The Covid-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc with television and film productions. It’s impacted new season start dates and throwing off premiere dates for the 2020-2021 fall primetime season. The CW’s adjusted their normal fall schedule to reflect current circumstances, with the launch of new seasons of their regular schedule delayed until January 2021.
The network just announced they will fill the fourth quarter of 2020 with acquisitions including Tell Me A Story, Swamp Thing, Coroner, and Dead Pixels. The fall schedule will also include World’s Funniest Animals, Masters of Illusion, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and Penn & Teller: Fool Us.
“This year, The CW has made the proactive strategic decision to launch its new season in January 2021, rolling out a line-up of our signature returning series which will be joined next year by our four new series, including the return of the DC’s most iconic superhero in Superman & Lois, the return of the Texas Rangers in Walker, the reimagined Kung Fu and the rebellious drama The Republic of Sarah. And by moving our new season to January, we are stocking our fall with a balance of original and acquired scripted series and alternative programming that fits The CW brand and provides fresh programming through the fourth quarter,” said Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The CW.
“In 2021, The CW will have more original scripted programming throughout the year, week in and week out, than we have ever had, fueling our multiplatform ecosystem, which combines linear TV, our best in class AVOD services and unparalleled reach on social media. Additionally, next year, The CW will have full stacking rights to eight series to stream on our free, ad-supported digital platforms.”
Seven original shows (five returning and two new) will be held off until 2021 midseason. Supergirl, In the Dark, Roswell, New Mexico, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will not debut in January.
THE CW’S NEW SEASON PRIMETIME SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2021:
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MONDAY
8:00-9:00PM ALL AMERICAN
9:00-10:00PM BLACK LIGHTNING
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00PM THE FLASH
9:00-10:00PM SUPERMAN & LOIS (New Series)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00PM RIVERDALE
9:00-10:00PM NANCY DREW
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00PM WALKER (New Series)
9:00-10:00PM LEGACIES
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00PM PENN & TELLER: FOOL US (New Night)
9:00-9:30PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (New Night)
9:30-10:00PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (New Night)
SUNDAY
8:00-9:00PM BATWOMAN
9:00-10:00PM CHARMED (New Night)
MONDAY
8:00-9:00PM ALL AMERICAN
At the end of season two, Spencer (Daniel Ezra) decides to return to South Crenshaw High for his senior year with Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) by his side as the new head coach. Together, their plan is to bring home a football championship to save the school. However, in season three that may prove difficult as the high stakes of the Beverly/Crenshaw rivalry become very personal now that it’s friend versus friend, and father versus son. Furthermore, the medical mystery surrounding Spencer’s injured arm will not only significantly affect his game on the field, but also his relationships off the field too, as they all try to navigate a very complicated, secret-filled senior year at both Beverly and South Crenshaw.
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9:00-10:00PM BLACK LIGHTNING
Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a man with many faces. He is a former Olympic athlete, respected educator and a father of two. He is also Black Lightning, superpowered protector of the fictional city of Freeland with the ability to sense and harness electricity. Jefferson is not the only one with powers and multiple faces. His oldest daughter, Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams), is a medical student, health clinic volunteer and dedicated social activist. She is also the superhero known as Thunder who possesses the ability to drastically increase her density, giving her invulnerability and super strength for as long as she can hold her breath.
Finally, Jefferson’s youngest daughter, Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain), is a fiery teen who inherited her father’s athletic gifts but not his desire to be an athlete. Jennifer also inherited superpowers. Her body generates pure electrical energy and she possesses the potential to be more powerful than Anissa or Jefferson and is known as Lightning. Lynn Stewart (Christine Adams) is Jefferson’s ex-wife but they are still very much in love in addition to sharing the load as co-parents. She’s also an expert in metahuman medicine. Together, the Pierce family faces the challenges of a declined urban community, including a war between a menacing gang that calls itself The 100, and a criminal cartel backed by the Pierce family’s nemesis, the infamous gangster, Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III). Fortunately, the family has allies in their fight, Jefferson’s surrogate father and a former covert superspy, Peter Gambi (James Remar).
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00PM THE FLASH
Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) lived a normal life as a perpetually tardy C.S.I. in the Central City Police Department. Barry’s life changed forever when the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator exploded, creating a dark-matter lightning storm that struck Barry, bestowing him with superspeed and making him the fastest man alive – The Flash. After a thrilling cliffhanger last season which saw the new Mirror Master (Efrat Dor) victorious and still-at-large in Central City, The Flash must regroup in order to stop her and find a way to make contact with his missing wife, Iris West-Allen (Candice Patton).
With help from the rest of Team Flash, which includes superheroes Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer), and Nash Wells (Tom Cavanagh), as well as the Flash’s adoptive father Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), Meta-Attorney Cecile Horton (Danielle Nicolet), tough cub reporter Allegra Garcia (Kayla Compton) and brilliant tech-nerd Chester P. Runk (Brandon McKnight)… Flash will ultimately defeat Mirror Master. But in doing so, he’ll also unleash an even more powerful and devastating threat on Central City: one that threatens to tear his team – and his marriage – apart.
9:00-10:00PM SUPERMAN & LOIS
In SUPERMAN & LOIS, after years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, the world’s most famous superhero, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin, “Teen Wolf”) and comic books’ most famous journalist, Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch, “Grimm”), come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever – dealing with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society.
Complicating the already daunting job of raising two boys, Clark and Lois must also concern themselves with whether or not their sons Jonathan (Jordan Elsass, “Little Fires Everywhere”) and Jordan (Alexander Garfin, “The Peanuts Movie”) could inherit their father’s Kryptonian superpowers as they grow older. Returning to Smallville to handle some Kent family business, Clark and Lois are reacquainted with Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a local loan officer who also happens to be Clark’s first love, and her Fire Chief husband Kyle Cushing (Erik Valdez). The adults aren’t the only ones rediscovering old friendships in Smallville as the Kent sons are reacquainted with Lana and Kyle’s rebellious daughter, Sarah (Inde Navarrette).
Of course, there’s never a dull moment in the life of a superhero, especially with Lois’ father, General Samuel Lane (Dylan Walsh) looking for Superman to vanquish a villain or save the day at a moment’s notice. Meanwhile, Superman and Lois’ return to idyllic Smallville is set to be upended when a mysterious stranger (Wolé Parks) enters their lives.
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00PM RIVERDALE
The fourth season of RIVERDALE began with a funeral and tribute to Archie’s late father, the beloved Fred Andrews (Luke Perry). Throughout the season, Archie (KJ Apa) tried to live up to his father’s memory by mentoring youths at his Community Center with the help of his pals Reggie (Charles Melton) and Munroe Moore. But the shadow of that tragedy loomed over Archie – and only darkened when Fred’s brother Frank arrived, bringing unforeseen complications with him, much to the chagrin of Archie’s mother (Molly Ringwald).
Meanwhile, after Betty (Lili Reinhart) saved her mom (Mädchen Amick) and sister from the Farm cult, she joined her brother Charles’s Junior F.B.I. Training Program. Veronica (Camila Mendes) found herself locked in a season-long battle with her father Hiram (Mark Consuelos) and half-sister Hermosa over her burgeoning maple rum business. And, at the urging on FP (Skeet Ulrich), Jughead (Cole Sprouse) enrolled in a new school, Stonewall Prep, only to be caught up in a mystery that involved his grandfather, the secret author of a series of teen detective novels called “The Baxter Brothers.” His classmates turned out to be killers – and it was up to Betty and Jughead (pretending to be dead) to solve the murder of… Jughead Jones!
At Thistlehouse, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) was trapped in a gothic nightmare, fighting her demons, literal and metaphoric, with the loving support of her girlfriend Toni (Vanessa Morgan). She finally put her brother Jason to rest while maintaining her control over the Vixens as resident HBIC against Principal Honey (Kerr Smith). Kevin (Casey Cott) got dragged into an illicit tickle scheme, but still found time to put on a Variety Show with hit songs from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” And throughout the season, disturbing unmarked videotapes kept appearing on our characters’ doorsteps, ensuring that there would be one more mystery to solve.
Season five of RIVERDALE will begin with our characters’ final days as students at Riverdale High. From an epic Senior Prom to a bittersweet Graduation, there are a lot of emotional moments and goodbyes yet to come – with some couples breaking up, as everyone goes their separate ways to college – or elsewhere. Then, we will redock with our gang as young adults, all returning to Riverdale to escape their troubled pasts. And life – and romance – will only be more complicated now that they’re in their twenties…
9:00-10:00PM NANCY DREW
Season two of NANCY DREW follows the legendary teen detective as she solves mysteries – both earthbound and supernatural – in her haunted hometown of Horseshoe Bay, Maine. Nancy (Kennedy McMann) leads a sleuthing team of unlikely friends: George Fan (Leah Lewis), whose clairvoyant heritage will emerge through her encounters with the paranormal; Bess Marvin (Maddison Jaizani), a con artist and heiress with multiple lady admirers; Ned “Nick” Nickerson (Tunji Kasim), Nancy’s ex and George’s boyfriend, a gifted mechanic with a tragic past; and philosophical slacker Ace (Alex Saxon), whose computer-hacking skills have caused secret troubles that will soon be exposed.
In season one, the Drew Crew helped Nancy discover the stunning truth that Lucy Sable, the ghost who’d been haunting her all season, was her biological mother, and her biological father was corrupt billionaire Ryan Hudson (Riley Smith). Season two is a direct pickup from season one, so it will span the autumn of 2019, during Nancy’s gap year before college. Ryan will attempt to redeem himself through forging a father-daughter bond with Nancy while keeping her parentage a secret from the rest of his powerful family.
Nancy will also find a way forward with her adoptive father Carson Drew (Scott Wolf) by becoming an investigator for his legal practice. Her adventures will bring the Drew Crew standalone cases, new romances, and emotional journeys of self-reinvention as Nancy tries to navigate with both her biological parent and the man who raised her – but the compounding intrigue and menace of the Hudson family will ultimately force her to make a life-altering choice between her two fathers.
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00PM WALKER
WALKER, a reimagining of the long-running series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” stars Jared Padalecki as 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 creative and thoughtful son (Kale Culley) and his headstrong, somewhat rebellious teenaged daughter (Violet Brinson) and navigate clashes with his family – an ADA brother (Keegan Allen) who stepped in during Walker’s absence, his perceptive mother (Molly Hagen) and his traditional rancher father (Mitch Pileggi).
Walker’s former colleague is now his Ranger Captain, (Coby Bell). Walker finds unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history) played by Lindsey Morgan, while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
9:00-10:00PM LEGACIES
Set in The Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted, and within “The Vampire Diaries” universe, LEGACIES tells the ongoing story of a new generation of supernatural students as they learn what it means to be special in a world that wouldn’t understand their gifts. In season two, Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) returned to a world that had forgotten she ever existed and reunited with her former Headmaster, Alaric Saltzman (Matthew Davis). Working together, Hope and Dr. Saltzman ultimately rejoined The Salvatore School to lead their Super Squad of powerful vampires, witches and werewolves, including Lizzie & Josie Saltzman (Jenny Boyd & Kaylee Bryant), MG (Quincy Fouse), Rafael (Peyton Alex Smith) and Kaleb (Chris Lee) and even a Phoenix, her true love Landon (Aria Shahghasemi), into battle against a dizzying horde of fantastic and deadly monsters birthed from the Malivore Pit … and their old nemesis, The Necromancer, who was determined to resurrect Malivore.
As season three begins, Hope has risked everything to pull her friends back from the brink of a monstrous prophecy that threatened to doom them all. But when a heartbreaking loss shatters her whole world, Hope Mikaelson will be forced to fight fate itself.
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00PM PENN & TELLER: FOOL US
PENN & TELLER: FOOL US is a one-hour competition series celebrating magic and featuring the legendary duo Penn & Teller. On each episode of PENN & TELLER: FOOL US, aspiring magicians are invited to perform their best trick to try and fool the world-famous team of Penn & Teller. Anyone who succeeds wins the right to perform with Penn & Teller in their celebrated show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The live studio audience and the TV audience watch along with Penn & Teller as they try to figure out the secrets. Penn & Teller see the trick only once and have to immediately try to work it out. The live studio audience knows there are no camera tricks, secret edits or helpful camera cuts. This is all real magic.
9:00-9:30PM & 9:30-10:00PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
Hosted by comedian Aisha Tyler, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? features cast members Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie, who helped make the original U.S. version of this comedy improv series such a hit. Along with a special guest comedian in each episode, the cast members must put their comedic skills to the test through a series of spontaneous improv games. Prompted only by random ideas supplied by the studio audience and host Aisha Tyler, our four performers must use the little information they have and their wild imaginations to depict different characters and an array of scenes, as well as perform songs. After each round of improvisation, Aisha will dole out points to our four performers and declare a winner at the end of every episode.
SUNDAY
8:00-9:00PM BATWOMAN
Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) never planned to be Gotham’s new vigilante, but with Batman missing and the city in despair, Kate has armed herself with a passion for social justice and an arsenal of high tech weapons, soaring through the shadowed streets of Gotham as Batwoman. At the end of the first season, Crows Commander Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) has declared a war on Batwoman, forcing everyone around them to choose sides.
Meanwhile, Batwoman’s arch-nemesis Alice (Rachel Skarsten) is focused on acquiring the one thing that can take down the Bat, pulling off her most devious plan yet with the help of Bruce Wayne’s former best friend Tommy Elliot, now terrorizing the city as the villain Hush. Season two kicks off with a major game-changer that will alter Gotham and The Bat Team forever. As the dust settles, Batwoman has everything working against her – including the recently escaped rogues’ gallery of villains – and everyone will come to see her in a whole new light.
Alice meets her match when she becomes entangled with a dangerous foe from her past who knows exactly how to prey on her vulnerabilities. As Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang) find their footing as sidekicks, a romance will shake up their dynamic. Meanwhile, Sophie (Megan Tandy) and Julia’s (guest star Christina Wolfe) budding relationship will face its first real test and make Sophie question everything she thought she knew to be true.
9:00-10:00PM CHARMED
At the end of season two, the Charmed Ones and the magical world find themselves in certain peril as Julian affirmed to Aunt Vivienne that “whatever it takes,” he would bring her Macy (Madeleine Mantock). Meanwhile, Harry (Rupert Evans) and Macy’s newly cemented romance hangs in the balance after Harry asked Maggie (Sarah Jeffery) to use her new power to change his feelings for her sister.
With Mel’s (Melonie Diaz) relationship with Ruby at an impasse, will Mel ever find true love? And is the destruction of the sisterhood inevitable, or will the Charmed Ones conquer the Conqueror? The answers to these questions will unfold in season three and chart a whole new journey for the Charmed Ones as Maggie pursues her career ambitions, Macy returns to her science roots, and Mel’s activism is reignited.
THE CW’S FOURTH QUARTER 2020 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
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MONDAY
8:00-8:30PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
8:30-9:00PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
9:00-10:00PM PENN & TELLER: FOOL US
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00PM SWAMP THING
9:00-10:00PM TELL ME A STORY
WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30PM TWO SENTENCE HORROR STORIES
8:30-9:00PM DEAD PIXELS
9:00-10:00PM CORONER
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00PM SUPERNATURAL
9:00-10:00PM THE OUTPOST
FRIDAY
8:00-8:30PM WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS
8:30-9:00PM WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS
9:00-10:00PM PENN & TELLER: FOOL US (Encores)
SUNDAY
8:00-8:30PM MASTERS OF ILLUSION
8:30-9:00PM MASTERS OF ILLUSION
9:00-10:00PM PANDORA
