After the CW put its sophomore drama Beauty and the Beast on an indefinite hiatus last month, fans engaged in a unsatisfying debate through social media about what that meant for the future of the show. The network still hasn’t officially commented on whether BATB will be renewed for another season, but they have announced, via their website, that the series will return this summer for the second part of season two.
This is a huge victory for fans of the show, who were left with their jaws on the floor after the writers threw in a major cliffhanger when Beauty and the Beast last aired on March 10. Following that episode, the Monday night time slot was filled with the new drama, Star-Crossed, and Beauty and the Beast disappeared from the schedule completely. Rumors circulated that this was the end for the fan favorite, and with the network staying tight lipped, things unfortunately didn’t look promising.
The CW isn’t exactly known for its unconventional programming model, but over the last few years viewers may have noticed them veering in that direction. Besides airing shows during the regular season – premiering in the fall, season finale in late spring/early summer, holiday hiatus somewhere in the middle – the network has also taken advantage of the summer by debuting shows during that time. They have more recently began to air series in shorter segments, making premiere dates more flexible and giving new shows a chance to survive in a competitive prime-time market. All of which probably (and thankfully) contributed to Beauty and the Beast‘s return.
Although there’s still a lot up in the air when it comes to Beauty and the Beast, fans will at least get another chance to see where Cat (Kristin Kreuk) and Vincent (Jay Ryan) go from this point. And if this is it for the series, hopefully the writers will have the foresight to tie everything up in a neat bow, sending these beloved characters off the right way.
Beauty and the Beast returns to The CW on June 2nd.
