If you watch something on The CW, it’s time to celebrate: the network announced today that it has renewed 11 total series. If you’re keeping count, The CW currently has 11 shows on the air, and every single one of ’em is coming back: The Flash, Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The 100, iZombie, Reign, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
According to EW, it’s expected for most to debut in the fall, while some will keep to their midseason/winter debut and some (for whatever reason) could be pushed back to summer 2017. Although, that’s probably just the network covering their renewal slate bases.
“The CW has become home to some of the most critically-acclaimed shows on broadcast television, with a wide array of fantastic scripted series across the week, ranging from musical comedy, to superhero action, to gritty sci-fi dramas,” said CW president Mark Pedowitz. “As we continue to further our strategy of more year-round original programming, picking up these 11 series for the 2016–2017 season puts us in a great position of having proven, high-quality shows to launch in the fall as well as midseason and summer of 2017.”
The longest running show in the slate is Supernatural, and it is now officially the longest running show in The CW (and previously WB) history as it enters its 12th season.
Perhaps the most surprising renewal is the network’s newbie comedy/musical Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which many believed couldn’t make it past a freshman season given its strangely specific sense of comedy. Since it’s now a critical darling and an award-winner for the network – not to mention the source of easily-sharable earworms – it makes sense for The CW to give Rachel Bloom even more airtime.
Before The CW today, last week ABC started off renewal season by announcing the return of shows like Once Upon A Time and Quantico. Similar to ABC, The CW didn’t specify when each show would be coming back, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated as we get closer to premiere season.