Which CW TV shows will be cancelled or renewed for the 2011-12 season? As the smallest network, The CW has the fewest number of hours of primetime to fill and the fewest number of shows. The network also focuses on attracting the young female demographic which is a little different than the other networks.
Life Unexpected was on the bubble last season and the ratings dropped this season, leading the show to be cancelled. Despite having the network’s highest rated program (Vampire Diaries) as a lead-in, Nikita ranks lower than Life Unexpected. The network seems happy with Supernatural’s performance on Friday nights but it remains to be seen if it’s enough to get it renewed.
Below is a list of the regular CW TV shows and their 2010-11 season average ratings to date. It only incorporates the ratings for original episodes that have aired this season (no repeats). The data is sorted by the 18-34 female demographic averages, the group that the CW focuses on attracting and selling to advertisers.
| TV Shows | Average viewers (millions) |
Average 18-49 demo |
Average women 18-34 demo |
||
| 1 | The Vampire Diaries | 3.40 | 1.6 | 2.5 | |
| 2 | Gossip Girl | 1.86 | 1.0 | 2.3 | |
| 3 | America's Next Top Model | 2.87 | 1.3 | 2.2 | |
| 4 | 90210 | 1.93 | 1.0 | 1.8 | |
| 4 | One Tree Hill | 1.91 | 1.0 | 1.8 | |
| 6 | Hellcats | 2.20 | 0.9 | 1.6 | |
| 7 | Life Unexpected (cancelled) | 1.52 | 0.7 | 1.3 | |
| 8 | Nikita | 2.63 | 1.0 | 1.2 | |
| 9 | Supernatural | 2.37 | 1.0 | 1.1 | |
| 10 | Smallville (ending) | 2.71 | 1.1 | 1.0 | |
The closer a show is to the bottom of the list, the closer it is to being cancelled (if it hasn’t been cancelled already like Life Unexpected). If it’s closer to the top of the list, it’s more likely to be renewed. Shows that are in the middle (“on the bubble”) can be a little tougher to call. Their future typically comes down to other factors like overall costs, contracts, who produces the show, and what new shows are on the horizon.
It should be noted that Friday nights are one of the least watched evenings of television so ratings for shows on that night are lower. The network understands this and takes it into account. However, regardless of when a show is aired, its production costs remain the same. Ultimately, it must still be profitable enough for the network to keep ordering more episodes.
Nielsen doesn’t release the final Friday and Saturday night ratings until a few days later. The ratings with an “*” may change slightly once the final numbers are released.
Raw data: © The Nielsen Company via Media Week.
What do you think? Which shows do you think won’t survive to see a new season?
Image courtesy The CW.
i hope they dont screw up like the others by cancelling ghost wisper , and medium . keep supernatural going …………………………………………….
The will definitely renew VD and Supernatrual. I also believe Nikita is here to stay. Now that Dawn leaves I think OTH will go. Most of their new pilots target a broader demo and there is no ‘rich girl’ or simple ‘teen drama’ show (that means without an actual theme …. fantasy, scifi ect.) among them. This is why I think they will only keep one block (so two shows) of teen girl shows. Gossip Girl is low in ratings but has a stron demo. That means it will probably be either Hellcats or 90210. However, 90210 will need money… Read more »
shows that i like and should be renewed: one tree hill, nikita, and hellcats shows that i hate and should be cancelled: gossip girl, vampire diares thye rest i don’t care about but realisticaly i think all will be renewed except possibly OTH because all of the main cast are at the end of their contracts. but ratings wise it should be renewed. i think nikita and supernatural will be fine based on their total viewers and 18-49 ratings regardless of their low W18-34….bth shows are more aimed at makes to begin with the network knows this and knew it… Read more »
No way gossip girl and vampire diaries are the best shows on tv.
i think supernatural and vampire diaries and hellcats will be renewed and i hope they cancel one tree hill and beverly hills
I don’t watch much on the CW anymore. All the shows seem the same to me. 90210 is annoying. Hellcats seemed fun at first but then the show became the same thing over and over again. I stopped watching Life Unexpected after about 8 episodes for the same reason. Vampire Diaries seems like the only show I watch every now and again when nothing else is on which is happening as we speak because of the midseason holiday break. Gossip Girl should just go away now because I really can no longer stand Blake Lively’s drone and lifeless acting. The… Read more »