Green Arrow and The Canaries is still alive, and it should remain that way

CW Chairman Mark Pedowitz has confirmed that rumors of the Arrow spin-off’s demise are untrue, so here’s why Green Arrow and The Canaries should remain alive.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus turned much of the world upside down, resulting in a number of major events being rescheduled or cancelled. It also wreaked havoc on the TV and film landscape and, as a result, tons of productions were forced to shut down for the safety of all involved.

The CW’s Arrowverse shows had their seasons cut short, while a number of the network’s pilots never got the chance to be produced. It has now confirmed a preliminary version of its much-anticipated 2020-21 TV schedule, revealing that it’s holding all of its major original shows – bar the final few episodes of Supernatural – until January 2021. Furthermore, it also picked up two more pilots (alongside the already-commissioned Superman & Lois and Walker shows).

With all of this news, fans of the Arrowverse couldn’t help but notice the absence of one show in particular: Green Arrow and The Canaries.

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The Arrow spin-off initially aired as a backdoor pilot through the ninth episode of its parent show’s final season back in January and ever since fans have been hoping to see it picked up to series.

Though some feared the worst whenever there were no updates on it – with some fearing that the network had either passed on it or that the coronavirus-resulted delays forced the network to scrap the idea – it appears that there is no cause for concern yet as The CW hasn’t given up on it.

Speaking to press including Decider, CW Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz discussed both the unconfirmed Green Arrow and The Canaries and Earthborn (a prequel series for The 100) shows as well as the fate of Riverdale spin-off Katy Keene. Though the latter does have to prove itself on streaming in order to get a second-season renewal, Pedowitz revealed that the two backdoor pilots are far from dead. He commented:

"“They are very much in active discussions to see what we can do, we have a strategy in mind… They are very much alive.”"

This will undoubtedly be music to the ears of the concerned fans of Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy) and Mia Queen (Katherine McNamara) who would still love to see the stories of the Black Canaries and the new Green Arrow continue.

It really does go without saying that The CW should greenlight a Green Arrow and The Canaries series. After all, the backdoor pilot episode of Arrow, also titled “Green Arrow and The Canaries”, received universal acclaim from both critics and fans, with so many of them praising the decision to focus on three female superheroes while also giving some of Arrow‘s best – and most underrated – characters the screen-time they deserved on the main show.

Alongside the fact that the show would bring an established fanbase with it – while also benefiting from the fact that acclaimed all-female superhero film Birds of Prey is still on the minds of fans – the backdoor pilot was a season-high for Arrow‘s final season (crossover-excepted), surpassing even the final ever episode in viewing figures. So there is clearly a demand for it.

It’s great to hear that Green Arrow and The Canaries is still very much alive at The CW, so with that in mind, it’s time to give the people what they want and pick up the series.

Would you like to see Green Arrow and The Canaries picked up to series? Let us know in the comments below!