Analyzing the 2019 Fall Schedule: The CW

After an eventful couple of upfronts weeks, the five broadcast networks have put forth their fall 2018 schedules. There are some ingenious moves; there are some confounding moves. There are new shows hoping to be sampled and become the next big thing; there are relocated veterans hoping to improve their time slots and leg out a few more seasons. We won’t know whether each network put forth the right combination of shows until the fall, but that isn’t going to stop KSiteTV’s Craig Byrne and Shilo Adams from giving their annual first impressions on all five of the fall schedules. They’ll break down the schedule of every network on a nightly basis, telling you what surprised them and what they think might be set up for failure, all before naming everything from the most promising new show to worst scheduling move and what they’ll be watching in the fall.

Last up is The CW, which is going into the 2019-2020 without its Netflix output deal. In its first season since 2010 without that partnership, the network will be debuting a new Arrow-verse show in Batwoman and a series adaptation of Nancy Drew, the first in over 20 years. Additionally, The CW will be saying goodbye to Arrow and Supernatural after a combined 23 seasons, hoping to channel All American‘s social media buzz into a Netflix ratings bounce, and remaking their Fridays with Charmed sliding into 8:00 and Dynasty assuming the 9:00 slot. Will this schedule, seemingly made with nightly themes in mind, reverse some of the ratings declines the network has been dealing with this season?

2019-2020 Scheduling Predictions: NBC | FOX | ABC | CBS | The CW

2019-2020 Scheduling Analysis: NBC | FOX | ABC | CBS

Trailers: Batwoman | Nancy Drew | Katy Keene

SUNDAY
SHILO: 8:00 Supergirl; 9:00 Legends of Tomorrow
CRAIG: 8:00 Supergirl; 9:00 Charmed
ACTUAL SCHEDULE: 8:00 Batwoman; 9:00 Supergirl

SHILO: There are things to like about this lineup. Thankfully, they’re actually launching Batwoman at 8:00 instead of 9:00 and the thematic similarities between it and Supergirl make the lineup cohesive and easily marketable. When making my fantasy schedule, I didn’t think The CW would stretch the crossover across two quarters, which is what my assumption that Legends would have to be in the fall was based on. But The CW’s shown a lot of confidence in Batwoman by having it lead off the week and likely their crossover as well. It’s probably not misplaced given the hype around the project and how easier it is for a CW comic show to get sampled vs. their attempts at broadening their slate. I think that as long as the creative holds up, Batwoman should be able to overcome any local lead-in deficiency it might get and become the network’s next tent-pole.

CRAIG: Okay, so I get that an 8PM launch might work better than 9. I also get that female-fronted series might do better on Football night. I do think Batwoman will be more inherently adult than Supergirl, though, and I was really surprised to see Charmed already banished to Fridays. This was a bit of a head scratcher, but maybe there’s also a strategy here, with Batwoman as the first of a new generation of DC-based shows, and as you said, it will get things started with a big bang… err… bat.