The Old CW Is Basically Gone And That's A Shame
The CW as it existed for nearly 20 years is truly no longer. Last year, Nexstar purchased a majority stake in the network, which was a co-venture between Warner Bros. and CBS. In the age of streaming, however, co-owning an unprofitable network simply made less and less sense. Enter Nexstar, who has been cutting back heavily on the line-up of scripted programming in an attempt to bolster The CW's profits. To that end, two more shows have hit the chopping block in the form of "Supernatural" spin-off "The Winchesters" and "Kung-Fu." With that, the final nails in the coffin have essentially been put in place.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The Winchesters" will end with just one season in the books while "Kung Fu" is calling it quits after three seasons. They are the latest series to get the ax in recent months, along with the majority of the Arrowverse shows, "Stargirl" and "Walker: Independence," among other casualties. Additionally, "Nancy Drew" and "Riverdale" are packing it in with their current seasons as well. Very little by way of The CW's old scripted slate is left, and the Nexstar era is truly upon us. The network had this to say in a statement:
"As we reimagine the new CW, we had to make some tough programming decisions. We thank our partners at Warner Bros. and the casts and creative teams of 'Kung Fu' and 'The Winchesters' for all their hard work, creativity and dedication."
Nexstar is cutting costs left and right
In an era when cord-cutting is becoming more rampant, traditional TV makes less and less sense. Viewers are transitioning to streaming and most people want to watch network TV on demand — not when it airs live. Nexstar, which is the largest owner of TV stations in the U.S., intends to lean into the demographic they have left. In other words, older folks who are content with old-school TV. So much of The CW's programming just didn't make sense for that audience.
A sobering fact: The CW was never profitable during its entire run. Ever. That's why Warner Bros. and CBS were eager to get out of that business. Nexstar, meanwhile, plans to make cheaper, unscripted programming to make the network profitable and give it some kind of future. That doesn't mean there won't be any scripted TV shows, but it means maybe two or three on the air at a time — that's it.
Right now, "All American" and "Walker" are going to get at least one more season. The brass still has to make a decision regarding the two remaining DC shows on the air, which are "Superman & Lois" and "Gotham Knights," as well as "All American: Homecoming." THR notes that the expectation is that one DC show will be safe. "Superman & Lois" has better ratings, but "Gotham Knights" is cheaper to make. Pick your poison. Once those decisions are made, that's it for The CW as we used to know it. The future is calling, and the future is far more cost-effective.
What we're losing in the process
From a business perspective, The CW might not have made a lot of sense in the streaming era (if ever, given its lack of profitability). Be that as it may, we're talking about a network that gave us a great many long-running, beloved shows that feel like they only could have existed on network TV. Heck, "Supernatural" wound up being one of the longest-running scripted shows ever and retains a rabid fanbase to this day. "The Winchesters" couldn't drum up that same support, but that's beside the point.
Even before it was cool, The CW gave us an interconnected DC universe with the Arrowverse that took some bold, interesting swings over the years. "Supergirl" would have been a one-and-done on CBS had The CW not stepped up to save the show. It ultimately ran for six seasons. Something similar happened with "Black Lightning," which also had a successful run on its new home.
This is to say nothing of other hits like "The 100," "Gossip Girl," "The Vampire Diaries," "Jane the Virgin," "iZombie," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and many others that were on the network over the years, going on to become true favorites amongst their fans. Will shows like this even exist in the future? Could "The 100" stand a chance in hell at reaching 100 episodes on Netflix, for example? I kindly doubt it. So pour one out for The CW as the Nexstar era begins in earnest.