BUBBLE SHOW THAT DESERVES BETTER SCHEDULING
Craig: Again, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend… but I have no idea where else it could possibly land on the schedule. Part of the problem with so many genre shows is that it feels like every night is so locked up.
Shilo: I don’t know, I’m not a big fan of throwing away shows without giving them a decent shot at proving themselves, so I really would’ve liked for No Tomorrow to get an episode aired A) at 8:00; B) with another dramedy; and/or C) on another night. The show could simply not be resonating with audiences; it’s just that there was so much working against it that it’s natural to wonder if it was the situation or the show that was the problem. Chucking out the final episodes of the show in the middle of December with Flash repeat lead-ins feels especially short-sighted, as there were other ways you could save Flash originals while giving No Tomorrow a realistic shot to prove itself.
MOST LIKELY MIDSEASON HIT
Craig: Riverdale, Riverdale, Riverdale. Having visited the set late last year, I was so impressed by the enthusiasm and general vibe — you really felt like you were there for the start of something big. People might not know the names KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Casey Cott, Madelaine Petsch, and Ashleigh Murray just yet, but they certainly will after January 26 passes. (Cole Sprouse deliberately left out because people know him from the Suite Life and will be suitably impressed with his Jughead.) It’s a very potent mix of Dawson’s Creek, Twin Peaks, and Pretty Little Liars — and we remember how Dawson’s and PLL turned their respective networks around. This one’s gonna be big.
Shilo: See, I’m not wholly sold on the commercial upside of Riverdale. I definitely think it’s going to find enough audience for renewal, as both of The CW’s new fall shows badly floundered and the network will want to renew something new, but I just have some lingering uncertainty. Not only is the show much darker in tone than the comics, which could scare off the diehards who don’t like the creative license taken with beloved characters, but The CW hasn’t been home to teen soaps with no genre elements in years. That audience has kind of moved on to other avenues, so is this the show to bring them back into the fold? I genuinely don’t know. I hope so because it’d be nice to see more soaps on the network, but I have to wonder what happens here if enough Archie diehards are turned off and the soap audience is pulled away by Scandal (and, to a lesser extent, Chicago Med).
MOST LIKELY MIDSEASON MISS
Craig: I know you love some Reign, Shilo, but aside from the already loyal fanbase, the show’s return seems almost like an afterthought. I’m hoping The Originals does okay, though it has potential to not do okay. Maybe some Vampire Diaries folks will come over after that show ends, which might get some added eyeballs to the screen.
Shilo: The Originals is an interesting case. It’s a show going into a fourth season (i.e when The CW cuts all but its top performers) and will be losing its mother ship, as The Vampire Diaries will be concluding later this year. Rather than schedule the two together, The CW opted to have The Originals take over for The Vampire Diaries, thereby not giving it any kind of bump that the latter would’ve gotten as it wrapped its run. Of course, the Vampire Diaries finale might contextualize this season of The Originals, thereby impeding the chances of the two airing together, but if that’s not the case and The CW subbed in Reign instead, it spells vulnerability for The Originals. Airing at 8:00 should help its cause, and there’s the possibility of the network not wanting to end the franchise in one season, but The Originals might need a multi-episode crossover in order to stave off cancellation.
