A few days ago, the American network CW announced the cancellation of many fan favourite tv series. Some of these shows got axed before getting a fair chance. Many are being cancelled before having their fourth season air. Naomi sees itself being cut after airing for one season. However, what fans found the most surprising is that, in this large list of cancellations, many of these shows are female led and all feature a diverse cast.
What are the cancelled shows?
Among the cancelled CW shows is the reboot of Charmed, which was finally coming into its own according to fans. Ending a 13-year run on TV is the end of the Vampire Diaries Universe, ending with Season 4 of Legacies.
The fan favourite Dynasty reboot is also going to end after a five-season run.
In the Dark and Roswell: New Mexico are also saying goodbye to their fans. Shows Naomi and 4400 are also among the cancelled shows.
These cancellations have generated much surprise among audiences. Many were not expecting to have to say goodbye so suddenly. Legacies will end on June 16 with the airing of its final episode. Ending a show like Legacies was a brutal move for the network. It marks the end of TVD franchise, living through The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies, for over a decade. The network is making cuts in a big way while their fans are in uproar on social media.
Roswell: New Mexico and In The Dark have not even had a chance to premiere their fourth season. It will be a bitter sweet fourth season for the fans of these shows as they will be bowing out of the TV program.
Female led shows
Perhaps what struck fans most is the fact that these cancelled shows were mostly led by women and featured diverse cast and characters. Legacies, is led by actress Danielle Rose Russel, who plays tribrid Hope Mikealson; the strongest creature known to exist.
Rosewell: New Mexico, features Liz Ortecho as the daughter of undocumented immigrants. And In The Dark features Murphy Mason, a blind woman trying to navigate through life with all the struggles that being blind brings her. She sets out investigating a murder.
Seeing a trend? Yes you are. The majority of the cancelled CW shows are female led shows. These are strong women focused on running the world as they see fit. This was very encouraging for young women to not be seen as being in need of rescue.
Furthermore, the majority of these shows featured strong women of colour, something that many young girls want more of. By cancelling shows like Charmed, with a very diverse cast, the CW are taking away the opportunity for young girls of colour to see themselves represented on TV.
Not only that, many of these shows had amazing LGBTQ+ representation. While actress Kaylee Bryant had just departed, their character Josie Saltzman was confirmed as being pansexual and accepted by her family. Cancelling these TV shows not only takes away these amazingly diverse characters, it also takes away the chance that these actors got from playing them. Many of them are actually part of the LGBTQ community. Bryant came out as queer in an Instagram post last year.
Keep the unpopular shows?
Not on the list of cancelled shows is Riverdale. In contrast, the show got renewed for a seventh season. But many people disagree with that decision.
One Twitter user even referred to the show as Riverfail. A funny play on words which clearly emphasises how unpopular the show is. Many argued that the show is bonkers and is very different from its early years. Teenagers in high school has become teenagers with supernatural powers. Umm where is the sense in that?
Unfortunately there is nothing we can do now. Many people are still tweeting, hoping that their favourite shows will be saved, picked up by other networks. Others are using the #CanceltheCW.
