"Supergirl" has been renewed for a second season, but it won't air on CBS: The superhero drama will fly on over to sister network The CW for its sophomore outing.
News broke late Thursday afternoon about the move, which will unite "Supergirl" with her other super-themed friends on existing CW shows "The Flash," "Arrow," and "Legends of Tomorrow." Earlier this year, a "Flash"-"Supergirl" crossover was a critical and ratings hit, prompting speculation that "Supergirl" could make the permanent move to The CW should CBS balk at renewing the so-so-rated show. The series, starring Melissa Benoist as the titular heroine, has averaged 10.03 million overall viewers in live-plus-7 numbers in season one.
When it was first in development, "Supergirl" seemed like a no-brainer to land at The CW, since it already fit that network's existing programming. But CBS wanted to court the superhero audience for itself, and scooped up the property. It seems like "Supergirl" was always a better counterpart for The CW's brand, though, and according to Variety, the fact that it's winding up there after all doesn't surprise industry analysts.
This will be the first time that an on-air show has moved from CBS to The CW (which is co-owned by The Eye and Warner Bros.), though it's not the first time that CBS parent company networks have shuffled series. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" famously was shopped at Showtime before that channel passed, only to be rescued by The CW (and become a fan favorite, critical darling, and "Golden Globe" winner) last fall. Sarah Michelle Gellar-starrer "Ringer" was also previously developed for CBS back in 2011, before landing at The CW.
There's no word yet on when "Supergirl" may make its CW debut (or how much of its flashy cast -- including Calista Flockhart, Mehcad Brooks, Chyler Leigh, Jeremy Jordan, and David Harewood -- may make the transition to the lower-budget network). Stay tuned.
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