Thursday, May 17, 2018

2018 Upfront Answers: The CW


The schedule is coming, and with it the Upfront Answers!

CW's upfront previews: Renewology | Upfront Questions

More Upfront Answers: NBC | Fox | ABC | CBS | CW








Monday

8:008:309:009:30
Legends of TomorrowLegends of TomorrowArrowArrow

Spot's Question: Will the superhero timeslot sharing continue?

Nope. Newly equipped with 12 timeslots, the network had to either go with five superhero shows, four new shows, or bring another one of the lower-tier returnees off the bench. Using all five superhero shows is almost certainly the best choice from a ratings/promotion standpoint. Whether it is best for the new class is another issue, but it doesn't really feel to me like the newbies got thrown under the bus.



Tuesday

8:008:309:009:30
The FlashThe FlashBlack LightningBlack Lightning

Spot's Question: What goes with The Flash?

It's back to Black, at least in the fall. The Flash doesn't really seem to be towering too far over the rest of the network ratings-wise anymore, and none of the three fall newbies really seem like a fit with The Flash, so it's fine.



Wednesday

8:008:309:009:30
RiverdaleRiverdaleALL AMERICANALL AMERICAN

Spot's Question: Is Riverdale still a lead-in?

Yep. If there was a reboot or spin-off in All American's place, I think you could make the argument for 8/7c, but this another high school drama that isn't a name brand. Will the heavily female Riverdale audience watch a football drama? I dunno, but I don't think anything else would've been that much better as a fit either.



Thursday

8:008:309:009:30
SupernaturalSupernaturalLEGACIESLEGACIES

Spot's Question: Will the Thursday veterans stay put?

Supernatural stays put and is paired with The Originals spin-off. Supernatural and The Originals were a great team in resurrecting the CW's Tuesday night five years ago, so there is some history here.



Friday

8:008:309:009:30
DynastyDynastyCrazy Ex-GirlfriendCrazy Ex-Girlfriend

Spot's Question: Which of the Surrender Friday candidates start off in the fall?

Dynasty and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are up front, with Crazy and Jane the Virgin (both in pre-announced final seasons) likely headed for a timeslot share.



Sunday

8:008:309:009:30
SupergirlSupergirlCHARMEDCHARMED

Spot's Question: How does the CW take up shop on a whole new night?

It is Supergirl and not my pick Supernatural that leads things off. The Charmed reboot returns to the mothership's historic night, but not its historic timeslot. I like 9/8c better for the new show on this night because the local programming lead-in on Sunday is almost certainly gonna be a lot weaker than the stripped Monday-Friday programming. With that in mind, it's worth asking if this is a rough arrangement for Supergirl, the second-youngest of the CW's superhero series. Again, I'd have liked to see the always resilient Supernatural handle that challenge.



FINAL THOUGHTS

With what seems like a fairly female-skewing batch of fall newbies, it is smart not to shoehorn them in with a bunch of superhero shows. Most of the pairings make a lot of sense. I do have some question whether the right pairings are on the right nights; I'd like to see Supergirl stay put on Monday, keep the Legends/Arrow duo in relatively familiar Thursday territory, and cast Supernatural off to take on the new night. But maybe the younger Supergirl and buzzy Charmed reboot are splashier choices in the CDub's mind.

No comments:

Post a Comment

© SpottedRatings.com 2009-2022. All Rights Reserved.