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JVortex888 t1_iuhtkkz wrote

Makes sense since The CW is dead.

385

inksmudgedhands t1_iui5jh1 wrote

It used to have such a cult following thanks to Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and Arrowverse. You would go to Comic Con, heck, you would go any of the cons, and there would be CW fans everywhere. Supernatural, alone, was up there with MCU in terms of con popularity. But that's all gone now. It's amazing how quickly it became a husk.

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ghostgnome t1_iui7nby wrote

That's what happens when your channel viewer's age is now 58. TV is dying before our eyes.

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Prax150 t1_iuiq7h5 wrote

What's annoying is that a big part of it is messaging and the hesitance if not straight up refusal on the part of legacy media companies to adapt. Access to broadcast TV could be simple, free and widespread with minimal effort. Already they make digital antennae you stick to a window that give you access to most broadcast networks in your area. But people just don't know about that, and many don't even know the distinction between broadcast and cable. But why not take it a step further and just make all broadcast TV free and easily accessible, officially, on the internet?

I'm guessing the answer is carriage fees from cable companies but eventually the math on that is going to change as people continue cutting the cord and then these networks are going to lament the missed opportunity for transferring that audience to digital platforms. We should have been able to watch all these channels for free years ago, I think a lot of people would have even gotten used to commercials (Netflix IMO is about to prove that), but people already don't care enough.

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jemull t1_iuj6z7b wrote

I live 7 miles from Downtown in a major metropolitan area and I use a digital antenna. I get ~30 channels.

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Lovat69 t1_iujmidi wrote

>We should have been able to watch all these channels for free years ago,

We used to. In the aughts I could watch nbc, abc, cbs, and probably wb/cw shows online a couple of days after it aired on the channel websites. Now you can't do that without a cable key for some reason. You are right it makes no sense.

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badedum t1_iuigmc1 wrote

My assumption is it's all millenials/younger using their parents' cable subscription

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envynav t1_iuimb34 wrote

That's not how viewership ratings work. They ask people of different demographics to track what they watch, then they estimate the total viewership based on the smaller sample size. Even if it's the parents' cable subscription, the younger people being tracked would still count towards the younger demographics.

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access_secure t1_iuiqb43 wrote

So the average age of Riverdale, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and Arrowverse viewers was 58?

8

DomDiDiDomDiDiDou t1_iuj0l4h wrote

Totally. Go to their sub, they talk more about knitting than the shows!

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Gilgie t1_iuj3jii wrote

Everyone has back problems and hip replacements.

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chromeshiel t1_iujbcap wrote

No, people have just moved on from TV. The real audience for these shows is online through Netflix or piracy.

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Ragnar_Dragonfyre t1_iuj3qi8 wrote

TV is dying and it’s being replaced by TikTok…

I’m not looking forward to a future where scripted shows die out and are replaced by badly scripted “reality reels” that pretend to be real.

3

OK_Soda t1_iuj6r0a wrote

I mostly only watch TV while eating a meal and I am not looking forward to sitting down to eat and queuing up 91 27-second tiktoks to fill my dinner hour.

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ZsaFreigh t1_iuk54v6 wrote

It happened once before with Reality TV, but Scripted TV became much better for it.

1

dadvader t1_iuje6i4 wrote

Well that's why we need Marvel stuff. Those are actually keeping that particular crowd happy. Easy watch. Full of popcorn action and haha quirky quip.

0

mysidian t1_iujztui wrote

Didn't the CW stop their Netflix deal where everyone outside the US got their shows a day later? I wonder why they did that, all their shows seemed reasonably popular on Netflix.

1

grimace24 t1_iuhv26r wrote

>Makes sense since The CW is dead.

You're not wrong. Nexstar looking to free slots to sell programming space to highest bidders or buy low effort programming.

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TheBlackSwarm t1_iui2xeg wrote

Walker and it’s spin off are the only shows that stand a chance because it fits in with the Nextstar target audience and Jared Padalecki has a good relationship with the network.

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lightsongtheold t1_iuicreh wrote

Walker: Independence is done. Only two shows with a shot of survival are Walker and All American (top shows in viewership and demo) and even their chances are slim.

It will be reality, reruns, cheap imports, and maybe some right wing news. That is the new CW.

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shyinwonderland t1_iujpi1b wrote

It’s a bit sad, I had loved the CW for so long. With shows it brought up from WB and UPN9 merge like One Tree Hill and Supernatural, to Gossip Girl, izombie, the arrowverse, Reign, the 100, crazy ex girlfriend…the more I think about it there were alot to shows I loved on there. It was a very YA network and came at a time when I was fitting into that genre.

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MulciberTenebras t1_iuhy8b9 wrote

And HBOMax will be next, so no point bringing over there for a fourth season.

−11

GnarlyBear t1_iui1zc5 wrote

>Historically, shows like Riverdale, All American, Arrow and Supernatural have focused on viewers in their teens through their 30s. The reality, though, is that the average CW viewer is 58 years old.

Explains so much

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mountainhighgoat t1_iuicjh3 wrote

Am I the only one surprised by this? Is this accurate? Why are all the shows teen shows then…?

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ijakinov t1_iuigcmn wrote

There was a seperate article about this a month or so back. I'm guessing the statistic are just skewed because new shows only air in a certain block of time like (something like 2 hours a day) N/7 days of the week. The vast majoirty of what is shown on the CW are reality shows outside of that block of time. If those out perform the given scripted original programming of the CW, then it very plausible the average age is that high.

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pursuer_of_simurg t1_iuikp5q wrote

Also they have deals with streamer where younger people probably watch their shows. That is how they were coasting with abysmally low ratings for a while.

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aw-un t1_iujfo42 wrote

Because

  1. the scripted shows are only 3 hours out of the day. The rest are talk shows, judge shows, or the 700 Club.

  2. youth demographics largely don’t watch traditional television. They watch streaming (which, licensing their content was basically how the CW made money). That’s why Riverdale can sit at a mere 1 million or so viewers but still have a sizable pop culture presence.

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CrankyStalfos t1_iujhttd wrote

Also aging viewers. If you started watching Supernatural in 2008 when you were 25 (around the age of the leads), you are now almost 40 and they're probably hoping you might stick around for Walker.

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Vegan_Harvest t1_iukammh wrote

I'm not a teen but I have to think they'd do a hell of a lot better if they had a solid cartoon block as a lead-in to the CW shows.

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mikexmachina t1_iuhuqay wrote

Not shocking, but still disappointing. I thought Stargirl should have been the model for all the Arrowverse shows - 13 episodes max, with tighter storytelling and character focus. If only The Flash had fewer episodes per season it might not have gone so dramatically off the rails...

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LostNewfie t1_iuiej90 wrote

Ironically, the final season of the Flash will be 13 episodes long.

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utocmc2020 t1_iuiqyz8 wrote

Wasn't the last season of Arrow short too?

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LostNewfie t1_iuit4uq wrote

Yup. I think 10 episodes. Most of the season built up to the crisis crossover and the last two episodes were more or less epilogues.

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utocmc2020 t1_iuitapj wrote

Regardless, it was a good last season imo because of that shortness. Outside of the future episode that let to nothing

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LostNewfie t1_iuiur5b wrote

I really enjoyed that season too. I like how the first seven episodes each had call backs to a previous seasons (i.e. episode 3 featured the league of assassins, the main villains from season 3).

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TamagotchiMasterRace t1_iuimvhn wrote

I was really shocked how much I liked Stargirl. As a lifelong comics fan I'm a pretty dedicated consumer of superhero media, but after Crisis on Infinite Earths on CW i just stopped caring about any of their superhero shows, then stargirl came out on DCUniverse and I was more than happy to follow it back to CW (though if it premiered strictly on CW i may never have started it, assuming it was more mediocre arrowverse content). I'll be disappointed its gone but maybe Titans can absorb some of their writers. I will 100% watch titans, the production quality is high, but the "Titans are a family" while constantly ignoring each other and stabbing each other the back so they can go off and fail miserably on their own is getting extremely tired...

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mikexmachina t1_iuipmrb wrote

I was really surprised at how much I liked Stargirl, too; and same - once Arrow was done, I only cared about Legends of Tomorrow because the other shows were such a slog...

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ThingCalledLight t1_iujhw6t wrote

I thought Season 1 was strong. Season 2 was ok. Season 3 ain’t great for me.

There’s only so much Luke Wilson can do to carry this mother.

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WhenRobLoweRobsLowes t1_iujxqfw wrote

The Flash went off the rails because the showrunner is terrible. The seasons were too long, yes, but made worse by the show being left in the hands of a terrible storyteller for three-plus seasons.

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ehxy t1_iujq0do wrote

It really surprised me how much I liked stargirl more than anything the CW has done superhero wise. I haven't liked a show this much since supernatural tbh.

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yodimboi t1_iuhwh9p wrote

I'm guessing the same thing will happen with Superman and Lois

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NoNefariousness2144 t1_iuibhm9 wrote

I hope the writers know this and plan a good ending this season.

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SlouchyGuy t1_iuieqhz wrote

All they have to do is not to end on a cliffhanger which leads to another season. Other then that, seasons were pretty self-contained

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TamagotchiMasterRace t1_iuinjjy wrote

I was shocked at how much I love that show. Superman has never resonated with me as a character, but this is the first time in a long time that I understood how superman could seem like an inspiration to their world's native population, and probably the first live action clark kent I've really cared about. I do wish they remembered it was superman and lois and not superman and Lana, she's way too in the mix, and becomes too central while lois is sorta left doing nothing a lot of the time

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WhenRobLoweRobsLowes t1_iujxg5y wrote

I don't watch regularly, but the pilot was amazing.

That moment where Clark gets the news about his mom... in that moment he's not Superman, he's just a man, scared and heartbroken, but with the ability to be home in seconds. Man, that just crushed me. So well done.

6

PasswordResetButton t1_iujqe1c wrote

I see that one getting picked up by HBO. Wait. Discovery merger... Fuck you.

I need to cancel everything and hit the high seas like I'm Jimmy fucking Buffet.

3

RecommendsMalazan t1_iuhs5wk wrote

This is disappointing, it's the only CW show I still watch.

Still, at least they knew enough ahead of time so they could write a proper finale.

Also, now that I'm thinking about this more, it seems kinda odd that they knew beforehand. I definitely got the impression from the past two episodes that they were planning on multiple spin offs - a shade/jade/obsidian show, and an infinity Inc show.

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NoNefariousness2144 t1_iuib6p9 wrote

It seems like every CW show planned spinoffs. Obviously we got Legends of Tomorrow, but Arrow also planned shows focused on Black Canary and also Oliver Queen’s daughter that never happened. Then there were rumours we would get a Green Lantern show with Diggle, while we may still get the ‘Justice U’ show with Diggle.

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jimbobdonut t1_iuid3bp wrote

I think the odds of the Justice U actually getting made are really low. I don’t think Nexstar wants anymore DC content and Warner wants to move all the DC content to HBO Max or whatever the combined HBO Max/Discovery+ streaming service is called.

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bdboar1 t1_iuhug61 wrote

That’s too bad. It was very underrated.

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dotyawning t1_iui2yjg wrote

Well, that's a shame. I really enjoyed watching Stargirl. I wonder how long it'll take before we see more of the JSA side of things?

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Stuckinthevortex t1_iuk0nmi wrote

The Rock claimed that if Black Adam was successful enough, we'd see some spin-offs from the film

6

HardlineMike t1_iui2csb wrote

People liked to poop on CW shows, but there isn't really anything to take its place either. The major networks are almost entirely sitcoms and procedurals. The other cable channels are a bunch of samey self-serious period dramas. The streaming platforms are the closest thing, but their offerings in genre TV have been all style no substance big budget stuff designed to keep VFX artists busy.

If you want a show that can tell a story, and last more than one season even if its not a blockbuster hit, you really don't have many places to go.

For all the shits we took on the CW, I think a couple years from now after a few more soulless Marvel shows on Disney+, people looking for scifi or superhero stuff are going to miss it.

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FluffyMoomin t1_iuimdf9 wrote

It's so weird, but tbs tnt and usa also just basically show MCU movies or something 24/7 as well. After that you are stuck with the major broadcast networks.

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Quarbit64 t1_iuirs3m wrote

> The streaming platforms are the closest thing, but their offerings in genre TV have been all style no substance big budget stuff designed to keep VFX artists busy.

Are you kidding? House of the Dragon, Stranger Things, Severance, The Dragon Prince, and The Expanse are top tier shows. Thanks to streaming services, there's no better time to be a genre fan than today.

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HardlineMike t1_iuiwpsg wrote

Yeah, there are a few things to watch, and then you get to sit around holding your dick for 2 years waiting for more, only to have them fuck it up by recasting the main character or a new showrunner ruining everything.

You can get your entire fill of worthwhile content on the streaming platforms by subbing for one month every 2 years.

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MHath t1_iuk8bs0 wrote

The Expanse is done, right?

1

green49285 t1_iujg2wz wrote

They may miss stargirl, but I doubt the future will look back kindly on the CW.

1

grimace24 t1_iuhuvwf wrote

Nexstar has cancelled pretty much all scripted shows from the old regime. Walker and Walker Independence are on borrowed time.

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TheBlackSwarm t1_iui36eh wrote

The All American shows haven’t been canned yet. Watch them both be cancelled next week now that I said it.

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grimace24 t1_iui4egz wrote

>The All American shows haven’t been canned yet.

I actually forgot about All-American. I don't watch but for your sake I hope Nexstar forgot about it too.

4

jimbobdonut t1_iui78ry wrote

If they were canceled, I could see Netflix picking them up since both are popular there. It’s possible that the original would have been canceled after its first season, but its popularity on Netflix convinced the CW to renew it.

3

lightsongtheold t1_iuicvtp wrote

Yet being the key word. All scripted originals are done. The CW is done.

1

inksmudgedhands t1_iui6dd9 wrote

I think the Walker shows are okay because they have more mass appeal. It's the superhero/supernatural genre shows that are being axed. I will be shocked if the Winchesters spin-off gets a second season.

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Vio_ t1_iuijky2 wrote

All of the Supernatural tied shows (with cast and crew) seem to be slightly safer- The Winchesters, Kung Fu, Walker, Walker2.0, etc.

2

ProtomanBn t1_iuhxco8 wrote

This fucking sucks, im catching up on the last 2 ep now and between this and S&L the CW has nothing for me

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SpookyTupperware t1_iuiez2x wrote

That's sad, Stargirl should never go to CW, HBO Max would be the best like they did with Titans and Doom Patrol, Stargirl it's maybe the best superhero show on air, it's really well done and the cast looks really enjoy being there.

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DeeBased t1_iuifh3b wrote

They didn't say anything in the article about shopping it around, but I hope they do. This seasons theme, Frenemies, has been a really refreshing storyline - filled with hope and second chances and humor.

13

im_a_dick_head t1_iuiuhtn wrote

I'm pretty sure they already knew season 3 was the last so they probably prepared a finale already

0

SuspendedInKarmaMama t1_iuhuw60 wrote

That's sad, it's better than any Marvel Disney+ show. Better writing, directing and fight choreography.

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Watson8555 t1_iui1sag wrote

I don’t think it’s better than wandavision or Loki but it is solid and better than some of the D+ shows.

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SuspendedInKarmaMama t1_iui7o8d wrote

I think if Wandavision didn't devolve into typical MCU shit by the end it would have been better.

−2

Watson8555 t1_iuicdjo wrote

Stargirl itself is pretty typical superhero tv, at least half of WV was super fresh and never done before in the genre. I think stargirl is solid but I definitely think you’re overrating it some, it’s pretty standard solid superhero fare and that’s about it.

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RangoDjango111 t1_iuiqkhl wrote

Not even by the end. I wish it didn't devolve into typical MCU shit after episode 3. That agent plotline with Monica Rambeau was some of the worst stuff in the MCU.

−2

NoNefariousness2144 t1_iuibf8d wrote

A sad fact is that the Marvel Disney+ shows are CW shows but with 20 times the budget.

It is unfortunately true. Apart from Wanda and Loki, the Disney+ shows stretch out their plots similar to CW, while following the same trend of a slow start, a huge cliffhanger for episode 4/5, and then an underwhelming finale that barely changes the status quo.

9

Netaro26 t1_iui0vie wrote

you get downvoted but its the truth

−8

Necessary-Image-6386 t1_iuiiq13 wrote

Wasn't this an actually good show?

8

WhoCanTell t1_iujprll wrote

The first season was really entertaining, but it was also not a CW show then. It was on DC Universe and was HBO Max-funded. Second season was still decent, but had a noticeable dip in quality as you could feel the CW-ness start to creep in. Third has been squarely meh IMO, and I'm just not motivated to watch it as much. It hasn't reached anywhere near the depths of bad that the later seasons of The Flash did, but it is definitely on a typical DC CW show trajectory.

6

AKAkorm t1_iujwax0 wrote

I think this is all in your head. The creative on the show didn't change between seasons and the quality is pretty consistent.

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im_a_dick_head t1_iuivlh6 wrote

Yeah people have said it's very comic accurate. It also doesn't try to push any agendas either.

−11

CptNonsense t1_iuht2d3 wrote

Quelle surprise. This was the safe bet instead of HBOMax taking it in house after both Zaslav took over and this was shunted to the CW - where stuff is shared with CBS paramount, from DCUniverse instead of being brought directly to HBOMax in the first place

5

richard1177 t1_iuhy72b wrote

I would like to have seen more seasons of this show, but I'm glad they were told beforehand so we get a proper final. One of the best shows to come out of the Arrowverse, even though it is not directly connected.

5

Vadahann t1_iuik1zr wrote

A bit of a shame, it's a very solid show for who is looking for a classic teen superhero show.

5

Roook36 t1_iuj11ks wrote

That sucks. This was a fun show. Wonder if they'll even get a chance to wrap things up this season or if it'll end on a cliffhanger

3

Benway23 t1_iuj19bs wrote

Well, I guess the new Babylon 5 show is dead before it started. I will have to give Stargirl a watch.

3

RedDurden_00 t1_iujcqvk wrote

And Smallville still remains longest running comic book adapted television series and it’s a prequel.

3

WhenRobLoweRobsLowes t1_iujy3yt wrote

It'll hold the title for the foreseeable future, given the modern content development cycles and the fact that very few new shows survive more than 5 years.

1

ScottCanada t1_iuk810h wrote

That’s a shame I was enjoying this show

3

Will33iam t1_iuim4vj wrote

The only thing I watch on CW is who’s line is it anyway

2

Soji_Juice t1_iuiur75 wrote

Legit thought this show ended after season 1.

2

donuteater111 t1_iuj5e2b wrote

Not surprising given the CW situation. I'd be more surprised if even a single show gets another season.

Either way, sorry to see it go. It was one of the better CW superhero shows IMO. At least it apparently has an actual ending, and is going out while it's still good.

2

MrConor212 t1_iuiwuz7 wrote

The moment Amazon didn’t get season 3 here in U.K. I expected as much tbh

1

Uriahheeplol t1_iuiyjkq wrote

Never heard of it.

Stargirl is cool though.

1

keving87 t1_iuj1s17 wrote

There was an interview with Brec Bassinger where she said if the show gets cancelled, it will at least end well and not on a cliffhanger

But this isn't surprising, CW will end soon in general anyway. All their scripted shows have been cancelled or ending, only what, 7 are left now? Those could easily switch to HBO Max or Paramount+. Superman & Lois is probably next, WB wants Superman back in movies and they think there can't be more than one version which shows how stupid they think their fanbase is. If it does go, hopefully it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. Going forward, CW will either be so cheaply made that it won't be worth watching or will be a bunch of junk unscripted stuff.

1

Ennion t1_iujdvoy wrote

I've never heard of this show and it's in season three.

1

SanguinolentSweven t1_iujmg7t wrote

That's too bad - it's a really good show. Curiously, I was just looking at the shows Wikipedia page the other day cause I was interested in its popularity. It only gets like half a million viewers per episode which doesn't seem healthy or sustainable.

1

chaoticmessiah t1_iukbq0k wrote

Maybe since it airs on Amazon here in the UK, they can pick it up in the US?

1

TimBobNelson t1_iui98fx wrote

Wait this show is out? It has 3 seasons? I didn’t even think the first tone had aired

0

Stiff_Zombie t1_iujfvr1 wrote

The entire CW needs to end. It's a waste of time and whatever talent is involved. Get away from the bad effects and especially the focus on teen drama.

0

zebrahdh t1_iujpzi2 wrote

Neat. What is Stargirl?

0

chaoticmessiah t1_iukbuyr wrote

DC Comics character who got her powers after Starman retired.

3

goatjugsoup t1_iuhrfeh wrote

Like getting an ending or just cancelled?

−1

AndroidFive t1_iuj79qt wrote

probably shouldn't have removed all the ASS shots

−2

SilverPaladin1 t1_iujkkl1 wrote

When CW The Flash cancelled Hartley Sawyer, I cancelled CW. It seems many others have as well.

−2

Clilly1 t1_iui1w3v wrote

What's a"Stargirl"?

−8

im_a_dick_head t1_iuivz4g wrote

"Courtney Elizabeth Whitmore, known as Stargirl, is a superhero created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character's name, appearance, and personality were patterned after Johns' 18-year-old sister Courtney, who died in the explosion of TWA Flight 800 in 1996"

2