Supergirl has been renewed for a second season, but there’s a catch: it will be moving from CBS to The CW. And that happens to be a great idea.
While a show moving networks — and production locations — might initially sound like a scary move, Supergirl moving to The CW (and Vancouver) actually makes a ton of sense. Here are five reasons why:
It makes monetary sense
Supergirl was reportedly very expensive. And with the amount of special effects required, that comes as no surprise. But if you look at The Flash, which is particularly special effects-heavy, it’s clear that a superhero show can look great on a CW budget.
Additionally, CBS didn’t own Supergirl, meaning it was more expensive to air than a series that CBS did own. So, who owns it? Warner Bros. TV. And Warner Bros. TV co-owns The CW with CBS, meaning it will be more cost effective for the show’s owner to air it on The CW, which is partially owns, than CBS, which it has no stake in.
Third, Supergirl filmed its first season in Los Angeles, expecting a tax credit from California, but its application was rejected. Moving production to Vancouver, where there is a bustling film industry due to it being a cost effective location, will save Warner Bros. TV a lot of money.
And like any of us, Warner Bros. TV is happy when it saves money. Happy Warner Bros. means a happy CW which means more Supergirl. Everyone wins.
It makes logistical sense
Supergirl being on CBS led to numerous questions over the course of months of how (or if) Kara fit into the Arrow-verse. We eventually discovered that Kara’s Earth is one of the many in the multiverse, meaning Barry can travel through a breach to her world due to his speed when Grant Gustin appeared on an episode of Supergirl.
However, there were numerous logistical issues the shows had to deal with to bring Supergirl and The Flash together — including Gustin having to travel between Vancouver and Los Angeles to film both shows during this period.
It makes sense for Supergirl to be filmed, produced and air alongside the other Berlanti-produced series. And it will undoubtedly make it easier for there to be more crossovers between shows in future seasons.
It makes creative sense
More crossovers also ties into the idea of the move making creative sense. The more the writers can explore a possible connection between Supergirl and the Arrow-verse now that they’re on the same network, the more potential stories are opened up. And that can only mean good things for viewers.
It also likely means we’ll see more cross-promotion on the network as well, which is always fun.
It’s the right demographic
It’s no secret that CBS skews toward an older demographic with its numerous procedurals and incarnations of NCIS and CSI. Supergirl was one of its early efforts to reach a younger demographic, but the way the show’s ratings dropped (though it was still the network’s highest-rated new drama and fourth-highest rated show overall) seemed to indicate — even if partially — that CBS’ target demographic wasn’t as interested as the network may have hoped. Nor did as many of the younger viewers come over to CBS.
The fact of the matter is that younger viewers, the ones who Supergirl is targeting, simply don’t watch as much live television as their older counterparts. Moving Supergirl to a network that understands that and targets its outreach with that fact in mind can only be a positive. Additionally, Supergirl will look more at home among shows like The Flash and Jane the Virgin than NCIS.
It will have more digital access
Speaking of viewers liking digital content, it will be easier for viewers who don’t watch Supergirl live to catch up with it. The CW not only puts new episodes up on its website the day after they air for free, Hulu also has access to the five most recent episodes of CW shows. On the other hand, Hulu doesn’t have access to CBS shows that are currently airing, as CBS is clearly angling toward its content going on its paid subscription service.
The CW has a clear understanding of its younger viewership, so Supergirl being marketed as such can only mean good things for it.
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