The CW is saying goodbye to ‘Jane the Virgin,’ ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ and hello to Sundays with ‘Charmed’ reboot
The CW is charming its way into Sunday and saying goodbye to some fan favorites.
The 2018-19 season will see the network, which until now has been doling out 10 hours of programming each week, boost its primetime schedule by 20% by adding two hours of scripted programming on Sunday nights. And the network is hoping to cast a spell from the start by leaning on brand equity to establish the night.
The “Charmed” reboot will help launch its new night in primetime. Returning series “Supergirl” will anchor the night, followed by the remake of the supernatural WB drama, which will boast a new cast and comes from “Jane the Virgin” mastermind Jennie Snyder Urman.
“We wanted to have an established show on Sunday night,” CW president Mark Pedowitz told reporters Thursday morning during a conference call ahead of its upfront presentation to advertisers. “We wanted name value with ‘Charmed’ on there. We felt that it was two shows that empowered women and were making a statement that we were not kidding — we were not going to phone it in on Sunday nights, that we were going to compete.”
READ MORE: All the details on the CW’s new shows for the 2018-19 season »
“Charmed” is one of five freshman shows the network will launch next season — three shows in the fall, two for midseason. The network also confirmed it will be saying goodbye to “iZombie,” “Jane the Virgin,” both reaching five seasons, and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” coming to a close at the end of its fourth season.
“We will miss each of those shows in terms of what they’ve done,” Pedowitz said. “They’ve helped the perception of the CW across the board.”
Overall, not much significant change is hitting the network’s primetime lineup.
Monday and Tuesday hold court as DC Comics nights. “Legends of Tomorrow” and “Arrow” stand guard on Mondays, while “The Flash” and “Black Lightning” will keep Tuesdays safe. For those keeping score, that makes five superhero dramas on the schedule for fall.
“Riverdale” will continue on its Wednesday path as the night welcomes the new Greg Berlanti drama “All American,” about a rising high school football player from South L.A. who is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High, closing the night.
Thursday night will also get a dose of something new. “Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals” spinoff “Legacies” will close out the night that’s headed by veteran “Supernatural.”
Fridays will see “Dynasty” paired with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
Shows holding until midseason are returning series “The 100,” “Jane the Virgin” and “iZombie,” as well as new series “In the Dark” and its other reboot, “Roswell, New Mexico.”
Upfronts 2018: Get the full fall schedule »
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