The Legacy of Arrow and the Arrrowverse

[QuinnFillory]

Arrow is ending this year after 8 seasons, and the impact it has had on television is pretty important. It did create a unified comic book universe on tv. Here is an article about the origins of the show, as well as how it might end.

https://ew.com/comic-con/2019/07/17/...n-cover-story/

[Jim Kelly]

I rarely ever post here about the CW shows anymore, because the CBR threads always seem to go off on these long tangents, where posters put down the shows, and it's hard to get in a good word about what these DC shows have accomplished. So it's too depressing for me to even look at those threads now. But I think, in ten or twenty years, there will be a groundswell of fandom opining how good the Arrowverse was and they'll look at it as one of these shining moments when we had so many DC characters on TV in a shared universe--with big huge crossover events.

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"

[titanfan]

I think it will be looked at in the same vein as Buffy/Angel/Xena, etc. People may not have all liked the creative decisions made at the time but the memories are mostly good.

[WillieMorgan]

I also rarely post on any of the Arrowverse threads. In my case it's because in the UK we don't get to actually see the shows until a couple of weeks after the US premiere. That means all the talking points are long done on here and it's pointless even joining in.

Could you imagine something like the Arrowverse existing 20 years, or even a decade, ago? A shared DC TV universe with new episodes throughout the weeknights, year after year, is something that the younger me would have salivated at. And it became a reality. For all the occasional cheap production quality and soap opera level drama people would do well to remember that.

The quote from Jim Kelly above is very apt. Of course these shows haven't been perfect but the overall development of this shared universe has been something to behold. Bravo.

[AnakinFlair]

I think it will be looked at in the same vein as Buffy/Angel/Xena, etc. People may not have all liked the creative decisions made at the time but the memories are mostly good.

I think that about sums it up. And it'll also be remembered for launching a successful shared DC universe on TV, something that the movie side has struggled to do.

[Bat-Meal]

I rarely ever post here about the CW shows anymore, because the CBR threads always seem to go off on these long tangents, where posters put down the shows, and it's hard to get in a good word about what these DC shows have accomplished. So it's too depressing for me to even look at those threads now. But I think, in ten or twenty years, there will be a groundswell of fandom opining how good the Arrowverse was and they'll look at it as one of these shining moments when we had so many DC characters on TV in a shared universe--with big huge crossover events.

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"

I see a lot of comparisons to the DCU and the Netflix Marvel shows used to put down the Arrowverse - but what a lot of people doing such criticism seem to choose to willingly ignore, is that the Arrowverse is for a younger and more general audience than those shows. The target market isn't the same, so they can't do the same things without swapping for an older audience.

It's like Doctor Who and Torchwood - the older audience can enjoy both, but I doubt you'd see many people complaining that Doctor Who doesn't have steamy sex scenes and gore in it like season 1 of Torchwood. Why? Because Doctor Who is for a younger audience. Now admittedly, the Arrowverse doesn't go as young as Doctor Who, but it is still more restricted than the DCU.

Also, the DCU and Netflix are more designed for binge-watching, whilst the Arrowverse is designed for commercial breaks and weekly episodes. The comparisons don't entirely hold if thought about in-depth.

[C_Miller]

I think it will be looked at in the same vein as Buffy/Angel/Xena, etc. People may not have all liked the creative decisions made at the time but the memories are mostly good.

You're probably spot on with Angel and Xena, but it will be very lucky to have the same legacy as Buffy. There is a generation of TV writers who decided they wanted to work in television because of Buffy. I know at least three people personally who would probably not be working in the industry if it weren't for Buffy. That may not seem like a ton, but those are just people that I know from my personal life. Honestly, I think Buffy is going to be looked at as one of the seminal shows of all time just for its influence alone. I just can't picture the Arrowverse having that same crossover.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

I rarely ever post here about the CW shows anymore, because the CBR threads always seem to go off on these long tangents, where posters put down the shows, and it's hard to get in a good word about what these DC shows have accomplished. So it's too depressing for me to even look at those threads now. But I think, in ten or twenty years, there will be a groundswell of fandom opining how good the Arrowverse was and they'll look at it as one of these shining moments when we had so many DC characters on TV in a shared universe--with big huge crossover events.

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"

Agreed, for all it’s faults, the Arrowverse will rightfully be remembered for building a successful shared dc universe on tv out of a b-lister like Oliver Queen while the DCEU failed to do with Superman and Batman. Even though I’ve talked **** about some the Arrowverse’s storytelling and creative decisions, I really do admire how far it’s gotten and how they’ve pushed the envelope.

[Jim Kelly]

There is a generation of TV writers who decided they wanted to work in television because of Buffy.

That might be so, but the Berlanti TV shows produced in Vancouver are providing jobs for thousands of people, putting a lot of money into this economy and making it possible for even more film and television production in this location (where I happen to live). Those people are getting a wealth of experience that will allow them to go on to do more work. BUFFY and ANGEL combined didn't provide as many man-hours of work for their crews as what the Berlanti shows collectively have done. For instance, I once met one of the computer effects people (a friend of my nephew), who worked on ARROW, doing a lot of the graphics for the island scenes in the flashbacks. There's a whole team of them doing that work and they will get to do even greater things in the future.

[Anarchist]

I gotta agree with the people posting that they are kinda tired of the whole negativity towards the Arrowverse.
Yes, it had it's lows, but all in all it's still a very unique piece of high-level entertainment, that hasn't been seen like this before.

Yeah, sure, the MCU is a thing, but lets be honest, the TV shows are never going to be fully equal with the movies, and even with each other, they barely interacted.
The Arrowverse has been a closely connected Live Action Verse for years now, and I'll be sad when it's fully gone.

I'll sure miss Arrow.

[Jim Kelly]

With nothing coming out about the DC movies at SDCC, this weekend gives more attention to what's going on with the TV shows. It seems like all of them and not just ARROW or BATWOMAN are going to be in completely new territory. It's really strange not knowing what's going to happen--lots of characters coming back, characters leaving.

[Midvillian1322]

That might be so, but the Berlanti TV shows produced in Vancouver are providing jobs for thousands of people, putting a lot of money into this economy and making it possible for even more film and television production in this location (where I happen to live). Those people are getting a wealth of experience that will allow them to go on to do more work. BUFFY and ANGEL combined didn't provide as many man-hours of work for their crews as what the Berlanti shows collectively have done. For instance, I once met one of the computer effects people (a friend of my nephew), who worked on ARROW, doing a lot of the graphics for the island scenes in the flashbacks. There's a whole team of them doing that work and they will get to do even greater things in the future.

That's cool but giving alot of people jobs isnt gonna make something inspire peolple to get Into tv and effect the legacy 20years later.. or iono maybe it will but only in that one city. I use to watch all the time but as of late I just havent been able to get into it. Same with Walking dead but I did watch the last season of Arrow and it was solid. Kept me engaged long enough to finish it and I'll watch the final season when they put it on Netflix some time next year.

Smallville for me is the most important of the WB-----Cw shows. Followed closely by Arrow. I do sometimes wish we could see smallville today with the technology they have now.

[Jokerz79]

That's cool but giving alot of people jobs isnt gonna make something inspire peolple to get Into tv and effect the legacy 20years later.. or iono maybe it will but only in that one city. I use to watch all the time but as of late I just havent been able to get into it. Same with Walking dead but I did watch the last season of Arrow and it was solid. Kept me engaged long enough to finish it and I'll watch the final season when they put it on Netflix some time next year.

Smallville for me is the most important of the WB-----Cw shows. Followed closely by Arrow. I do sometimes wish we could see smallville today with the technology they have now.

Me too about Smallville on all counts.

[regnak]

Two words wasted potential.

[Jim Kelly]

Watching some of the interviews at SDCC, it's interesting to find out that Katie Cassidy, Caity Lotz and Melissa Benoist will each get to direct an episode of their respective shows this year.