Amid rumors of a possible sale, which could mean a shift in its scheduling format and programming, The CW made major changes to its lineup. The network canceled damn near its entire schedule yesterday, and sadly that includes Naomi.
According to Deadline, the Ava DuVernay-produced comic book series won’t be back for Season 2. However, the show is being shopped to other networks, which means if we light some candles and wish on a rabbit’s foot, it might get picked up by another broadcast or streaming outlet. This is what every fan hopes for the minute their show is canceled, but the chances of another network actually showing interest is a longshot. Naomi’s best bet is at HBO Max, which already has several DC comic book shows on its slate.
Since the Season 1 finale ended on a big cliffhanger, this cancellation hurts even more. Naomi had been working all season to find out the truth behind her alien origins. Unfortunately, she landed in a “be careful what you wish for” situation when she discovered that her beloved adopted parents were the ones who killed her birth parents. The news shook the teenager to her core and she flew off after an emotional confrontation. Come on, guys, I need to know the real story behind Naomi’s parents, because obviously, it’s not that simple. In the meantime, I guess I’ll just keep up with Naomi in the comics. This is where I would normally go into detail about the ratings and how they played a part in the show’s fate, but what we really need to talk about is how The CW set this show up to fail.
The network gave Naomi a big push when it premiered so it could get huge launch numbers, but then it became the latest victim of The CW’s baffling scheduling delays. The CW will air a show for a few weeks, then just when the story is heating up, inexplicably go on hiatus for several weeks. The constant stops and starts make it hard for viewers to keep up because you never know when new episodes will air. Naomi had such a steep drop in viewers throughout the season, that it feels like the preemptions played a direct role in its cancellation.
Despite the TV bloodbath The CW delivered yesterday, there was a small glimmer of hope as the network renewed All American: Homecoming for Season 2, per TVLine. The spinoff follows characters from All American to the fictional HBCU Bringston University. Considering that it only averages 670,000 viewers, which is down 39 percent from its All American lead-in and makes it 17 out of the network’s 19 dramas this season, the renewal is a big surprise. Those numbers are so low that you can’t even really call it a bubble show. Those are just bad ratings. However, my wild guess is that the network may be looking to move both shows in a package deal as it shifts programming ahead of the possible sale. So CBS, BET+, Paramount+ or a surprise contender outside of the ViacomCBS corporate lineup could be poised to add the All Americans to their schedule. Of course, this is just my crazy speculation on where it looks like The CW is headed.
All American airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW, followed by All American: Homecoming at 9/8c. Their season finales are currently scheduled for May 23.