Why DC’s Stargirl was cancelled (Why season 4 isn’t happening)
DC’s Stargirl will unfortunately end after three seasons, meaning that season 4 isn’t happening. Why did The CW make this decision?
It’s getting increasingly hard to be a fan of The CW. The network that was once considered a safe haven for “little shows that could” has been throwing its axe around all over the place this year. Sadly, one of its most beloved shows, DC’s Stargirl, has now been cancelled by the network.
The show joins 12 other scripted originals on the network to be cut this year, including DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Naomi, Dynasty and the recently-cancelled Nancy Drew.
It might sting even a little bit more that the network cancelled Stargirl because it was The CW who picked the show up after its first season ahead of the complete shutdown of its original home, the DC Universe streaming service.
So why wasn’t Stargirl allowed to get a fourth season?
Why is DC’s Stargirl ending?
Stargirl‘s premature ending has nothing to do with its ratings or its popularity. The truth is that, in spite of the network’s complete lack of promotion when it came to its third season, the show has remained one of its most consistent performers. Not only has it continued to remain in its top four most-watched programs, recent episodes of season 3 have been drawing ratings similar to those of new shows The Winchesters and Walker: Independence – which have received a great deal of promo.
No, Stargirl is just another casualty of the sale of The CW network and its new owners’ attempts to take the network in a different direction. Nexstar hopes to produce cheaper, original programming that is geared towards what they believe is The CW’s core audience: 58 year olds. Unfortunately, that means that shows like Stargirl (which is both centred around teenagers and expensive to produce) don’t fit their image anymore. According to Deadline, Nexstar will be focusing on retooling the network to produce shows (including unscripted) that appeal to older viewers.
Naturally, fans are questioning the decision – and rightly so. You can’t rebrand a network by scrapping its most popular shows, and with both The Flash and Riverdale ending after their upcoming final seasons, The CW could use some reliable performers like Stargirl as it continues to evolve and find its footing.
Thankfully, the show won’t end on a cliifhanger. According to series star Brec Bassinger, showrunner Geoff Johns was aware of the uncertainty surrounding the future of The CW at the time and filmed two endings to the season 3 finale just in case they weren’t renewed for season 4. And with the series finale set to air on Wednesday, December 7, make sure you look out for the more definitive ending that will give the show the respect it deserves (even if the network did not).
Stargirl season 3 airs new episodes on The CW every Wednesday night at 8/7c.
If you’re a fan of DC’s Stargirl, listen to The CW Spiral Podcast for more updates about the show, season 3, the future of The CW network and more. Subscribe to their YouTube channel here.
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