The CW on Thursday canceled two more series as network owner Nextstar continues to whittle down its roster of scripted shows. Kung Fu and Supernatural prequel The Winchesters — both produced by Warner Bros. TV, one of The CW’s former owners — won’t return to the network in 2023-24. Kung Fu ran for three seasons, while The Winchesters ends after a single season. The cancellations follow that of first-year show Walker: Independence, which comes from the network’s other former owner, CBS Studios, on Tuesday.
The CW has handed early renewals to a large portion of its scripted schedule: All American, The Flash, Kung Fu, Nancy Drew, Riverdale, Superman & Lois and Walker. Traditionally, the youth-skewing network hands out early renewals, sometimes as early as January, to the majority of its slate — a boon for its owners CBS and Warner Bros. However, this year, the broadcaster’s future is up in the air with local affiliate group Nexstar circling and Deadline understands that a new majority owner will likely have a say in some of its renewal decisions.
The renewal announcement for Kung Fu comes just under a month after the series premiered. It has enjoyed strong ratings on the network since then, making the renewal all but a certainty. It was also the only scripted CW series this season still waiting on word of a renewal going into upfronts.
The CW has made two additional series pickups for the 2020-21 season. Both a reboot of Kung Fu and The Republic of Sarah will air on the broadcaster next season. The two shows join the previously announced straight-to-series orders for Superman & Lois starring Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch as well as Walker, a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Jared Padalecki.
