The 2018-2019 TV season is still months away from coming to an end, but The CW has already announced a whole bunch of renewals for its primetime lineup, and some of those shows probably didn’t feel like a sure thing to fans. Arrow will be back as the show that kicked off a whole universe of superheroes on the network, as will The Vampire Diaries and The Originals spinoff Legacies. Here is the full list of renewed shows:
Arrow Season 8Black Lightning Season 3Charmed Season 2Legends Of Tomorrow Season 5Dynasty Season 3The Flash Season 6Legacies Season 2Riverdale Season 4Supergirl Season 5Supernatural Season 15
That’s right! All of The CW’s superheroes -- both those in and out of the Arrow-verse -- will be back for at least one more season, which may debunk my theory about the end of Arrow in next fall’s crossover event. Riverdale is apparently still going strong enough to warrant another batch of episodes. Dynasty hasn’t been the network’s most buzz-worthy series, but it is a great source of primetime melodrama!
The folks at Charmed and Legacies should certainly be happy! Not even a full season of either show has aired yet, and both already scored a renewal. My biggest surprise is actually the renewal for Supernatural. As much as I’ve half believed for years that somebody made a deal with the devil to keep that show on forever, I kind of expected the news of an official renewal to be held until later in the year.
According to CW President Mark Pedowitz, the early renewals will allow execs to get “a head start on laying out the 2019-2020 season.” It’s certainly nice that fans will get to enjoy Arrow’s upcoming 150th episode and Supernatural’s upcoming 300th episode without wondering if their current seasons will be their last! There are admittedly few Arrow-verse fans who probably thought that Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, or Supergirl would get the axe when the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover awaits.
Absent from the list of renewals are Roswell, All American, and The 100. Roswell has only aired three episodes so far, and The 100 hasn’t even premiered its next season yet this midseason, so viewers need not panic that they haven’t scored official renewals just yet. All American might be worth worrying about, though. 11 episodes of the Taye Diggs-led drama have aired with disappointing ratings; could the end be nigh?
Also absent are iZombie, Jane the Virgin, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, all three of which will finish their final seasons this year. Between their conclusions and the possible cancellation of All American, there may just be room for Batwoman to hit them airwaves! Kate Kane certainly made a strong impression on viewers when she debuted into the Arrow-verse in the cape and the cowl. My fingers are crossed that she’ll be back in primetime in the fall.
Be sure to check out our midseason TV premiere guide for upcoming important TV dates for The CW and other networks.
