The CW has saved a show that another network has cancelled, even though it is cancelling most of its own original programming. Under Nexstar's new leadership (the largest local broadcast television group in the U.S.), the channel has moved away from its reputation as a teen drama haven. Instead, The CW has favored acquiring low-cost series outside the U.S. and sports content like golf. As a direct consequence of these changes, shows like The Winchesters and Legacies have been axed.
According to Deadline, The CW has opted to save 61st Street season 2. The legal drama, which stars Courtney B. Vance and Aunjanue Ellis, was cancelled by AMC in January 2023 as part of a cost-saving move. Both seasons will now air on The CW in partnership with AMC. The first installment will air in the fall, and season 2 is planned to debut in 2024. Although 61st Street season 2 has yet to premiere anywhere, it has already been filmed.
What 61st Street's Rescue Says About The CW's Future
The news of 61st Street comes as The CW is in the process of massively altering its line-up. The network has already cancelled The Winchesters, Kung Fu, and Walker: Independence and has yet to decide on Superman & Lois, Gotham Knights, and All American’s college-set spinoff All American: Homecoming. But even before this round of cancellations, the network pulled the plug on Legacies, Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow, and the reboots of Charmed and Dynasty. Other long-running series, such as The Flash and Riverdale, are ending this year.
Part of this change to acquire low-cost programming and sports is an attempt by Nexstar to make the network profitable. But it's also a reflection that the average CW viewer, who watches the channel on TV rather than through streaming, is much older than its teen-focused soaps and young adult superhero sags might suggest. It could be the case that 61st Street appeals more immediately to the older viewership Nexstar hopes to attract.
In 61st Street season 1, the legal drama told the story of Moses Johnson (Tosin Cole), a promising Black high school athlete who is swept up into the infamously corrupt Chicago criminal justice system and is defended in a trial by Vance's character. Vance, a two-time Emmy winner, said in a statement that he believes the new network home will help 61st Street, saying, "I’m confident that we will engage a universe of viewers who will celebrate the series with us." Despite The CW's cancelled slate, there are current hopes that dramas like The Winchesters will find a new home.
Source: Deadline
