“Supergirl” is flying from CBS to The CW.
While “Supergirl’s” ratings are nowhere near as big as those of CBS hits like “Survivor,” “NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory,” the Girl of Steel’s ratings remain comparable to those of The CW’s biggest hit, “The Flash.”
Like the CW’s DC Comics series “The Flash,” “Arrow” and “Legends of Tomorrow,” “Supergirl” is produced by longtime “Dawson’s Creek” showrunner Greg Berlanti. The CW also airs the DC Comics property “iZombie.”
Supergirl
(Adults 18-49; newer weeks to the left)
(1.3) (1.3) (1.7) (1.3) (1.3) (1.4) 2016
(1.5) (1.8) (1.5) (1.8) (1.8) (1.9) 2016
(1.5) (1.5) (1.6) (1.5) 2015
(1.8) (1.7) (2.2) (3.1) 2015
“Supergirl’s” key-demo ratings dwindled from a 3.1 for its October premiere to 1.3 for its April finale, but its per-episode license fee remains around $3 million, one of the priciest on television.
As I recall, the guild minimums established by contract for The CW are less than those established for CBS, so producers could save a lot on fees for writers, directors, guest stars and so on if Superman’s cousin abandoned the land of “Criminal Minds” and “Scorpion” and flew to the home of “Jane The Virgin” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
The move gives Belanti five hourlongs next season: his four DC Comics dramas as well as another funnybook-derived show: "Riverdale," based on the Archie Comics characters. Add in DC's "iZombie" and that puts SIX comic-book dramas next season on The CW -- which only airs 10 hours of programming each week.
The “Supergirl” budget will be reduced further by relocating its production from Los Angeles to Vancouver, where Belanti's three other CW/DC series are shot.
Will "Supergirl" stay on Mondays? The CW announces its slate one week from today.
