The CW is already the home of many spinoffs, and now one based on All American could be on the way. The football drama series premiered back in 2018 and is now only weeks away from launching its third season, and Season 3 may serve to launch a spinoff following a character who rose to prominence in Season 2. And this spinoff might not involve any football.
The network is reportedly developing a spinoff of All American centered on Geffri Maya's Simone Hicks, according to TVLine. The new show would follow Simone as she moves on from high school and starts fresh at a historically Black university. Although the project is currently only in the development stages, the potential spinoff will launch via backdoor pilot in Season 3.
Simone is an interesting pick as the star of a potential spinoff, having debuted only in the second season and only appearing in eight of those 16 episodes. Furthermore, Geffri Maya is credited as a guest star in the upcoming Season 4 premiere rather than a regular or even recurring member of the cast. Simone's pregnancy is another complication.
In Season 3, Simone will be a senior at Beverly High and in a relationship with Jordan Baker despite previously tricking him into believing he was the father of her unborn child. Their relationship survived the deceit, but given that he is not mentioned as an intended part of the potential spinoff, the romance may be doomed when the show returns.
That said, a backdoor pilot could be a sign that Simone will get a lot more focus in the upcoming third season, and a spinoff centered on Geffri Maya's character might not involve the football that has driven a lot of All American. The trailer for All American Season 3 is packed with football, so the developing spinoff certainly doesn't mean that All American is leaving the sport behind
Simone does get a mention in the episode description for the Season 3 premiere of All American, called "Season Pass." Jordan and Simone will struggle with saying goodbye to somebody they love, while Spencer gives an interview that upsets his former teammates. Coop and Layla will come back from tour, Taye Diggs' Billy is looking forward to starting over at South Crenshaw despite needing to confront something from his past. Coop will attempt to find out what happened with Patience, but Patience wants to find out why Tyrone's sister has returned.
I think it's safe to say that the premiere is not serving as the backdoor pilot, but there are no details at this point regarding when that episode will air on The CW. The network is already home to many spinoffs, so the odds aren't too bad that a Simone-centric series finds a place in the lineup.
Most of The CW's Arrowverse is comprised of spinoffs at this point, considering The Flash spun off of the now-ended Arrow and the whole superhero universe just expanded from there. Legacies is a spinoff of The Originals, which itself was a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries. Superman & Lois is on the way as the next spinoff, and both Arrow and The 100 aired backdoor pilots in their final seasons that haven't officially been nixed yet. Black Lightning is slated to air a backdoor pilot in 2021 as well.
All American returns to The CW with Season 3 on Monday, January 18 at 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime, you can find the first two seasons streaming on Netflix, and check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule for more of what's on the way in the new year.
