The series finale of "Superman & Lois" offers a poignant end to the Arrowverse by humanizing the villain Doomsday, who is uniquely portrayed as a fusion of Doomsday and Bizarro. In a touching scene, Superman takes Doomsday to the sun, where they share a moment of mutual understanding before Doomsday allows himself to be peacefully pushed into oblivion. This adaptation has been praised for its emotional depth and character development, contrasting with previous portrayals of Doomsday as merely a monstrous threat.
The CW network, owned by Nexstar, has laid off over two dozen employees from its publicity and program development teams as part of a strategic shift towards sports, unscripted content, and select scripted series to achieve profitability. This move follows the recent exit of CW network president Dennis Miller and comes amid Nexstar's efforts to streamline operations and reduce losses, which were narrowed by $36 million in the third quarter of 2024. The network has seen increased viewership with new sports programming like NASCAR and WWE.
The CW has canceled "All American: Homecoming" after its upcoming third season, leaving "All American" as the only surviving pre-Nexstar scripted series on the network. Executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll expressed her devastation over the decision but praised the cast and crew for their work in representing the HBCU experience. The show faced economic challenges and lower viewership, leading to its summer airing instead of the regular broadcast season.
The CW has ordered a new original scripted drama, "Sherlock & Daughter," starring David Thewlis as Sherlock Holmes and Blu Hunt as his potential daughter, Amelia. The mystery thriller follows the pair as they work together to solve a global conspiracy and crack the case of Amelia's mother's murder, all while facing Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty. In addition to this, The CW has also picked up game shows based on the classic board games Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit.
The CW's new crime procedural, Wild Cards, stars Giacomo Gianniotti and Vanessa Morgan as an unlikely detective duo, leaning into classic TV tropes with a murder mystery and a will they/won't they dynamic. The premiere ends with Max visiting her incarcerated father, played by Jason Priestley, hinting at hidden agendas and raising questions about trust and character backstories.
The popular teen drama series Riverdale is coming to an end, marking the end of an era for teen television shows. Riverdale was the last of its kind, a parody of the teen soap genre that embraced its own absurdity and campiness. With the changing landscape of television and the shift towards streaming services, it is unlikely that we will see another teen soap with the same level of hype and fandom. The CW, the network that housed Riverdale and other iconic teen shows, is also moving away from teen TV towards more "older-skewing" programming. The legacy of Riverdale will be remembered for its joyful zaniness, sly commentary, and special cast chemistry, marking the end of a peak and a denouement for teen TV.
The CW has canceled the DC Comics-based drama series, Gotham Knights, after one season. Despite being a respectable ratings performer, the show did not make the cut due to the changing business model of the network under new ownership. Only a handful of highly rated existing scripted series could make the cut. The show was written by the Batwoman trio of Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux, and Natalie Abrams and produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
The CW has acquired the first three seasons of the hit series, The Chosen, which depicts the life of Jesus. The show has already garnered a massive global following, with over 110 million viewers in 175 countries. The Chosen is the first multi-season series of its kind and has generated $35 million at the box office in special-event theatrical releases. The fourth season is currently in production, and the show has plans to make it available in 600 languages.
On day 37 of the Writers Guild strike, picketing members hit up Disney and Warner Bros in Burbank. The day began at Warner Bros, where picket lines grew to about 100 people, including scribes from CW and/or WB Network shows. Many in the Warner Bros crowd moved in the afternoon to Disney for the Native & Indigenous Writers takeover, where as many as 150 picketers protested. The event opened with SAG-AFTRA member Dennis Garcia, who shared a blessing “to honor those that came before us and the elders who are with us today.” Other WGA committees showed up in support at Disney, including LGBTQ+ and LatinX writers.
The CW's attempts to expand the Supernatural franchise with spinoffs, including Supernatural: Bloodlines and Wayward Sisters, have failed. The future of the franchise is uncertain, but there is a possibility of a reboot or another show in the future.
The CW sparked outrage among golf enthusiasts after cutting away from the final holes of the LIV Golf Tulsa championship on Sunday to air other programming, including an infomercial and an episode of Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Viewers across the country took to Twitter to express their disappointment, and even former President Donald Trump raved about the championship on Truth Social just minutes before it was cut off.
LIV Golf's broadcast of Dustin Johnson's playoff win was cut off by the CW network, with some affiliates switching to other shows instead of airing the thrilling finish. Viewers were directed to the CW app and website to continue watching. LIV Golf has struggled to bring in ratings for the CW. Johnson won his second LIV Golf title, his first of the current season, in front of one of the best-attended LIV Golf events in Tulsa. The next event will be held at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C.
Viewership for LIV Golf Tucson event dropped to an average of 274,000 viewers on the CW for Sunday's final round, with 24% of homes in the US unable to watch due to their local CW affiliate not carrying the coverage. LIV Golf plans to release its own data on viewership later this week. The league signed a multi-year revenue-sharing TV deal with the CW in January, and its events will be distributed across both CW affiliates and various Nexstar properties.
The CW's new Tuesday lineup featuring "Superman & Lois" and "Gotham Knights" fails to impress. "Gotham Knights" feels like a "Riverdale" wannabe and "Superman & Lois" starts its season slowly with a lot of emphasis on juggling relationships among the core cast. Both shows rely on the soap-opera aspects and face the more existential threat of the CW altering its programming profile under new ownership.
