When the big networks battle this fall, a smaller one will wait semi-patientlly.
The CW will hold many of its top shows until mid-season. That includes “The Flash,” “Superman & Lois,” “Nancy Drew” and the final year of “Riverdale.”
Instead, it will try an intriguing assortment. Two summer shows – “Stargirl” and “Coroner” – will be promoted to the main season. Four new dramas will also be there – including a “Walker” prequel (shown here) and a “Supernatural” prequel.
The wait-for-midseason approach began out of necessity two years ago. With production slowed by Covid, CW had a makeshift line-up in the fall, with bigger shows arriving in January. Now that’s being done as a way to provide counterpoint and to avoid reruns.
“Stargirl” received strong reviews in its first two seasons, but had trouble finding a summer audience. Now it will lead into “Kung Fu,” another show with an action heroine.
“Coroner” is a Canadian show about a widowed medical examiner, solving crimes. It will follow another Canadian drama: In “Family Law,” an alcoholic lawyer (Jewel Staite) gets a last chance, working for a top attorney (Victor Garber).
Two of the other new dramas are prequels:
In “The Winchesters,” we see a Vietnam veteran meet a teen demon-hunter. They would become the parents of Sam and Dean, from “Supernatural”; Jensen Ackles, who played Dean, narrates.
And in “Walker Independence,” we meet an ancestor of Walker, the Texas ranger. Widowed on her journey west in the late 1800s, she settles into the tough town of Independence, Texas.
The other new drama this fall is “The Professionals,” with Tom Welling (“Smallville”) as a high-priced security operative. There’s also a new magic show this fall; mid-season includes a cooking show (“Recipe for Disaster”) and a Batman spin-off: In “Gotham Knights,” Bruce Wayne is dead and his adopted son has been accused of killing him.
CW had already cancelled “Batwoman” and “Legends of Tomorrow,” plus “Charmed,” “Legacies,” “Dynasty,” “Naomi” and “4400.” The fall line-up:
— Mondays: “All American,” 8 p.m.; “All American: Homecoming,: 9.
— Tuesdays: “The Winchesters,” 8 p.m.; “Professionals,” 9.
— Wednesdays: “Stargirl,” 8 p.m.; “Kung Fu,” 9.
— Thursdays: “Walker,” 8 p.m., “Walker Independence,” 9.
— Fridays: “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” 8 p.m.; “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” 9 and 9:30.
— Saturdays: “Magic With the Stars,” 8 p.m.; “World’s Funniest Animals,” 9 and 9:30.
— Sundays: “Family Law,” 8 p.m.; “Coroner,” 9.