The CW, which made headlines last week for renewing pretty much its whole lineup for next season, is also making more daring moves by giving straight to series orders to the Jared Padalecki led Walker, Texas Ranger reboot and DC’s Superman & Lois. In a very rare move, the network is bypassing the traditional pilot stage when it comes to these two new series.
The early orders will likely help The CW get a jump on hiring writers, casting, directors and producing scripts and episodes before a potential writers strike, which could be looming. The first episodes will be filmed in the spring in advance of The CW’s upfront presentation to Madison Avenue ad buyers in May. Additional pilot orders are expected to come from the network in the next few weeks. In any event, it’s a huge vote of confidence and a sign that The CW has a clear vision in regards to their future lineup of shows.
Walker is described as a reimagining of the former Chuck Norris show Walker, Texas Ranger which originally aired on CBS. The series order keeps longtime CW fan-favorite Padalecki on the network following his 15-year run on Supernatural. That series, like Arrow, wraps its run on The CW this season. The new take follows Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two with his own moral code, who returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. He’ll attempt to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family, and find unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history) while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as they reprise their Arrow-verse roles, Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Both feature prominently in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, which wraps Tuesday on The CW. The series, which follows the iconic characters as they deal with stress, pressures, and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society, is written by former The Flash showrunner Todd Helbing, who stepped down last season in order to focus on development via his overall deal with Superman & Lois producers Warner Bros. TV.
The straight to series orders does fill two of the three voids that will be left after this season with the end of Supernatural, Arrow & The 100. The pilot slate for The CW is still a little crowded with a few high-profile series in contention. The network also has an untitled The 100 prequel series and a second Arrow-verse spinoff — a female-fronted entry starring Katherine McNamara, Katie Cassidy, and Juliana Harkavy — already in the works. Both will air as planted episodes in their respective flagship’s final seasons. Also in the running is a new take on Kung Fu and Dark Shadows.
