'Superman & Lois' in development at the CW

[Robanker]

I don't really see how any trailer they could have brought down much of any more criticism than the Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman trailers did. I don't think at this point they're worried about a negative response since they know how it works with these shows now, anyway.

As for Superman not interesting CW audiences, this is the same network where fans were willing to give Green Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and the team of c all the way to z listers the time of day, so I definitely think people will flock to a Superman show. Heck, I expect it to be their best show in ratings surpassing Flash. Smallville was a hit, and this in a way is a spiritual successor of that, so I have no doubt it'll do fine

The CW fanbase has slowly been cultivated with it's shows to cater to crowd looking for more diverse product and this is the story of a white nuclear family with two heterosexual parents in traditional gender roles, one of which was used as the bar to surpass by his cousin.

It just doesn't seem as on brand as the other CW stuff--and nothing is wrong with either-- but I wonder if it's the right show for their audience.

Obviously I want to be wrong-- I want Superman to do well as a rising IP raises all ships, so to speak, but I'm cautious.

[GSman]

The CW fanbase has slowly been cultivated with it's shows to cater to crowd looking for more diverse product and this is the story of a white nuclear family with two heterosexual parents in traditional gender roles, one of which was used as the bar to surpass by his cousin.

It just doesn't seem as on brand as the other CW stuff--and nothing is wrong with either-- but I wonder if it's the right show for their audience.

Obviously I want to be wrong-- I want Superman to do well as a rising IP raises all ships, so to speak, but I'm cautious.

I guess we'll see. In all honestly I'm not sure Flash completely followed that description you've mentioned and it's still quite successful, even Arrow when I think about it too. It's a valid concern, but I'm not sure it'll completely jeopardize the show. One of their biggest shows was a tale of 2 heterosexual brothers killing demons. So the network has room for anything and everything.

[Robanker]

I guess we'll see. In all honestly I'm not sure Flash completely followed that description you've mentioned and it's still quite successful, even Arrow when I think about it too. It's a valid concern, but I'm not sure it'll completely jeopardize the show. One of their biggest shows was a tale of 2 heterosexual brothers killing demons. So the network has room for anything and everything.

Flash pretty much split up Barry's traits and skills to create more parts to fill with a more diverse cast. It clearly worked for them. The show is very popular and gets a larger cast every season.

Also that show about the brothers? All I hear about is the fans who want one to hook up with some angel bloke (which is fine) or some who think the brothers should (which obviously isn't) because they find the actors attractive.

It could just be my experience with the network but the CW seems to market to younger viewers who prefer melodramatic drama with very diverse casts. The melodrama ruins it for me personally but to each their own.

[GSman]

Flash pretty much split up Barry's traits and skills to create more parts to fill with a more diverse cast. It clearly worked for them. The show is very popular and gets a larger cast every season.

Also that show about the brothers? All I hear about is the fans who want one to hook up with some angel bloke (which is fine) or some who think the brothers should (which obviously isn't) because they find the actors attractive.

It could just be my experience with the network but the CW seems to market to younger viewers who prefer melodramatic drama with very diverse casts. The melodrama ruins it for me personally but to each their own.

Nothing says the show won't have a diverse cast, if memory serves me correct, like most CW shows the cast is still diverse. Maybe things have changed, I'm not sure, can't speak for anyone. But I'm not certain all CW fans will attest to seeing a white family with heterosexual parents at the forefront. Heck, that was Smallville for quite a few years. Though we're obviously in different times. But we'll see.

[Vordan]

I’m pretty sure one of the Kent kids is going to be gay, looking forward to the meltdowns over that lol. The kids will also be the source of all the shipping drama hopefully. And while the Twitter CW fans are loud, make no mistake, I’m not sure how much of a percentage of the actual audience they are. A lot of people on social media want Kara and Lena to hook up together, but does that mean a majority of viewers do? I dunno.

[Robanker]

I don't think the show will be rejected or anything, but I'm at a loss right now as to what they are looking for other than the base premise and the teaser was not good, so I am really worried this thing won't find an audience.

[Frontier]

Isn't there supposed to be a love triangle with the Kent kids and Lana's daughter? At least that's the sense I was getting (and would be in the CW's wheelhouse).

I mean, the CW was able to carry a Supergirl show for 6 seasons. I guess a show with Superman is more conventional, but not as out there.

[Vordan]

Isn't there supposed to be a love triangle with the Kent kids and Lana's daughter? At least that's the sense I was getting (and would be in the CW's wheelhouse).

I mean, the CW was able to carry a Supergirl show for 6 seasons. I guess a show with Superman is more conventional, but not as out there.

Also we should keep in mind that this show is going to HBO Max, and has a bigger budget for that reason. Even if the CW audience doesn’t click with it, if the reviews are solid and people watch it on MAX that will keep it going. Especially since WB is basically using this to keep Superman in the public eye while they think about what to do with him on the film side.

[Frontier]

Also we should keep in mind that this show is going to HBO Max, and has a bigger budget for that reason. Even if the CW audience doesn’t click with it, if the reviews are solid and people watch it on MAX that will keep it going. Especially since WB is basically using this to keep Superman in the public eye while they think about what to do with him on the film side.

Hoping the budget is Stargirl level.

[Alpha]

Man I really hope that whatever classic villains appear aren't introduced as if itnwas their origin. I'd like to see some older reinvensions on them. Some people mentioned Parasite being a horro creature with the absorption of memories, and maybe he could have changed shape and slowly became even less human, but at the same time he has acumulated so many memories that he kind of has a multiple personality thing going on despite not even looking like a person.

And maybe we could get a twist on the Bizarro planet. THAT COULD BE THE NEXT CROSSOVER!!! Instead of another dramatic end of the world how will we survive thing, we could have a funny weird parody of every show where they are all bloated, deformed and completely dumb.

[Robanker]

Also we should keep in mind that this show is going to HBO Max, and has a bigger budget for that reason. Even if the CW audience doesn’t click with it, if the reviews are solid and people watch it on MAX that will keep it going. Especially since WB is basically using this to keep Superman in the public eye while they think about what to do with him on the film side.

Didn't know it was going to MAX. That may help it.

[Frontier]

Man I really hope that whatever classic villains appear aren't introduced as if itnwas their origin. I'd like to see some older reinvensions on them. Some people mentioned Parasite being a horro creature with the absorption of memories, and maybe he could have changed shape and slowly became even less human, but at the same time he has acumulated so many memories that he kind of has a multiple personality thing going on despite not even looking like a person.

And maybe we could get a twist on the Bizarro planet. THAT COULD BE THE NEXT CROSSOVER!!! Instead of another dramatic end of the world how will we survive thing, we could have a funny weird parody of every show where they are all bloated, deformed and completely dumb.

It's been so long since Supergirl season 1 where they did their own Bizarro that it's probably high time they do a proper one with Clark.

[Vordan]

Hoping the budget is Stargirl level.

Apparently Zoic Studios are handling the CGI, here’s the stuff they’re working on. I got the pic off Twitter so take with a grain of salt.

[Robanker]

Being in company with Disney money is a good sign at least.

[Nelliebly]

I don't think the show will be rejected or anything, but I'm at a loss right now as to what they are looking for other than the base premise and the teaser was not good, so I am really worried this thing won't find an audience.

I think it will find an audience but I have thought it was a poor fit for the CW from the start.

Elizabeth Tulloch likened the show awhile back to a superhero version of Friday Night Lights. I mean....look. My ideal Superman show is set in Metropolis and not Smallville (and I say that as someone who loved SV but was ready to move on) but if you want to try this premise, FNL is not a bad thing to mirror in the sense that it was a show about real family stuff, a strong marriage with football at the center. It’s not a bad blueprint to try for Superman but I don’t love the CW as the network for it.

Generally, I think one of their biggest mistakes so far has been not leaning into the marriage as the focal point. There is 100% a market for a show with a marriage as the central relationship with some kind of supernatural element at play (see the success of Outlander.). Lois and Clark fit similarly into the kind of roles Outlander has found great success with and obviously they predate those books. Lois being a few years older than Clark always sets the relationship slightly outside the bounds of a traditional heterosexual pairing in a refreshing way. Lois is not some 25 year old ingenue. It’s way more rare than it should be to ever see male/female pairings with a woman who is allowed to be a few years older. Way, way too rare. So lean into it. I don’t want a watered down romance. I want the real thing. Lois and Clark was a flawed and at times silly show but it knew what it was selling.

I’m not making sense but the problem is....the CW is not really the network for this. If the goal is Friday Night Lights with Superman....that’s way too deep for what the CW has become. This is potentially a controversial statement but I think Smallville had deeper character work than any of the Arrowverse shows. If the goal was to market this show as a series about a married couple and market it to people who specifically want to watch that, the CW is also not the ideal place. I’m not saying it had to be on like Starz like Outlander and be R rated (though to be clear I would love that and so would all my friends LOL)bc obviously that wasn’t going to happen. But either commit to what you set out to do or don’t do it. I don’t want a muddled Superman and Lois Lane story. I want the real thing. Who is the audience? Teens? Adults? Romance fans? General superhero fans? By trying to appeal to everyone, you lose the kind of true focus you can achieve with a more clear view of what you are selling.

I want the show to be successful. But, generally, I think their biggest problem is that they called the show “Superman and LOIS” but are too chicken to fully commit to what that means. If it’s a romance, make it a romance. If it’s a family drama, commit. These are all valid ideas that can work. My fear is, because it’s the CW, it’s going to be show that’s too afraid to really be a family drama, unable to really commit to being about a marriage. And it will be fine. It will likely have some very good moments. But it could have been better with a different showrunner on a different network and I’ll always lament what could have been.