The CW Revives One Of The Most Iconic Shows Of All Time

Here are the shows The CW has ordered to series so far.

The CW

The CW has always kind of lived in its own little broadcast television world where the general rules don't apply — if a show has a passionate fanbase, it can run for years, and if the powers that be love a series, well, it may never be canceled. For example, The CW recently renewed TV's lowest-rated network series, the genuinely fantastic Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, because it continues to earn rave reviews and its addictive star Rachel Bloom won a Golden Globe in 2016.

But that logic of sticking with shows they believe in has worked: Between Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The CW is now in the awards conversation for the first time in its short history, and they've built one of television's mightiest franchises in Greg Berlanti's DC superhero shows (five will air during the 2017–2018 season).

"When you have great critical work and a critically acclaimed and nominated show like [Crazy Ex-Girlfriend], it deserves to be picked up," CW President Mark Pedowitz said in January. "It has nothing to do with numbers. It has everything to do with [how] Crazy Ex, Jane the Virgin, and the DC franchises have helped alter the perception of what The CW has become."

The CW

While the young-skewing network eschews conventional logic, The CW does lean into traditional thinking when it comes to using its hit shows to launch new series. This fall, Season 3 of Supergirl will precede freshman series Valor, another in a long line of new military dramas coming to your television this fall. It's a show, Pedowitz told reporters during a conference call in May, that the network has been working on for six years. "We're not looking for follow the leader," he said.

On the now very soapy Wednesdays, Riverdale's second season will lead into the premiere of The CW's reimagining of the iconic ’80s hit Dynasty. When asked if a show that aired more than 30 years ago holds any significance with their audience, many of whom who are not even 30 years old themselves, Rick Haskins, The CW's EVP of marketing, replied, "I think that Dynasty is not unlike what we had with Riverdale last year in that we have a built-in audience of people who knew the Archie characters, and our job was to bring them in as well as a new audience. We focused in on bringing in the new audience because we knew the old audience would follow." And, of course, The CW is very open to having actors from the original Dynasty guest star, which will surely generate a lot of buzz.

The CW's riskiest move this fall comes on Thursday nights: They've reunited Supernatural and Arrow, but at 9 p.m., the latter faces off with two of TV's biggest shows: NCIS on CBS and This Is Us on NBC. Pedowitz, however, isn't worried about the show's sixth season going against two Herculean offerings. "We felt it was a very different audience than This Is Us," he said confidently of their thinking.

Here’s what The CW has coming to TV in the 2017–2018 season:

Valor (Mondays at 9 p.m.)

The CW

Who's in it? Matt Barr, Christina Ochoa, Charlie Barnett, W. Trè Davis, Corbin Reid, Nigel Thatch, Melissa Roxburgh

Who created it? Bill Haber, Anna Fricke, Kyle Jarrow, Michael Robin

What's it about? A military drama about an elite team of helicopter pilots who execute secret missions at home and abroad.

First impression: I don't get it. I mean, I get that this is a show about secrets in the military and two helicopter pilots trying to rescue a pair of POWs while unraveling an international conundrum. But I don't get why it's on The CW. —Jarett Wieselman

Dynasty (Wednesdays at 9 p.m.)

The CW

Who's in it? Grant Show, Elizabeth Gillies, Nathalie Kelley, James Mackay, Alan Dale, Sam Adegoke, Robert Christopher Riley, Rafael de la Fuente

Who created it? Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Sallie Patrick, Esther Shapiro, Richard Shapiro, Brad Silberling

What's it about? A modern-day update of the iconic '80s soap about a rich and shameless family.

First impression: I could not have been more excited to finally lay eyes on The CW's Dynasty, and I could not have been more underwhelmed by the trailer. Don't get me wrong, some elements work flawlessly — like Kelley's deliciously vampy Cristal and the gender-swapped Sammy Jo (De la Fuente) dating Carrington heir Steven (Mackay). But I am nervous that the dialogue lacked the fire that made the original series such an obsession, and for a family that's supposed to represent the 1% of the 1%, the show didn't look expensive. But this is just a cut-down of a 4-minute pilot that has a LOT of heavy lifting to do. Plus, after blessing us with The O.C. and Gossip Girl, executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage have earned the time to perfect their latest sudsy show. —J.W.

Black Lightning (Midseason)

Warner Bros

Who's in it? Cress Williams, Nafessa Williams, China Anne McClain, Christine Adams

Who created it? Greg Berlanti, Salim Akil, Mara Brock Akil, Sarah Schechter

What's it about? Jefferson Pierce (aka Black Lightning) left his secret identity behind years ago, but he's pulled back into life as a vigilante when his family gets mixed up with the wrong people.

First impression: I was absolutely blown away by the trailer for The CW's latest superhero show. Yes, the effects look amazing, but more than that, I found myself instantly obsessed with the family story at the center of Black Lightning; let's just say that the superpowers don't fall far from the tree. —J.W.

Life Sentence (Midseason)

The CW

Who's in it? Lucy Hale, Elliot Knight, Dylan Walsh, Gillian Vigman, Jayson Blair, Brooke Lyons, Carlos PenaVega

Who created it? Erin Cardillo, Richard Keith, Bill Lawrence, Jeff Ingold, Oliver Goldstick, Lee Toland Krieger

What's it about? After being told she has terminal cancer, a young woman lives life without consequences — but after she finds out she's not dying, she's forced to reckon with all the choices she made.

First impression: Oh, this show looks charming as all get-out. Lucy Hale is such a dang star it's not even funny — though she is very funny in this role. And sweet and charming and heartwarming and touching and all the good things you want from a show like this. Plus, the dialogue was a delight from the beginning to the end of the trailer. The show might be The CW's first worthy heir to the effervescent Hart of Dixie. —J.W.

Monday

Supergirl, 8 p.m.

*Valor, 9 p.m.

Tuesday

The Flash, 8 p.m.

Legends of Tomorrow, 9 p.m.

Wednesday

Riverdale, 8 p.m.

*Dynasty, 9 p.m.

Thursday

Supernatural, 8 p.m.

Arrow, 9 p.m.

Friday

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 8 p.m.

Jane the Virgin, 9 p.m.

Note: An asterisk (*) indicates a new show for the 2017–2018 season.

Note: In mid-May every year, the five television broadcast networks — NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, and The CW — present their new shows and upcoming schedules to advertisers at events called upfronts. That’s why you see an onslaught of new programming in May, as well as the cancellation of current shows. This post will be continually updated.