The CW has given early renewals to seven of its series, including its longest tenured show The Flash for Season 9, and hit drama All American for Season 5. According to TVLine, these renewals are a little later than usual for the network as it tries to figure out the upcoming schedule amid sales rumors.
Paramount and WarnerMedia, the companies that own The CW, are reportedly considering selling the network, with the rumored top contender being local TV juggernaut Nexstar. If The CW is sold, that leads to several questions about which shows will come back and how much its programming schedule will change. The current rumor is that while some shows will be canceled, others could land on Paramount+ or HBO Max.
When these rumors first started, there were fears from some viewers that one of the most diverse and inclusive TV networks would cut shows like All American, All American: Homecoming or The Flash, which prominently feature Black families, to placate more conservative buyers. None of the other networks have a schedule that showcases as many families of color and LGBTQ+ characters as The CW, so it’s still a real concern that the schedule may become more gentrified.
“As we prepare for the 2022-23 season, these scripted series, along with the alternative series we renewed earlier, will serve as the start of a solid foundation utilizing some of our most-watched series for us to build on for next year and beyond,” CW Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz said in a statement. “These dramas are also important to our overall digital strategy, as they are some of our most-streamed and socially-engaged programming, and we look forward to adding more new and returning series to help strengthen and expand our multiplatform footprint.”
In case you’re curious, the other renewals include Superman & Lois for Season 3, Riverdale for Season 7, Walker for Season 3, Kung Fu for Season 3 and Nancy Drew for Season 4. Noticeably absent from this list is All American: Homecoming, which as a new series doesn’t have the built in capital that these established performers do, but hopefully All American getting picked up is a good sign. Also missing is Batwoman, whose ratings haven’t been great this season and had a series finale feel to its final Season 3 episode.
As far as The Flash is concerned, a lot of fans thought the current season would be its last, but now it really feels like Season 9 should be the end, because the show hasn’t had the fun early season vibes in a long time. If nothing else, maybe an extra season will allow us to get more stories featuring Jesse L. Martin’s Joe, because we’ve really missed his parental presence and gravitas, as the character has had a reduced arc in the last few seasons.
All American airs Mondays at 8/7c, followed by All American: Homecoming and The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.