(Diyah Pera/The CW)

The gang is leaving Riverdale High but The CW isn’t leaving them. The smallest network has renewed the Riverdale TV series for a sixth year which will air as part of the 2021-22 television season.

A mystery drama series, Riverdale stars KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Madelaine Petsch, Madchen Amick, Casey Cott, Mark Consuelos, Charles Melton, Vanessa Morgan, Erinn Westbrook, and Drew Ray Tanner. Based on the characters from the Archie Comics, this show focuses on the seemingly quiet town of Riverdale and some of its teen residents, including Archie (Apa), Betty (Reinhart), Veronica (Mendes), and Jughead (Sprouse). They discover the darkness and dangers that bubble underneath their town’s wholesome façade. In season five, the gang bids farewell to high school and, in some cases, to each other as many of the characters go their separate ways. Then, the story moves forward in time. The former teen classmates are now young adults who return to Riverdale to escape their troubled pasts.

Airing on Wednesday nights, the fifth season of Riverdale averages a 0.14 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 573,000 viewers. Compared to season four, that’s down by 39% in the demo and down by 22% in viewership in the traditional ratings. As live+same day ratings keep dropping for most network shows, The CW continues to focus on streaming and other revenue sources.

“Though we’re just a few weeks into the new season, we wanted to get a strategic head start on next season with these early renewals, which allows our production teams to start laying out story arcs and hiring staff, and at the same time, continues to provide us with a strong, stable schedule to build on for next season,” said Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and CEO, The CW Network.

The CW also renewed 11 other TV shows today — All American (season four), Batwoman (season three), Charmed (season four), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (season seven), Dynasty (season five), The Flash (season eight), In the Dark (season four), Legacies (season four), Nancy Drew (season three), Roswell, New Mexico (season four), and Walker (season two).

What do you think? Do you still like the Riverdale TV series? Are you glad that it’s been renewed for a sixth season? Should that be the end?