‘Supergirl’ on CW vs CBS: How Series Is Flying on Its New Network
Has the younger-skewed CW been this heroine’s kryptonite?
Tony Maglio | November 28, 2016 @ 1:04 PM
Last Updated: November 28, 2016 @ 1:44 PM
CW's 'Supergirl'
The “Supergirl” fall finale lands tonight — but has the series proved a hero for the CW? Well, it hasn’t exactly been more powerful than a locomotive.
Season-to-date, “Supergirl” Season 2, now on the CW, has averaged a 1.2 rating/4 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. These numbers — like all in this post — are from Nielsen’s “most current” metric, which counts seven days of delayed viewing where available. Among total viewers, the sophomore run is bringing in 3.6 million audience members for each episode.
Compare those figures to CBS’ freshman run, which averaged a 2.8/9 and 11.2 million total viewers at this point last year. In other words, the show has more than halved itself in the key demo, losing 57.1 percent of adults 18-49 from Year 1. The drop-off looks even worse among overall eyeballs, where “Supergirl” has shed more than two-thirds of its CBS tune-in.
So, does all that mean the CW is “Supergirl’s” kryptonite? No, not really — let’s get some very important asterisks out of the way.
First of all, CBS is correct when it calls itself “America’s Most-Watched Network.” Plus, the CW cares more about millennials than the broader 18-49 category, even though advertisers don’t. In other words, any show that traveled from the most popular English-language broadcaster to the least was going to experience significant drop-off.
Additionally, “Supergirl” had a very strong series premiere on CW in fall 2015, which skews this small-ish episode count. It fell off quite a bit as the season went on and the sample size expanded. That explains why it’s no longer on CBS, by the way.
Perhaps a better way of looking at “Supergirl” numbers is to do so with like shows on the same network. This paints a much brighter “S” on the chest.
The Melissa Benoist series is currently the second highest-rated show on the CW, two-tenths of a ratings point behind “The Flash” with 1.4. “Supergirl” had a thin lead over “Arrow,” which averages a 1.1 per episode — we’ll keep an eye on the silver medal race.
What we’re saying is that it’s certainly not doomsday (nor Doomsday) for “Supergirl” — but a powerful portion of the show’s once-mighty audience has fled faster than a speeding bullet.
The “Supergirl” fall finale takes off tonight at 8/7c on the CW.
14 TV Shows That Got a Second Life on Another Network (Photos)
Some television shows aren't meant to last -- but others are lucky enough to get a second chance. Here are 14 TV shows that were given a new lease on life on another network.
"Nashville" (2012-16 on ABC; 2016- on CMT) Despite receiving critical acclaim and maintaining a devoted fanbase, "Nashville" was canceled in May by ABC. Fortunately, CMT rescued the series in time, renewing "Nashville" for a fifth season.
"Supergirl" (2015-16 on CBS; 2016- on the CW) The DC Comics-based action/comedy was already in trouble of being canceled due to low ratings during its first season. As luck would have it, "Supergirl" was renewed for a second season on The CW, where it will join other DC shows "Arrow," "The Flash" and "Legends of Tomorrow."
"The Mindy Project" (2012-15 on NBC; 2015- on Hulu) In May 2015, NBC canceled "The Mindy Project" after three acclaimed, but low-rated, seasons. Only a few days later, Hulu picked up the show, commissioning a fourth and fifth season.
NBC
"Community" (2009-14 on NBC; 2015 on Yahoo!) Since its debut in 2009, "Community" struggled to get high ratings, despite becoming a cult hit. Though NBC canceled it after five seasons, "Community" fulfilled half of its "six-seasons-and-a-movie" goal once Yahoo! Screen commissioned a sixth and final season.
NBC
"Arrested Development" (2003-06 on Fox; 2013- on Netflix) Considered to be one of the funniest and best television comedies of the 2000s, "Arrested Development's" dismal ratings couldn't keep it alive, with Fox pulling the plug in 2006 after three seasons. However, thanks to Netflix, the beloved show returned for a fourth season in 2013 and a fifth season is expected to premiere this year.
Fox
"Cougar Town" (2009-12 on ABC; 2013-2015 on TBS) "Cougar Town" started out on ABC with high ratings and positive reviews. Unfortunately, the Courtney Cox-led, Bill Lawrence-created comedy dwindled in viewership, leading TBS to purchase the show's rights after its third season. "Cougar Town" lasted for three more seasons until its conclusion in 2015.
ABC
"Scrubs" (2001-08 on NBC; 2009-2010 on ABC) Ironically, "Cougar Town" wasn't creator Bill Lawrence's first show to switch channels. His long-running medical comedy/drama "Scrubs" garnered popularity and strong ratings in its early seasons, but faltered gradually in its last few seasons. NBC didn't renew the show during its seventh season, prompting ABC to pick up "Scrubs" for two more seasons until it was eventually cancelled in 2010.
NBC
"Longmire" (2012-14 on A&E; 2015- on Netflix) Despite consistently strong viewership, the crime drama "Longmire" was not picked up by its home network A&E for a fourth season. Three months after its cancellation, Netflix confirmed "Longmire" would resume on its service. The show's fourth season was released in 2015 and Netflix recently renewed it for a fifth season.
A&E
"Twin Peaks" (1990-91 on ABC; 2016- on Showtime) The return of David Lynch's cult classic "Twin Peaks" was a long time coming. The surrealist serial drama lasted for only two seasons in the early '90s. However, "Twin Peaks" is expected to return as a miniseries on Showtime, where most of the original cast, including star Kyle MacLachlan, will return.
"Trailer Park Boys" (2001-07 on Showcase; 2014- on Netflix) Intended to end in 2007 after seven seasons on the Canadian channel Showcase, the mockumentary-styled comedy "Trailer Park Boys" was picked up by Netflix in 2014 for three additional seasons and a film special.
Netflix
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (2008-13 on Cartoon Network; 2014 on Netflix) Based on the animated film of the same name, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" fared better as a TV show, lasting for five seasons on the Cartoon Network until its cancellation in 2013. However, the next year, Netflix distributed all five seasons of the show, including a previously unseen sixth season.
Cartoon Network
"Sesame Street" (1969-70 on NET; 1970-2016 on PBS; 2016- on HBO) After the dissolution of NET, PBS became the home network for iconic kids show "Sesame Street." As of 2015, "Sesame Street" was moved to premium cable channel HBO, which claimed the first-run rights to all new episodes of the show.
HBO
"Project Runway" (2004-08 on Bravo; 2009- on Lifetime) "Project Runway," the popular fashion competition show hosted by Heidi Klum, stayed on Bravo for its first five seasons until the show's producers, The Weinstein Company, made a five-year deal with Lifetime. After settling a lawsuit between NBCUniversal and Weinstein, "Project Runway" began airing on Lifetime during season 6 in 2009 and has continued since then.
Lifetime
"Gilmore Girls" (2000-06 on the WB; 2006-07 on the CW; 2016 on Netflix) Though not a ratings success, the widely-acclaimed "Gilmore Girls" had a lengthy series run on two networks. It remained a tentpole on the WB for six seasons until its move to the CW for a seventh and final season. However, the prayers of the show's devoted fans were answered when Netflix announced last January the return of "Gilmore Girls" as a four-episode limited series on the streaming service.
“Nashville,” “Supergirl” and “The Mindy Project” are among the slew of shows that were initially canceled, only to return on a different network
Some television shows aren't meant to last -- but others are lucky enough to get a second chance. Here are 14 TV shows that were given a new lease on life on another network.
ABC
