The CW’s Frequency officially cancelled
David Farnor | On 11, May 2017
The CW has officially cancelled Frequency after one season.
The show, which is inspired by the 2000 Gregory Hoblit movie of the same name, stars Peyton List, Riley Smith and Mekhi Phifer, and follows NYPD detective Raimy Sullivan, who seizes a precious opportunity to change the past, when she finds she can communicate with her deceased father via time warp. But her attempts to save his life in the past have unforeseen impacts upon the present, leaving her to work with her dad to fix the damage.
After a strong start in the US, the series’ ratings dwindled, leaving The CW unsure whether to order a second half of a full season to go with its initial 13 episodes. The sci-fi show’s future has remained uncertain ever since, with The CW waiting to see how the show performed on Netflix to decide its fate. Now, after its release on Netflix in the US (it debuted in the UK on Netflix the dayafter its broadcast), Variety reports that The CW has officially given the programme the axe.
The CW renews Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and DC shows, as Frequency future remains unsure
9th January 2017
The CW has officially renewed Crazy Ex-Girlfriend for a third season along with its family of DC superhero series.
The network announced its early renewals this weekend ahead of the Golden Globes, where Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was up for two awards, courtesy of stars Rachel Bloom and Gina Rodriguez. It comes as no surprise, then, that the show should be renewed for a third season – good news for fans watching it on Netflix UK, where Season 2 episodes are currently arriving every week, following their US premiere.
Fans of Sky 1’s clutch of superhero shows will also be pleased to know that Arrow will return for Season 6, The Flash will be back for Season 4, Legends of Tomorrow has been commissioned for Season 3 and Supergirl will also fly again for a third outing.
The CW announced those orders alongside the renewal of Supernatural for a 13th season and Jane the Virgin for a fourth run, although it has not confirmed how many episodes are on the cards for any of the above.
Speaking at the winter Television Critics Association press tour at the weekend, The CW President Mark Pedowitz said “certain shows are better suited to be 13, 16 or 18 episodes”, but noted that most of the DC Comics series would have full seasons.
The future of The CW’s midseason series, which include The 100, The Originals, iZombie and Riverdale – all of which have their UK rights owned by Netflix – will be decided in May. Shows that are not returning include The Vampire Diaries and Reign, which have either just begun, or are about to begin, their already-announced final seasons.
“Over the past several seasons, The CW has built a schedule of proven performers, from our lineup of DC superheroes, to critically acclaimed comedies, to sci-fi dramas,” added Pedowitz. “Early pickups of these seven series now allow our producers to plan ahead for next season, and gives us a solid base to build on for next season, with original scripted series to roll out all year long.”
And what of Frequency?
The sci-fi show’s future remains up in the air, after it was not given a back order for its first season last year – the first time this has happened at The CW for a new fall series. Frequency’s renewal decision will be finally made in May, with its future depending entirely on how it performs on Netflix, which also has the streaming rights to the programme. In the US, it will be released on Netflix shortly, while in the UK, the show is already available.
“While the linear ratings for both have been underwhelming, Frequency has gotten a decent digital play,” reports Deadline.
Frequency’s future lies with Netflix, as The CW passes on more episodes
17th November 2016
The CW has chosen not to order more episodes of time travel thriller Frequency.
The show, which is inspired by the 2000 Gregory Hoblit movie of the same name, stars Peyton List, Riley Smith and Mekhi Phifer, and follows NYPD detective Raimy Sullivan, who seizes a precious opportunity to change the past, when she finds she can communicate with her deceased father via time warp. But her attempts to save his life in the past have unforeseen impacts upon the present, leaving her to work with her dad to fix the damage.
The show premiered in the US in October 2016, with a strong opening, but has since seen its ratings dwindle, despite a concerted push by the network. The show was initially commissioned for 13 episodes, but The CW is now opting not order a second half of a full first season – the same fate that befell Constantine on NBC. The show will end its first season on 25th January.
However, there is still hope for Frequency fans: eight days after the January finale, the series will then arrive on Netflix in the US, as part of the streaming giant’s recent deal with The CW. Indeed, the show has already been released every week on Netflix in the UK, following its US broadcast. Should it prove popular among streamers, there is a chance that it could prompt an order of a second season. The CW certainly appears to be happy to wait and see: it has not officially cancelled the programme yet.
Netflix nabs UK rights to The CW’s Frequency
11th October 2016
Netflix is the UK home to The CW’s Frequency, following a deal between the streaming giant and the broadcaster.
The show, which stars Peyton List, Riley Smith and Mekhi Phifer, follows NYPD detective Raimy Sullivan (List), who seizes a precious opportunity to change the past, when she finds she can communicate with her deceased father (Smith) via time warp. But her attempts to save his life in the past have unforeseen impacts upon the present, leaving her to work with her dad to fix the damage.
The programme is inspired by the 2000 Gregory Hoblit movie of the same name, with Supernatural and Being Human’s Jeremy Carver developing the show. It is produced by Tim Scanlan and Jae Marchant, with Brad Anderson, Toby Emmerich, Jennifer Gwartz, Dan Lin and John Rickard joining Carver as executive producers.
The show premiered in the US on 5th October, before the first episode arrived this week on Netflix UK. New episodes will then be released exclusively on the streaming site in the UK on Thursdays, within 24 hours of their US broadcast.
Frequency’s UK premiere follows a multi-year deal back in July between Netflix and The CW for the US streaming rights to its scripted series, including Frequency, No Tomorrow, Riverdale, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, as well as The Vampire Diaries, The 100, iZombie, The Originals and Reign.
In the UK, its DC comic book series are all bought exclusively by Sky, with some going on to be released on Amazon Prime Video. However, Jane the Virgin: Season 1 has arrived on Netflix UK, following its first-run broadcast on E4, alongside Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s first season – with Season 2 to air exclusively on Netflix UK this month. Netflix UK also has the first-run rights to iZombie, The Originals and Reign.
Frequency’s release follows a similar agreement between Netflix and Syfy for The Expanse.
Frequency is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.
Photo: The CW / Netflix