Hartley portrayed...

Stephen Amell’s place in the world of superheroes and monsters was established the first time he uttered the famous words: My name is Oliver Queen. Soon after, he became to DC Television what Robert Downey Jr. was to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the godfather of DC TV, Amell was never so impactful as during his role as Green Arrow in the show that effectively launched the Arrowverse.

Stephen Amell in Arrow Season 8 episode Purgatory [Credit: Warner Bros. Television]

For much of the decade that Amell occupied in the world of DC alongside Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist, Brandon Routh, Cress Williams, and more, it was in service to the fans of the era of comic book renaissance that took over the film and television industry since the beginning of the 21st century.

Now, with these shows resigning their legacies to the vaults of time, fans can only look back and...

Disney’s long-expected move to fold ABC Signature into 20th Television brings to an end the media conglom’s in-house TV studio, which started off as Touchstone Television a decade before Disney bought ABC, subsequently being renamed ABC Studios and more recently ABC Signature.

Launched in 1985, Touchstone TV’s first major hit was Golden Girls, which ran on NBC for seven seasons. Other successful series from that era include Blossom, also for NBC, and Home Improvement, Ellen and Boy Meets World for ABC.

In the first years after ABC became part of Disney, Touchstone Television continued to sell to all networks — which is how 20th Television operated for its entire run at Fox — with shows such as Felicity and Popular for the WB and The PJs for Fox/WB.

The studio gradually shifted its attention to its own network, supplying it with series such as Once And Again, My Wife And Kids,...

For 13 years, Julie Plec oversaw some version of The Vampire Diaries on The CW. First there was the original show, which ran for eight seasons of supernatural mayhem. The Originals, which brought vampire-werewolf hybrids into the mix, ran for five. Legacies featured characters from both series and ran for four seasons, ending in 2022. That's also when The CW was sold to Nexstar Media Group, which got rid of basically all of the network's original programming and has left it a shell of its former self. Apparently the Vampire Diaries universe had the support of CW CEO Mark Pedowitz, but a new owner's going to do what they're going to do.

“I was not entirely pleased with that decision,” Plec told Deadline about the cancelation. “There had been a Vampire Diaries show on the air for 13 years, and it seemed unfathomable to me that the studio wouldn’t want to keep...

Fifteen years ago, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson thought that, on the heels of True Blood and Twilight, vampires were becoming a bit overrated.

Luckily, they didn’t listen to that instinct when they forged ahead with an adaptation of L. J. Smith’s fantasy horror novel, The Vampire Diaries, for The CW.

The pilot aired on Sept. 10, 2009, and, not only was it a resounding success, putting up what at the time was the largest premiere audience since the network debuted three years earlier, it also spawned an entire franchise that would last more than a decade. The Vampire Diaries would also influence pop culture and the entire young adult genre in unpredictable ways — so much so that it’s still worth talking about seven years after the final episode.

“It feels like blip, and yet, like the longest 15 years of my life,” Plec told Deadline this week, reflecting on...

John Corbett says he regrets getting into acting, or at least not expanding his Hollywood presence by producing or directing.

The “Sex and the City” actor, who recently reprised his iconic role for the “And Just Like That” revival series, explained during the podcast “Fly on the Wall” that he finds himself “waiting” on film sets.

“Have you ever sat in a fucking waiting room of a doctor’s office for like an hour and been like, ‘what the fuck?,'” Corbett said during the podcast, which is hosted by Dana Carvey and David Spade. “For me, that’s what making a movie is like, because I’m not part of any creative process.”

Corbett recalled first working as an extra on “Square Pegs” with Sarah Jessica Parker before both of their respective “Sex and the City” castings. Yet Corbett felt like he was regulated to rom-coms and “chasing the...

The CW's Arrow premiered in 2012 and ended up spanning several superhero spinoff series in the Arrowverse franchise. However, one of the show's creators recalled the pressure for it to become a hit for the network.

Speaking on The Showrunner Whisperer podcast, Marc Guggenheim, one of Arrow's co-creators alongside Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, recalled the pressure to bring viewers to The CW. The series premiered in 2012 and ran for eight seasons until its finale in 2020. Based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, the series followed Stephen Amell's Oliver Quinn in how they saved Starlight City and later, the world. The franchise later grew in 2014 with The Flash, followed by Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Batwoman.

Related Stephen Amell Had an Unforgettable Role in This Hit Sitcom Just Before Arrow

Stephen Amell is better known for his iconic role in Arrow but he played a crucial...

Jared Padalecki might be prepping to reunite with Eric Kripke in the final season of The Boys, but obliterating The CW sits high on his to-do list at the moment.

Jared Padalecki at the 2017 Sdcc | Gage Skidmore

From starring in Amy Sherman-Palladino’s iconic Gilmore Girls to leading Supernatural with Jensen Ackles, Padalecki has been a part of The CW for roughly 25 long years. Until now, as he comes with guns blazing, ready to beat the studio to a metaphorical pulp.

Jared Padalecki Bashes The CW For Its “Cheap” Tricks

After 15 seasons of playing one of the Winchester brothers in Supernatural, Jared Padalecki went on to become the lead actor and an executive producer of Walker, a contemporary reboot of the ’90s Chuck Norris-led Walker, Texas Ranger. Despite a successful run for four seasons, however, the show suffered a premature cancelation, leaving both fans and the cast heartbroken.

In a new interview with Variety,...

Jared Padalecki doesn’t need a crystal ball to see where The CW is heading.

The actor, who has been part of the network for more than 20 years across “Supernatural,” “Gilmore Girls,” and the newly-canceled “Walker,” reflected on his tenure at The CW. Padalecki is clearly a veteran of the network, which was then known as The WB when he joined before it was rebranded as The CW in 2006.

“I thought ‘Walker’ was kind of a mixture of ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Supernatural.’ It was a family show with excitement and stunts, and macro storylines married with the micro,” Padalecki told Variety.

Yet that tentpole kind of storytelling is no longer what The CW wants to greenlight, according to the actor/producer.

“I talked with the head of CBS [Studios] and the head of Nexstar/CW, I talked with the other [executive producers] on ‘Walker,’ and I think it was a multivariate kind of issue,...

We often tend to associate certain celebrities with the shows they were on and the characters they played, no matter what else they do or how they try to branch out. But it’s far rarer to link a star to a network. But that’s kind of how it is with Jared Padalecki, who made a name for himself on The CW with shows like Supernatural and, most recently, Walker. But now, for Padalecki, CW might stand for “choice words.”

In a new interview with Variety in the wake of Walker – a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger – being canceled just last month, Jared Padalecki called out the network for how it has shifted recently. “I feel like The CW that I was a part of last year is not The CW that I was a part of under [former chairman and CEO] Mark Pedowitz for that entire, almost 20-year stretch. They’re just changing the network around,...

Jared Padalecki discusses Walker's cancellation and CW's strategic changes. Padalecki believes Nexstar is taking the CW in a different direction with more unscripted content. The CW's shift may lead to a loss of devoted fans, as established shows like Walker are cancelled.

Actor Jared Padalecki opens up about Walkers cancelation and the recent changes to the CW networks strategy. Padalecki plays the titular character on the CW series, which began its run in 2021. Last month, it was announced that Walker was canceled and would be ending its run after season 4. Walker aired its season 4 finale episode earlier this week on June 26, 2024.

Speaking with Variety, Padalecki discusses his reaction to Walkers cancelation and the CWs resultant changes. When asked if he knew anything about the details of Walkers cancelation, Padelecki explained that he thought it was a multivariate kind of issue and that Nexstar is going in a different direction with the CW.

It wasn't easy for Jared Padalecki to say goodbye to Walker after the show was axed by The CW. The actor suggested that this series fell victim to a new strategy of prioritizing "cheap" content over quality scripted programming.

Padalecki opened up on Walker ending in a new interview with Variety. He said he'd personally spoken with the head of CBS, the head of Nexstar/CW, and executive producers about why the series ended. It ultimately comes down to Nexstar "going in a different direction" with The CW's content, as Padalecki pointed to the development of new game shows based on board games as an example of the kind of programming that will take priority.

Related Dean Winchester's Character Arc in Supernatural, Explained

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"I mean, they have an hour of Trivial Pursuit and an hour of Scrabble coming up," Padalecki said. "I dont know why you wouldnt just...

The credits had barely rolled on Walker‘s series finale when Jared Padalecki’s unvarnished feelings about the state of The CW became known.

While discussing the show’s cancellation with our sister site Variety, Walker star and executive producer Padalecki — who also fronted the CW staple Supernatural for over a decade — slammed the channel’s current leadership for its focus on “cheap” programming.

More from TVLineJared Padalecki Reflects on His 24-Year TV Run (‘I’m Pretty Tired’) and What’s <em>Not</em> Next After <em>Walker</em> EndsJared Padalecki Talks <em>Boys</em> Role (‘Just Let Me Know If I Have to Get Naked...

Jared Padalecki is feeling a bit spent.

The actor got his big break on The WB’s Gilmore Girls in 2000 as Rory’s love interest, before moving on in 2005 to star alongside Jensen Ackles in Supernatural. Little did Padalecki know that the series would go on to air for 15 seasons, after which he segued into a starring and executive-producing role on The CW’s Walker, which wraps up its four-season run this Wednesday at 8/7c.

More from TVLineJared Padalecki Talks <em>Boys</em> Role (‘Just Let Me Know If I Have to Get Naked’) and How It’d Be a <em>Supernatural</em> ReunionJared...

Ricky Whittle left The 100 due to conflicts with showrunner Jason Rothenberg, leading to Lincoln's exit in season 3. Whittle endured mistreatment from Rothenberg, prompting him to choose the role of Shadow Moon in American Gods. Despite a toxic workplace on The 100, Whittle's departure ultimately allowed him for a fulfilling career shift.

After being a regular character, Lincoln, The 100's Trikru warrior, was killed off in season 3 because actor Ricky Whittle refused to continue working with showrunner Jason Rothenberg. Coming shortly after the controversial death of Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey), Lincoln's exit cemented The 100 season 3 as being one of its more controversial and least-liked chapters. Lincoln entered a relationship with The 100's Octavia Blake (Marie Avgeropoulos) in season 1, elevating him to an important part of the cast in season 2. At least, thats what was supposed to happen until personal conflicts got in the way.

Ricky Whittle left The 100 because he found...

The Notebook is a beloved romance movie that is considered a classic and is praised for its storytelling through flashbacks. Plans for a TV show adaptation of The Notebook were announced in 2015 but have since been put on hold and are now unlikely to happen. However, fans can look forward to The Notebook being adapted into a stage musical, set to open on Broadway in 2024, bringing a new take on the iconic romance.

The 2004 film The Notebook is arguably one of the most famous romance movies ever made, but there were other plans for the story that never came to light. Based on the 1996 novel by Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook depicts the relationship of Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton, as they spend a summer romance together before reuniting years later. Their story is told by an elderly man named Duke, to a woman suffering from dementia in a nursing home.

“We’re ready for people to stop writing about the Big Four networks and start writing the Big Five,” announced Brad Schwartz, The CW’s president of entertainment, at the top of a Thursday morning meeting with TV press.

It’s an obvious aspiration for broadcast’s long-suffering stepchild, but the timing is a bit odd. The cachet of the “Big Four” — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — diminishes more and more each year, rendering the term more of a nostalgic catchphrase than an accurate representation of the true TV power brokers in the age of streaming saturation. Still, growth and a diversified (and, often, less expensive) programming portfolio is exactly what Nexstar Media Group has pursued after completing its acquisition of The CW in 2022. That’s involved a big gamble of the Saudi-backed Liv Golf league, canceling all but four scripted series in the inherited CW slate and banking big on acquisitions.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

That may as well be the motto for the five broadcast networks heading into the 2023-24 season as their corporate parents are increasingly focused on cutting costs, restructurings and streaming. To that end, three of the five networks have made leadership changes in the past year.

The biggest change comes at The CW, which is now majority controlled by Nexstar with former Pop topper Brad Schwartz now tasked with making the younger-skewing network profitable for the first time following the unexpected departure of TV’s longest-tenured president, Mark Pedowitz. Over at CBS, Kelly Kahl and his top lieutenant Thom Sherman and their sizable paydays were bounced in favor of former head of current Amy Reisenbach. Over at Fox, Charlie Collier — who led the network following the sale of its studio counterpart — bailed for Roku with the broadcaster tapping unscripted chief...

Dove Cameron, who played Bubbles, described the cancelled Powerpuff Girls reboot as "campy, sexy, and fun," She also expressed her love for the experience and co-writer Diablo Cody. Despite positive sentiments from the actors, the live-action adaptation deviated from the popular Cartoon Network franchise, exploring a different approach with disillusioned young adult versions of the characters.

Powerpuff Girls live-action actor Dove Cameron reflects on her time as Bubbles in the CW pilot. Back in August 2020, it was announced that a live-action version of Powerpuff Girls was in the works. The adaptation would take a different approach than the seminal Cartoon Network franchise, depicting Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as disillusioned young adults who are reluctant to accept their heroic call. Even though some high-profile casting and filming took place, the live-action show garnered a negative response. By July of this year, it was officially canceled.

While discussing her new album Alchemical: Vol.

Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken accurately predicted the failure of the live-action CW show, stating that turning them into adults would make them lose their identity as the Powerpuff Girls. The live-action adaptation faced numerous setbacks, including criticism of the leaked script and negative response to set photos, ultimately leading to the cancelation of the project. The CW's attempt to replicate the success of dark shows like Riverdale with a disillusioned young adult take on Powerpuff Girls did not resonate with audiences, as McCracken had warned.

Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken perfectly predicted the failure of the live-action CW show well before it happened. Back in August 2020, it was announced that a live-action version of Powerpuff Girls was in the works. The CW's project would take a different approach than the popular Cartoon Network franchise, looking at Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as disillusioned young adults. Despite some high-profile casting and filming taking place,...

It’s the end of an era: Superman & Lois will take one final flight on The CW.

The Nexstar-backed broadcast network on Thursday announced that the upcoming fourth season of the DC Comics drama from exec producer Greg Berlanti will be its final run. The 10-episode final season starring Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch will air sometime in 2024.

“Over the last three seasons, Superman & Lois redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe,” said Brad Schwartz, president of entertainment at The CW. “We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show’s writers, producers, actors and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight,...

The CW has found its new programming exec.

NBCUniversal alum Ryan Sharkey has joined the Nexstar-controlled broadcast network as senior vp programming and content strategy. Sharkey will report to CW president of entertainment Brad Schwartz and fill the void created by the June departure of Kevin Levy.

Levy, who was with The CW since its launch in 2006, had served as exec vp program planning, scheduling and acquisitions. While Sharkey’s title differs from Levy’s, the role is effectively the same. Sharkey will lead scheduling and acquisitions teams and be based in New York while also spearheading the network’s growth and its AVOD platform and Fast channels.

“As The CW explores new content that will resonate with viewers on both our linear and streaming channels, Ryan is the ideal candidate to lead our programming team,” said Schwartz. “With Ryan’s vast experience in all areas of network scheduling and acquisitions,...

Three years after the Covid-19 industry-wide shutdown threw a wrench into the broadcast schedules, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW now find themselves back in familiar territory after the nearly 150-day-long work stoppage that followed strikes by the Writers Guild of America and performers union SAG-AFTRA.

With the WGA strike now having wrapped, the five broadcast networks are quickly assembling writers rooms for such hits as Abbott Elementary, Young Sheldon, 911: Lone Star and a cadre of procedurals from Dick Wolf as industry insiders express optimism that the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike will be resolved quickly and filming can resume as scribes jam out scripts and pre-production begins on the centerpieces of the networks’ 2023-24 schedule.

According to multiple sources familiar with the myriad plans in place at each network — which all hinge on the timing for when the actors strike may be resolved — scripted comedies and dramas could begin...

The CW systematically stripped away its superhero dramas and teen-centric soaps during the 2022-23 television season, taking the foundation of its primetime programming slate down to the studs. Now comes the reveal of a renovation that leans heavily on niche sports, noisy unscripted series, procedural dramas and broad-skewing comedies.

The change comes a year after Texas-based Nexstar Media Group acquired a majority stake in The CW from its founders, CBS and Warner Bros. (the “C” and “W” in “CW”). A new owner inevitably brings new priorities and a new regime, and The CW’s freshly appointed leadership team of president Dennis Miller and entertainment president Brad Schwartz have a nail-biter of a season ahead. There’s little doubt that The CW will see a ratings drop, at least early on, as it implements a radical shift in content strategy.

The new CW team can only hope that Nexstar, led by...

Riverdale star Kj Apa says the show’s constant shirtless scenes with him “messed” him up.

The actor opened up about sometimes disagreeing with how his character Archie Andrews was sexualized throughout the series.

“I’ve been through a lot of s— with that. It can mess with your head a little bit,” he explained.

The New Zealand actor recounted how his original enthusiasm about shirtless scenes eventually turned into a stressor.

“At first, as a young child, which is what I was, I thought it was cool – you almost want the opportunity to be shirtless. I was like, ‘Yeah, let me take my shirt off. Boom!’ And then you gotta consistently stay in incredible shape. It takes a toll,” he explained to Variety.

He recalled times when he didn’t know how to advocate for himself regarding this dilemma.

“Even saying that I didn’t feel comfortable I had a hard time with,...

The CW’s “Nancy Drew” aired its final episode on Wednesday, following last year’s news that Season 4 of the detective series would be its last. At the time, showrunners Noga Landau and Melinda Hsu Taylor said they were “full of gratitude, knowing that we were able to bring this chapter to a close with intentionality,” but executive producer Larry Teng is telling a different story.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, the EP said The CW did not tell the “Nancy Drew” team that the network planned to cancel the show until a “random call 3/4 into our season.” According to Teng, “Nancy Drew” star Kennedy McMann “was in line to shoot ‘The Good Lawyer,'” so her agent called CBS Studios (a production company behind “Nancy Drew”) to ask about scheduling in regards to “Nancy Drew” Season 5. CBS then apparently made a call to The CW “right around the...

Following the Aug. 23 series finale of Nancy Drew, executive producer Larry Teng is making clear how he feels about the show’s cancellation.

Teng took to X/Twitter Thursday night to vent his frustration over what he considers was the inconsiderate way the team was informed about the cancellation, and that they had no opportunity to craft a proper conclusion to the show.

“From what I’ve read, the reaction to the series finale have been mostly positive,” Teng wrote. “Now imagine if you watched that finale without us knowing it would be the last episode of #NancyDrew ever. Because that’s what almost happened.

Related: 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

Teng notes that star Kennedy McMann was readying to shoot The Good Lawyer, and CBS Studios was hoping for a way that she could do both and reached out to the CW around the...

The following contains spoilers for Riverdale Season 7, Episode 20, "Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale," first broadcast on The CW on Aug. 23.

Riverdale executive producer Sarah Schechter recently broke down the cameo by former Warner Bros. Television CEO Peter Roth in the CW show's series finale.

Schechter explained how Roth's deep cut guest appearance in Season 7, Episode 20, "Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven: Goodbye, Riverdale," came about during an interview with Variety. "That [cameo] was all [showrunner] Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa], and it is my favorite thing of all time," she said. "Roberto even sent me the speech that Peter gave, because I wasn't on set. Riverdale exists because of a few people. Riverdale exists because of Roberto. Riverdale exists because Jon Goldwater at Archie Comics was willing to play and be open and modern. It exists because [executive producer] Greg Berlanti really, really fought for it to be on the air, and [former CW chairman] Mark Pedowitz listened. And no one...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers from the series finale of “Riverdale,” which aired on The CW Wednesday, August 23.

The end of “Riverdale” has arrived — after seven seasons of milkshake-drinking, love triangles, crime- solving and one incredible bear attack. The CW’s teen drama-turned-supernatural phenom finally wrapped up on Wednesday night, but not before throwing in a few more major twists.

The finale, titled “Goodbye, Riverdale,” jumped ahead 67 years. Betty (Lili Reinhart) is in her 80s, and is the last remaining alive member of the Riverdale crew. The night before she dies, she gets a visit from the ghost of Jughead (Cole Sprouse), who takes her back to a day when she missed school, revisiting all of her friends and finding out what happened to them after high school. For a full breakdown of where everyone ended up and how they all died (!), read our full recap.

Sarah Schechter, as the chairperson of Berlanti Productions,...

Spoiler Alert! This post contains details from the series finale of The CW’s Riverdale.

Goodbye, Riverdale.

After seven seasons that included multiple serial killers, at least one human sacrifice, lots of drug trafficking, an organ harvesting cult, a parallel universe, and time travel in the name of saving the town from an impending comet…the eclectic series has come to an end.

The CW series bid farewell to its characters during a heartfelt episode on Wednesday which saw Betty (Lili Reinhart) at the end of her life. She’s just learned that Jughead (Cole Sprouse) has died, meaning she’s the last of the original crew still alive. As she expresses to her granddaughter that she’d like to visit Riverdale one last time, she’s visited by a younger version of Jughead, who offers her one last chance to spend a day in high school with her friends.

Hey, "Riverdale" fans. We hope you guys totally enjoyed the heck out of tonight's episode 20, especially since it was indeed the very last episode of Riverdale's current season 7 and for the series as a whole. That's right, guys. Season 7 is officially confirmed to be the very last season of Riverdale forever. Yep, according to the folks over at Deadline.com, season 7 was revealed to be the final season way back in May of 2022. During the announcement of season 7 being the final season, The CW's head honcho Mark Pedowitz made a positive statement about it saying, "Seven years is the right amount. I am a big believer of giving series that have had a long run an appropriate send-off. We had a long conversation with Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa yesterday and he is thrilled with the decision. We are going to treat the show in the manner it deserves. It’s been...

Brad Schwartz, who joined The CW as its entertainment president six months ago, hasn’t won over many diehard fans of the network after he canceled nearly all of its beloved scripted shows as part of a push by its new ownership, station group Nexstar, to make it profitable by 2025.

But what Schwartz has done, in a relatively short time, has been to position The CW in a place where the network can age up its audience, reduce overhead and secure the key rights needed to make it profitable for the first time ever.

To be clear, The CW was never designed to make money as a network. It was launched as a joint venture between CBS Studios and Warner Bros. TV in a bid to generate revenue for both studios through selling its programs internationally and to streamers. And with shows like The Flash, Riverdale, Nancy Drew and Dynasty,...

One show is spared from The CW's wave of cancellations, at least for the moment. Under the new leadership of Nexstar, which acquired a 75% stake in The CW in October 2022, the young adult-focused channel has gone through personnel and programming changes to reach profitability and broaden its audience. In the process, the network has shifted from its brand of teen dramas and favored low-cost series from outside the U.S. and sports content like golf. Several CW originals have been cancelled as a result. Even badly performing acquired programs aren't safe, as the network recently pulled an Australian soap from the schedule after just four episodes.

An update from TVLine discusses how the long-gestating Babylon 5 reboot is not dead at The CW. Despite how all the programs approved under previous CW head Mark Pedowitz have been cancelled, the Babylon 5 reboot does not share the same fate. It is,...

As Nexstar continues to put its stamp on The CW, another network staple is set to depart. Kevin Levy, who is the the executive vice president of program planning, scheduling and acquisitions, will be leaving The CW on August 1, TheWrap can confirm. Levy first joined the network at its launch.

The CW’s president of entertainment Brad Schwartz announced the impending departure in a memo to staff. “A 25-year industry veteran, Kevin helped build this network twice: first during his time at Upn where he began his television career and helped launch shows like ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ ‘Veronica Mars’ and ‘Everybody Hates Chris,’ then again as part of the original executive team that created The CW in 2006,” the memo reads.

Schwartz also praised Levy for his work on network staples such as “The Flash,” “Supernatural,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Riverdale,” “All American” and “Gossip Girl.”

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The Nexstar-ization of The CW is nearly complete.

Kevin Levy, the exec vp program planning, scheduling and acquisitions, will leave the broadcast network on Aug. 1. Levy had been with The CW since it was launched in 2006 and had been among the last remaining executives from the network’s Mark Pedowitz regime. Pedowitz, and all of his top lieutenants, have systematically been pushed out at the network since station group Nexstar took over a 75 percent controlling stake of The CW in October.

Brad Schwartz, The CW’s president of entertainment, announced Levy’s departure in a memo to staff Tuesday. (Read it in full, below.) “Now that the hard transition work is done, he is ready for his next adventure. We want to thank Kevin for his immeasurable contributions to The CW. Kevin has been an integral member of our team and I have the utmost respect for his leadership,...

The CW has added another acquired series to its programming roster.

The network, under the control of station group Nexstar since October, has landed U.S. broadcast rights to The Chosen. The drama series about the life of Jesus will launch Sunday, July 16, at 8 p.m. on the network, which will air the first three seasons through the fall before wrapping with the finale on Christmas Eve.

The CW’s deal for The Chosen, a crowdfunded drama from creator Dallas Jenkins (The Resurrection of Gavin Stone), covers the first three seasons of the series. Jenkins has a seven-season plan for the show and is currently in production on season four.

“The Chosen is based on the biggest IP of all time and is truly a one-of-a-kind series that tells this historically significant story in a captivating, dramatic and premium way,” said The CW president of entertainment Brad Schwartz in a statement announcing the deal Friday.

Between the WGA writers’ strike and Warner Bros. Discovery selling the network to Nexstar Media Group, it’s beginning to look a lot like The CW’s long-mooted reboot of Babylon 5 is dead.

Speaking to TV Line, Brad Schwartz, The CW’s President of Entertainment, spoke about a number of titles previously in development, saying: “We’ve already given those back to the studios, so they’re free to develop those and sell them anywhere.”

He wasn’t talking about Babylon 5 specifically – the article only names the live-action Powerpuff Girls, Arrow spin-off Justice U, a female-led Zorro series, and Jake Chang, but adds “any other prospective series left over from former CW president Mark Pedowitz’s regime.”

The series’ creator J. Michael Straczynski previously paid tribute to Pedowitz on Twitter when his departure was announced at the end of October 2022, thanking him for his “dedication for and support of Babylon 5.

The following contains spoilers for The Flash Season 9, Episode 12, "A New World, Part Three: Changes," which debuted May 17 on The CW.

Only three series regulars on The Flash have been there since Season 1, and one of them has been underserved for a few seasons now. The creation of the god-like Khione is working better than many fans expected, but the story of this brand-new character could have easily been Caitlin Snow's. Danielle Panabaker is having one of her best seasons, but the character she spent the past eight creating got a very ignominious end.

In fairness, Khione is written and performed as an entirely different person than Caitlin. Yet, her still-unexplained abilities give her the power of a goddess and the mind of a genius. Caitlin already was a genius, at least smart enough to not die in an experiment that everyone told her not to do. If Khione were in fact still Caitlin,...

For better or for worse, that live-action reboot of The Powerpuff Girls is no longer happening. Back in 2020, it was reported that the animated series was getting a reboot at The CW in the form of a live-action TV show. Donald Faison of Scrubs fame would later join the cast as Professor Drake Utonium alongside Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. A pilot was shot, but in 2021, it was revealed that the network wasn't happy with the result. However, the reported plan was to retool the pilot and try again, and executive producer Greg Berlanti provided an optimistic update on its progress last year.

"I am assured that The CW’s live-action adaptation of The Powerpuff Girls, after coming in last spring 'too campy,' is still in some stage of redevelopment," Berlanti told TVLine.

Now, a new update from TVLine has revealed that...

After a failed pilot and a lengthy development process, the CW has officially stepped away from plans for a live-action Powerpuff Girls series. Originally set to be based on the hit animated series created by Craig McCracken, plans for the live-action show would have seen Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup depicted as “disillusioned twentysomethings” who had grown resentful of their childhood crime-fighting escapades. A pilot was officially ordered by The CW in February 2021, however, the finished product was later rejected, and the project was promptly put back into redevelopment.

Now TVLine reports that after a year of relative silence, The CW has officially discontinued work on the series. Brad Schwartz, The CW’s President of Entertainment, revealed that the Powerpuff Girls show, along with several other series in development including the Arrowverse spinoff Justice U and a female-led Zorro series, have all been handed back to the studios. Schwartz explained:

We...