It’s already been a big week for fans of The CW – over the last couple of days, the teen-skewing network just renewed eight of its original series, revealed its midseason schedule and unveiled a trailer for one of its buzziest new series, apocalyptic drama The Messengers.
In terms of renewals, The CW has ordered *takes deep breath* a fourth season of Arrow, a second season of that show’s spinoff The Flash, a seventh season of The Vampire Diaries, a third season of that show’s spinoff The Originals, an eleventh season of Supernatural, a third season of Reign, a third season of The 100 and a second season of Jane the Virgin. So, in other words, The CW just renewed every single show on its fall schedule.
Explaining the massive show of confidence in his network’s original programming, which marks the most shows The CW has ever picked up at one time, CW president Mark Pedowitz said:
“Each of these series have helped define what The CW is today, a network that is home to smart, provocative, quality programming, targeting a savvy adult audience. By picking up these shows now, our executive producers can start planning next season’s storylines, and rolling these shows out throughout next season guarantees The CW will have more proven original series for our fall, midseason and summer 2016 line-ups.”
Reign and The 100 had struggled in the ratings more notably than other shows on their network, raising some doubts as to whether they’d return, and Jane the Virgin‘s ratings would have made it a tough call had the critical darling not been nominated for two Golden Globes, but the rest of the renewed series had been locks for renewal long before Pedowitz’s announcement.
Addressing the two series still up in the air – Hart of Dixie and Beauty & the Beast, Pedowitz was less committal. On Hart of Dixie, he said the Southern medical drama is “not necessarily” canceled. “We’re going to look at the ratings,” he explained.“We’ll get an opportunity to see how it plays with Jane the Virgin. If it ends, [this season is] a great series finale; if it doesn’t end, it’s a great season finale. But we’re not committed one way or another.”
On Beauty & the Beast, the exec simply noted that the series is expected to return in May or June.
