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The CW needs to fight superhero fatigue: The blueprint for 2017-18

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  • The CW needs to fight superhero fatigue: The blueprint for 2017-18


  • #2
    Too late, sadly. The CW won't cut back on their DC shows. Or the amount of episodes they produce (85 episodes in one season is way too much). If anything, they will increase if Black Lightning gets picked up.

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    • #3
      I just hope that they find a way to change it up. That way each Superhero show has something different about them... each has a gimmick that draws in viewers without being overdone, etc. The one criticism about CW shows is that they seem to follow a tired formula... which is a rut they need to break out. If you guys know what I mean?

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      • #4
        That's one place Marvel really seems to shine, each show appeals to a different genre outside of the comicbooks/superheroes.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Aurora Moon
          I just hope that they find a way to change it up. That way each Superhero show has something different about them... each has a gimmick that draws in viewers without being overdone, etc. The one criticism about CW shows is that they seem to follow a tired formula... which is a rut they need to break out. If you guys know what I mean?
          Good point. And I've seen others make a similar observation. The DCCW shows often come across as identical because the storytelling elements are usually the same: The secrets, the melodrama, the overdose of romantic arcs, the boneheaded decisions by the good guys, etc..

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          • #6
            Originally posted by DoubleDevil
            That's one place Marvel really seems to shine, each show appeals to a different genre outside of the comicbooks/superheroes.
            Yeah, each of the Netflix Marvel superhero seems to have their own original approach and style of storytelling. Maybe it's because they're not produced by the same team, which is the case with the CW superhero shows? "Daredevil" takes a lot of inspiration from hardboiled "film noir", while "Luke Cage" is obviously an homage to the 70's "blaxploitation" movies. I don't know which genre "Jessica Jones" fits, but the Kilgrave storyline reminded me a bit of all those thriller where the female protagonist is hunted by a psycho. These are all my interpretations of course, so they may be wrong! Anyway, the Marvel superhero shows all have their own stamp of originality.....as opposed to the DC shows, which seem to follow a similar formula, despite their differences.
            Last edited by evaba; 04-13-2017, 04:42 AM.

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            • #7
              Terrible article.

              But aside from that, the ratings haven't dipped because of superhero fatigue. That's not a thing. It's a cop-out.

              They've dipped because the shows have sucked this year. Only Arrow has been consistently pretty decent, but a lot of people had already bailed on that show after the previous season was a trainwreck. People tend not to go back to a show after they've given it up. Add on to it that all of these shows are connected and copying each other, since they're run by the same people, and you end up with a fanbase that gets bored.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by evaba
                Anyway, the Marvel superhero shows all have their own stamp of originality.....as opposed to the DC shows, which seem to follow a similar formula, despite their differences.
                The first two seasons of Flash were basically just a remake of Arrow seasons. It got so obvious at one point that we were actually able to anticipate when certain things would happen.

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                • #9
                  Seasons 1 of Arrow and Flash were indeed very similar. But S2 of the Flash was hardly a remake of S2 of Arrow. The only glaring similarities were the hero losing a parent at the end of the season and the villain summoning an army. S2 of the Flash actually had more common threads with S5 of Arrow. Especially in regards to the big bad's storyline.

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                  • #10
                    If it is fatigue, it's fatigue with the way the Berlantiverse tells these superhero stories. At least that's how I feel about it.

                    They may be different characters and have different plots, but in the Berlantiverse it does come off as formulaic. I was basically getting tired of following four essentially similar shows replete with melodrama (some more than others). And who'd have thought by April that Arrow was the show that mostly had its act together out of the lot this season?

                    They've all had individual eps. where they shined, but more often than not, they occupied the mushy middle in terms of quality over the years and there have been some stinkers too.

                    I was ready to drop LoT and SG (and had in fact stopped watching them for a stretch in the first half of this season), but I managed to stick with them in the second half.

                    But I'm not sure if I will be a regular viewer of either show -- and for me, it is fatigue. Maybe not superheroes in general, but just in the way Berlanti and Co. tell these stories.

                    Next season will determine if I remain a committed viewer of all these shows, or drop down to casual. And it's a quick slide from casual to indifferent viewers where it ceases to be must-watch TV -- which I think may also be part of the reason for the ratings slide across the board with these shows.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by costas22
                      Too late, sadly. The CW won't cut back on their DC shows. Or the amount of episodes they produce (85 episodes in one season is way too much). If anything, they will increase if Black Lightning gets picked up.
                      I don't see Black Lightning getting picked in the current ratings environment.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Mbruno
                        I don't see Black Lightning getting picked in the current ratings environment.
                        Right now the current rumor is they are getting early pick up. https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/04...gifted-pilots/ So you never know.

                        You can be certain that it's not going to be added as a fifth night of the Arrowverse. They already have talked about staggering the shows more. Perhaps they'll have The Flash and Arrow run at the same time but have BL and LoT share a time slot. (Assuming BL gets a shorter episode count as well.)

                        The Arrowverse sells itself as ever show being different and at the start, I think they have been, but it's been a long time since The Flash was the light, happy bright colored show it once touted itself as being.

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                        • #13
                          As much as I would like to see a BL series, I can't help but think the CW is approaching a saturation point. How many more superhero shows with similar formula can they put out before they think it hits a viewer fatigue threshold -- another show, two? I think they're already at this point and maybe they should start putting them back to back. SG seems to be holding its own on Monday. Arrow and Flash maybe could pair off on one day or be the lead-in for BL, etc. (I'm wondering how well the Flash / LoT Tuesdays are working out, maybe this was a trial balloon.)

                          I think SG has taken the light, happy bright brand from The Flash and is running away with it, and owning that brand even. S4 may well be The Flash's own identity crisis year in terms of which direction in tone they want. It shouldn't become ... something else (pun intended) -- dark and gritty is Arrow's domain.

                          Why can't each series strive to be unique in their own right and less formulaic? When Flash was once touted as the "best" of the bunch I remember some fans saying these shows should all be like The Flash. This never flew with me and with all four shows being similar in their storytelling, and the ratings being what they are ... can anyone truly say that it's a good idea that all the CW superhero shows should be alike?

                          I find the whole Flarrowverse increasingly similar where we're getting four nights of Wonder bread. Even Arrow, as good as it has been lately, is still Wonder bread beneath its tasty Prometheus peanut butter. BL or any new Berlantiverse show can't be Wonder bread -- in fact, they should attempt to be different than that -- otherwise doing the same will hurt not only the new show ... it'll have a blowback effect on other shows in making viewers think the CW isn't actually offering us anything new and inventive, but just repackaging their Wonder bread in different wrappers. I don't think we have to wait for BL, as some of this audience fatigue with Berlanti's cookie cutter TV is already creeping in.

                          I actually feel bad for these shows. I want to like them all and be successful. But the network, DC and Berlanti are fine churning out more product of uncertain quality when the wiser course would be to close ranks and make the shows they already have as kickass as possible quality-wise -- before they even think of expansion.

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