It's the final CW Renew/Cancel of the regular season, and we have a new entry to discuss, as British co-production Sherlock & Daughter enters the fray. Plus, All American wraps its seventh season, and I give my thoughts on its chances for an eighth!
Sherlock & Daughter: Likely the last in-season debut on CW this season, Sherlock & Daughter got off to a modest debut in the demo three weeks ago, and it was steady the week after. However, it's a total viewers success thus far, rock steady at 0.48 million viewers two weeks in a row. That makes it one of the most-watched scripted series on the network, tied for first with Will Cards, and slightly ahead of Superman & Lois (which more than doubles it in the key demo). With CW emphasizing importance on the total viewership metric. In that regard, it's a clear success for them out of the starting gate, and regardless of what happens down the line, it's in a strong position for another pickup. It's a clear improvement on Good Cop/Bad Cop, which was among CW's least-watched series this season. It's up about 33% from that series in total viewers, though it's a bit closer in the demo. Still, its retention from Wild Cards has been much better, holding 100% of that series in both the demo and total viewers the last two weeks, as good as you could ask for any show to perform. It's certainly not a savior for the CW, but a network in such rough shape ratings-wise can't afford to be too picky. Its fate will be partially tied to what Discovery+ wants to do, as that's its home in the UK and Ireland, but CW will probably be making the final call, and it's done well enough so far to assume it'll be back. It LEANS RENEWAL to start, since much of its season is still ahead of it, and it'll spill over into the summer season, when ratings drop, and when it'll lose its compatible lead-in.
All American: It's the only scripted show left standing from the classic era of the CW, and it's certainly closer to the end of its run than the beginning. But is this season the last one? It's hard to say, exactly. Unlike the rest of the shows on the CW, they're not co-producing with an international network or streamer. Warner Bros and CBS, former CW co-owners who each currently have a 12.5% share of the network, produce the series, making this show more expensive than most of CW's scripted offerings. Ratings are just so-so this season, dropping 44% from season six. While its 0.05 average is enough to put it ahead of nearly ever international coproduction, it needs to be out-rating those shows to stay in contention for a renewal with the expense that comes with producing it. A massive cast overhaul this season surely made it cheaper to produce, but I'm not sure if that'll be enough to keep it going. Its price tag isn't large enough to keep CW from at least attempting to negotiate for another season, as they began renewal talks last week. Despite this, plenty of shows enter renewal talks and still get canceled - we just saw that happen with The Equalizer last week. Its showrunner is optimistic, and is moving forward with planning for a possible eight season. However, their quote that they "believe in unicorns and rainbows and gummy bears and all things happy" makes me believe this is just wishful thinking rather than any actual indication that the show will be back. My guess is that, while there is a chance for a return, the show will be canceled, as CW continues to try to cut costs, especially with ratings so marginal, there's barely any difference in strength from one show to the next. It LEANS CANCELLATION.
Totally Funny Kids: Two weeks ago, Totally Funny Animals was renewed by CW for a 100-episode second season. There was no word on whether companion series Totally Funny Kids would be back. That in itself is a red flag, given that they premiered together and have always aired together. The size of the Totally Funny Animals is also a spot of concern: with season two alone set to run 100 episodes (rather than the show getting a 100-episode pickup to air over several seasons), it's possible that that show will air back-to-back new episodes, replacing Totally Funny Kids and leaving this show without a slot, or any need to be renewed. It's a true tossup, though one that admittedly few are on the edge of their seats to see how it'll resolve, but I'm betting that no news is bad news for this show, and that CW is moving on. It now LEANS CANCELLATION.
CW Renew/Cancel March Madness Champion Announced!
What do you think of my predictions? What are your predictions? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll of the week!
