Scripted Series MIA, ‘Superman & Lois’

The CW‘s transformation under new owners Nexstar is almost complete, with only two pre-merger series, the final season of Superman & Lois and veteran improv comedy Whose Line It Is Anyway?, on the network’s fall schedule. What’s more, there is an unprecedented scheduling turnover, with only three shows from the current 2023-24 season making it to next fall, Whose Line, Sullivan’s Crossing and Inside the NFL.

More on that in a bit. Here is the CW’s fall schedule, which for the first time opens a game show night with Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble, followed by brief analysis and descriptions of the new series.

(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT) 

MONDAY

8-9 PM — TRIVIAL PURSUIT
9-10 PM — SCRABBLE

TUESDAY

8-10 PM– WWE NXT (Network Debut)

WEDNESDAY

8-9 PM — Sullivan’s Crossing (Season 2)
9-10 PM — JOAN

THURSDAY

8-9 PM — Superman & Lois (Season 4)
9-10 PM — THE LIBRARIANS: THE NEXT CHAPTER

FRIDAY

8-8:30PM — Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Season 13)
8:30-9 PM — Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Original Episode)
9-10 PM — Inside The NFL (Season 2)

SATURDAY

CW SPORTS SATURDAY

SUNDAY

7-10 PM — The CW Sunday Movie Night

The lack of returning 2023-24 series on the CW fall schedule is, in large part, because the network is yet to make renewal decisions on all but one of its top scripted series, Canadian drama Sullivan’s Crossing. That includes highly rated U.S. studio series All American and Walker, whose current seasons are ongoing, with pickup conversations underway. As Deadline reported, financials for all three homegrown CW dramas are challenging but especially for Walker, which won’t be able to continue unless its very low license fee is raised by the network. (The third U.S. studio drama, All American: Homecoming, is not returning for its new season until the summer.)

Also not renewed yet is breakout Canadian drama co-production Wild Cards, the most watched CW scripted series on linear, whose pickup has been pending for moths. A couple of other respectably rated Canadian series remain in limbo too, including drama Family Law, which was renewed by Global for a fourth season in January. (There haven’t been official renewals of the CW’s existing unscripted series either, and none of them found a spot on the fall schedule, even stalwart Penn & Teller: Fool Us, the top CW series – scripted or unscripted – in linear viewership.)

Meanwhile, the CW new owners continue to spend on sports programming, most recently adding Pac-12 football games to its roster two days ago. The network’s fall schedule includes some of that, new addition WWE NXT on Tuesday; ACC Football, NASCAR Xfinity Series and Pac-12 Football on Saturday; as well as Inside the NFL, moving from Thursday to Friday in its second season on the CW.

Also on the move is Superman & Lois, whose delayed fourth and final season will air on a new night, Thursday, after spending the first three seasons on Tuesday. Staying put is The CW Sunday Night Movie, introduced this past winter, which features theatrical and original movies, including the I Am documentary franchise.

The CW is using its two returning series, Sullivan’s Crossing and Superman & Lois, to launch two new drama series, Joan, and The Librarians: The New Chapter, respectively.

British crime drama Joan, starring Sophie Turner, consists of only six episodes, so the CW will need reinforcements a month and a half into the season. The network’s new scripted series on the bench for 2024-25 include Good Cop/Bad Cop and Sherlock’s Daughter.

NEW FALL 2024 SERIES:

JOAN

Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones,” “X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” “The Staircase”) stars as notorious jewel thief Joan Hannington in this exhilarating yet emotional story set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1980s — an era known for its bold fashion trends, iconic music and cultural shifts. The series opens with Joan, a fiery and uncompromising woman in her twenties who is deeply scarred and vulnerable. She is a devoted mother to her six-year-old daughter, Kelly, but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself and her daughter. Joan becomes a masterful jewel thief. She embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes journey that challenges her every limit, driven by her desire to care for her daughter and create a secure home for them both. Through her sharp intelligence, charm and talent for impersonation and performance, we follow the twists and turns in Joan’s life, the ups and downs, the heartache and the joy that makes this story so compelling to follow. Turner stars alongside Frank Dillane (“Fear the Walking Dead”) as Boisie, a London antiques dealer. Kirsty J. Curtis (“Match Not Found”) plays Nancy, Joan’s older sister and salon worker while Gershwyn Eustache Jr. (“I May Destroy You”) portrays Albie, an old acquaintance of Boisie who’s made a new life in Spain with his wife Val, played by Laura Aikman (“The Split”). Joan is written by acclaimed screenwriter Anna Symon (“The Essex Serpent”) and directed by BAFTA award-winner Richard Laxton (“Rain Dogs”). The series is from Snowed-In Productions and executive produced by Ruth Kenley-Letts (“Stonehouse”), Jenny Van Der Lande (“Too Close”), Neil Blair (“The Midwich Cuckoos”) and Richard Laxton. Joan has been commissioned for ITVX by Head of Drama Polly Hill. The series is produced in association with All3Media International and The CW Network.

THE LIBRARIANS: THE NEXT CHAPTER

The Librarians: The Next Chapter is a spinoff of the original TV series “The Librarians,” which followed the adventures of the custodians of a magical repository of the world’s most powerful and dangerous supernatural artifacts. The new series centers on Vikram (Callum McGowan), a “Librarian” from the past, who time traveled to the present and now finds himself stuck here. When he returns to his castle, which is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. He is given a new team to help him clean up the mess he made, forming a new team of Librarians. The series stars Callum McGowan as Vikram Chamberlain; Jessica Green as Charlie Cornwall, the Guardian; Olivia Morris as Lysa Pascal, The Scientist and Bluey Robinson as Connor Green, the Historian. Dean Devlin serves as Showrunner and executive producer alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. Noah Wyle also serves as executive producer. Mark Franco of Electric Entertainment and Jonathan English of Balkanic Media also produce.

SCRABBLE

Scrabble is a captivating, fast-paced take on the global board-game phenomenon. In each episode, wordsmiths battle it out over a series of addictive word games of skill and strategy to win points and master a giant Scrabble board in the center of the set. Hosted by fan-favorite actor, singer, producer and director Raven-Symoné, Scrabble is produced by Hasbro Entertainment, The CW, Mattel Television Studios and Lionsgate Alternative Television. David Garfinkle, Gabriel Marano and Michelle Mendelovitz serve as executive producers.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT

The beloved trivia game Trivial Pursuit is reimagined in a question-packed entertainment format. Gameplay takes place on a giant version of the iconic Trivial Pursuit game board, as contestants battle it out over a range of play-along question categories to win wedges and beat each other to the center. The victor then takes on a dramatic finale against the clock to claim the big money jackpot. Hosted by Emmy® Award-winning actor, director, producer and podcaster LeVar Burton, Trivial Pursuit is produced by Hasbro Entertainment, The CW, Lionsgate Alternative Television and Talpa Studios. David Garfinkle, Gabriel Marano, John De Mol, Matt Walton and Matt Pritchard serve as executive producers.

WWE NXT

Launched by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE NXT has aired weekly since 2012 and features the brightest young talent in sports entertainment. Nearly 90% of the participants in last year’s WrestleMania were developed under the NXT banner. Led by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, NXT is popular with younger audiences, ranking No. 1 in cable primetime on Tuesday nights among Adults 18-49 and 18-34. WWE Superstars such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have come up through NXT.

NEW MIDSEASON 2025 SERIES:

GOOD COP/BAD COP

Good Cop/Bad Cop is a one-hour procedural dramedy centered around Lou (Leighton Meester, “Gossip Girl”) and Henry (Luke Cook, “Katy Keene,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”), an odd couple sister and brother detective team in a small Pacific Northwest police force. They must contend with colorful residents, a serious lack of resources, and their very complicated dynamic with each other and with their police chief, Big Hank (Clancy Brown, “Dexter: New Blood,” “Billions”)—who happens to be their father. From Future Shack Entertainment and Jungle Entertainment for commissioning broadcasters The CW Network and The Roku Channel in the United States and Stan in Australia, Good Cop/Bad Cop is written and executive produced by John Quaintance with Jeff Wachtel, Trent O’Donnell (“Ghosts”) and Chloe Rickard serving as executive producers. Trent O’Donnell also serves as director with Phil Lloyd set as co-executive producer. Good Cop/Bad Cop is produced in association with and distributed by ITV Studios. The production is supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.

SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER

The mystery thriller series Sherlock & Daughter puts Sherlock Holmes (David Thewlis, “Fargo,” The Artful Dodger”) out of his comfort zone, mysteriously unable to investigate a sinister case without risking the lives of his closest friends. Enter: young American Amelia (Blu Hunt, “The Originals,” “The New Mutants”). After her mother’s mysterious murder, she learns her missing father may be the legendary detective. Despite wildly different backgrounds and attitudes, the pair must work together to solve a global conspiracy, crack her mother’s murder, and find out for sure if she really is Sherlock’s daughter. International Emmy Award-winning Dougray Scott (“Batwoman,” “Crime”) also stars as Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty. From Starlings Television Distribution, Albion Television and StoryFirst, Sherlock & Daughter is led by showrunner and executive producer James Duff (“The Closer,” “Major Crimes”) and is created, written and executive produced by Brendan Foley (“Cold Courage,” “The Man Who Died”). Micah War Dog Wright (“They’re Watching,” “First Nations Comedy Experience”) and Shelly Goldstein (“Cold Courage,” “Laverne & Shirley”) join Duff and Foley as writers on the series. Karine Martin, Chris Philip, Peter Gerwe, Dominic Barlow and Ivan Dunleavy also serve as executive producers.