Summary

  • The CW is making rapid changes and experimenting with its programming, as it moves away from its previous focus on teen dramas and superhero sagas.
  • The acquired travel series "Down to Earth with Zac Efron" and "Fantastic Friends" have both been pulled from the primetime lineup after just a few episodes.
  • The change in The CW's direction is influenced by streaming, as the network no longer sells its shows to Netflix and is still figuring out its primetime schedule.

The CW continues the trend of rapid changes, pulling two recent shows after just a few episodes. It's by now well-known that The CW has undergone some significant changes with the relatively new leadership of Nexstar, moving away from the channel's previous brand of programming focused on teen dramas and superhero sagas. But it's also becoming clearer that the network is experimenting with the next phase of its evolution, quietly canceling established series and yanking others after only a few episodes.

The latest example is reported by Emmy award-winning travelogue Down to Earth with Zac Efron has been pulled from the primetime lineup after two episodes. Fantastic Friends, another travel show led by Harry Potter actors James and Oliver Phelps, has likewise been pulled. The shows will be replaced by reruns of Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Whose Line Is It Anyway? starting on August 1. It's worth noting that both seasons of Down to Earth are still available on Netflix.

Why Is The CW Pulling Shows?

An image of Down to Earth With Zac Efron standing in a wooden frame

This isn't the first recent show that The CW has pulled. Barons, an Australian surfing drama about two best friends who create their own surf brand and eventually become rivals, was also yanked from the network's primetime schedule. But while that show drew glaringly low viewership, the same is not true of Down to Earth. According to TVLine, it was performing worse than some CW programs but better than others.

What spurred the change of The CW, like so many issues in Hollywood, is streaming. Previously, The CW would make their brand of shows that wouldn't leave an impact in of traditional TV ratings, but then they'd perform hugely once sold to Netflix, like All American and Supernatural. But once the previous owners of the CW (Warner Bros. and Paramount, who still own a small stake in the network) started their own streaming services, it no longer made sense for them to sell their shows to Netflix. That influenced the sale to Nexstar, which has implemented programming changes.

But in turn, it looks like The CW is still figuring out what it wants out of its primetime schedule. Based on this latest news, it looks like the network may not be interested in acquired travelogues that are headlined by big stars like Efron. And it may be a good while yet before the former teen drama haven fully settles on what it's supposed to be.

Source: TVLine