DC TV has been at home on The CW for the network’s whole existence. From Smallville to Superman and Lois, which of the DC TV shows are the best?
The CW Network first made its presence felt on TV screens back in 2006. A new network designed to take over from The WB and UPN, it hosted a lot of those stations’ programming. One of those shows was the former network’s Smallville, a superhero origin series about a young Clark Kent before he would ultimately become Superman.
The success of Smallville brought DC heroes back to the small-screen, with its successor Arrow spawning what is quite possibly the greatest shared universe on television. The Arrowverse paved the way for spinoffs The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and more. And even though it has all come to an end now, we wouldn’t be experiencing this wonderful superhero renaissance without them.
The era is unfortunately coming to an end, as The CW’s new owners Nexstar are controversially pivoting away from everything that worked for the network before. This has resulted in the cancellation of most DC shows and the end of the Arrowverse. There is just one DC show left on the network with Superman and Lois, and we now know that its upcoming fourth season will be its last. When that happens, the era will be over.
But what an era it has been. On that note, let’s reflect upon an incredible two decades of DC TV and rank all 13 of The CW’s superhero shows.
Note: This article will include the animated shows produced for CW Seed as they are part of the network’s Arrowverse franchise.
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13. Naomi
Naomi is a show that had all the potential in the world. Produced by Ava DuVernay and starring Kaci Walfall, the series was based on the DC Comics character Naomi McDuffie and aired on The CW in 2022.
A major Superman fan with her own fansite, Naomi’s life is turned upside down when a strange event featuring what looks like the Man of Steel himself occurs in her hometown of Port Oswego, Oregon. Investigating this leads Naomi to discover that her own origins aren’t exactly what she thought they were.
Naomi started incredibly well, with a strong pilot episode that set up its premise. The subsequent episodes were a little slow moving for audiences, as the pacing was rather inconsistent. It was still entertaining, with Walfall in particular delivering an amazing leading performance, but the show was only just getting off the ground by the time that it’s season 1 finale rolled around.
It would have benefitted from a second season that would have allowed it to find its footing, but it unfortunately wasn’t to be, as Naomi was among the many CW shows cancelled in the network’s infamous massacre of 2022.
The sky was the limit for Naomi, she just needed a little longer to soar into it.
12. Freedom Fighters: The Ray
Spun out of the Arrowverse’s 2018 crossover Crisis on Earth-X, Freedom Fighters: The Ray sees Russell Tovey reprise his role in an animated series that showcases some of the horrors on Earth-X. It also features some returning Arrowverse talent, including Supergirl‘s Melissa Benoist as Overgirl and The Flash‘s Carlos Valdes and Danielle Panabaker.
It’s much more serious on tone that you might think, which figures given the crossover that it’s based on, but it really works in highlighting why the dystopian Earth sends shivers down the spine of anyone who speaks of it. It maintains that tone throughout, balancing it well with the uplifting nature of Tovey’s titular hero and the Freedom Fighters.
11. Vixen
Another animated adventure set within the Arrowverse, Vixen ran for two seasons on CW Seed and introduced us to Mari McCabe. If you were familiar with the DC comics, you probably already knew that she had some cool superpowers that enabled her to mimic the abilities of the animal kingdom. If you weren’t familiar with the comics, well, this was your opportunity to meet the awesome-and-yet-underrated DC hero.
Vixen was a lot of fun, and a breath of fresh air compared to the more dramatic turns that some of the live-action Arrowverse shows had taken at the time. It was also led well by Megalyn Echikunwoke, who would go on to reprise the role in live-action in an episode of Arrow. And speaking of live-action, it was also pretty fun to see The Flash, Green Arrow, and Black Canary make cameo appearances (in which Grant Gustin, Stephen Amell, and Katie Cassidy reprised their roles).
The show ended up being more important to the Arrowverse lore than you might think due to Mari’s grandmother having an important role on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, but it was also just a lot of fun!
10. Gotham Knights
The most recent live-action DC TV show on The CW is also the most short-lived. Gotham Knights premiered on TV screens in March 2023 but it was cancelled less than three months later as one of the many casualties in the network’s change in the direction.
The show, which sees a group of young heroes (including Batman’s adoptive son and the Joker’s daughter) framed for the murder of the Dark Knight had a rough start. Its questionable debut trailer did the exact opposite of what a trailer is supposed to do, resulting in a highly divisive response from potential viewers. However, the show itself was much stronger than that and it really found its footing as it went on.
If Gotham Knights had been released a decade ago, it would have been the perfect blend of angst, teen drama, and superhero for The CW. It just arrived at the wrong time and as a result it never fully got the chance to flourish in the way that it should have. But the show had potential; real potential, and the fact that it started realizing that in just a 13-episode single season is a real testament to what an underdog it is.
Honestly, Gotham Knights has cult-classic written all over it.
9. Black Lightning
It’s common knowledge that Black Lightning initially wasn’t considered a part of the Arrowverse but it almost wasn’t a CW show either. The DC series was initially in development for Fox before it landed at The CW (which made sense as it was the home of DC TV). There, it joined the Arrowverse programming in entertaining comic book fans on a weekly basis.
But Black Lightning wasn’t like the other shows. Focusing on retired superhero Jefferson Piece, it tracks his journey as he struggles to see his community under attack from the 100 gang and his archenemy Tobias Whale. As a result, the high school principal decides to bring Black Lightning back to protect the people of Freeland, eventually getting help from his daughters Anissa and Jennifer (as Thunder and Lightning).
Like many of the shows on this list, Black Lightning‘s first season was remarkable, but not much after that came close to it. Its third season was arguably its most compelling, but the fourth and final season couldn’t live up to expectations, ending the show’s run on a bit of a disappointing note.
Nonetheless, the show is renowned for its strong writing and performances, and its ability to highlight important social issues. All of that, and more, made Black Lightning a must-watch.
8. Batwoman
When fans heard that Batwoman would be making her live-action debut in the Arrowverse, there was a lot of screaming. And rightfully so – not only would it mark the character’s first time on-screen, it be a huge step forward for LGBTQ+ representation on television. Ruby Rose’s debut as the character resulted in her headlining her own spinoff soon afterwards when Batwoman premiered on screens in 2019.
Batwoman had something of a tumultuous run on television. The first season was cut short due to the pandemic shutdown of 2020. After that, Rose suddenly left the show leaving it in need of a new lead. The show found that lead in the wonderful Javicia Leslie, who brought a new Scarlet Knight named Ryan Wilder to life, but the show struggled to balance embracing the future while letting go of the past. It was only in its third season that it would truly find its footing with a sensational 13-episode adventure focused on Ryan. Unfortunately, it was then canceled ahead of The CW’s sale to Nexstar.
Batwoman was an enjoyable addition to The CW that deserved much more time to grow. Javicia Leslie’s performance in particular was a game-changer and we’re super thankful she got the chance to shine in the excellent third season before the show came to an unnecessarily early end.
7. Arrow
Arrow. The show that started it all for the Arrowverse. DC fans hold this show in high regard for how pivotal it was at a time when there were no mainstream superhero outings on TV, and it’s easy to see why. If Smallville kept the superhero genre alive, Arrow took it to the next level, putting back on the tights, hoods, and masks, allowing it to embrace what it was once again.
The show centered on Oliver Queen, the playboy billionaire who was shipwrecked on an uncharted island for five years, who returns home to Starling City to right the wrongs that his father and many others committed. He becomes the vigilante known as the Hood (and later the Arrow and Green Arrow), slaying those that seek to do harm,
Arrow was all about Oliver’s growth as a character, as he eventually evolved out of being judge, jury, and executioner, becoming a hero in the process. And it was a compelling watch when it stuck by that narrative. Unfortunately, it meandered a lot after its first two seasons, focusing on the wrong characters, making questionable decisions, and losing its way far too often.
Arrow starts and ends on some of the highest highs superhero TV has ever seen, but a lot of what comes in-between held it back from achieving that greatness more regularly. Nevertheless, it was a mostly compelling thrill-ride that we’ll always be thankful to for kickstarting the Arrowverse. And those first two seasons were divine.
6. Supergirl
Supergirl first premiered on CBS in 2015 and it wasn’t initially intended to be part of the Arrowverse, but a desire to see Glee stars Melissa Benoist and Grant Gustin share the screen and The Flash‘s subsequent exploration of the multiverse opened up a well of possibilities. So when the show moved to The CW for its second season, it had essentially found its home.
While Supergirl never shone quite as brightly as it did when on CBS (literally, that lightning was beautiful), it did become a very welcome addition to The CW’s line-up. Benoist’s performance as the Girl of Steel was nothing short of phenomenal, as she took the beloved hero and redefined her for a whole new generation.
The show itself also used its platform to tell important stories, increasing representation while also raising awareness about issues such as discrimination. This is one of the many reasons why its fourth season was particularly spectacular.
Supergirl had some ups and downs throughout its run, but it was an absolute joy to watch. It was triumphant, heartfelt, and so full of love – and that’s exactly what the best kinds of superhero stories should be.
We’re so happy this show existed!
5. The Flash
The Flash is quite possibly the most famous show on this list. It’s the one that took the Arrowverse to the next level, as it quickly eclipsed its predecessor Arrow and brought in record viewing numbers for The CW, making both star Grant Gustin and the Scarlet Speedster a household name. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.
The Flash also possesses what is quite possibly the greatest single season of a superhero show in TV history as its first season was nothing short of phenomenal. The second and third seasons are almost equally as strong. Unfortunately, the longer the show went on, the more it veered off-course, with the seventh and ninth seasons particularly being major steps backwards.
I love The Flash. It changed my life and was a major part of why I’m in the career I am today. However, its later seasons really dropped the ball, losing all of what made the show so successful in the first place. And as the show featured both the very best and worst of DC TV, that makes the middle of this list the perfect place for it.
That being said, when The Flash was good, it was absolutely excellent. And we’ll always be grateful for the memories that this once-exquisite show gave us.
4. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
Oh Legends of Tomorrow, you beautiful unusual joy. The Arrowverse’s spinoff series about some of Arrow and The Flash‘s most enjoyable supporting characters offered up little more than what it was on the surface at first, but over the course of its Doctor Who-inspired season of time-traveling madness, it found a groove – which it really employed from season 2 onwards.
Ironically, the show quickly became the most consistent in the Arrowverse, with the writers leaning in to the outlandish concept of the show and the quirks of its eclectic line-up of superheroes and villains. As a result, Legends of Tomorrow became so much more than just another superhero spinoff, it became a comedy-drama full of heart, humor, diversity, action, and love. It also became absolutely bloody bonkers in the process.
Led by Sara Lance, the outcasts and misfits of the Arrowverse traverse the timeline in the hopes of fixing things and correcting the course of history for the better. Most of the time, they messed things up for the better. And that’s what made Legends so darn lovable.
To say Legends was a good time simply couldn’t sum up how fun this show was. It entertained us all for the better part of a decade and it deserved better than its abrupt cancellation.
3. DC’s Stargirl
Stargirl was something of an unexpected surprise. The last of the DC Universe original shows, it aired on The CW the day after its release on the streaming service, and that proved to be a match made in Heaven. It was such a strong fit given The CW’s history with DC and Arrowverse programming that the show was automatically renewed for a second season exclusive to the network after the DCU’s demise as a streamer.
Based on the comic book character of the same name, the series saw Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) chosen to carry on the legacy of Starman by wielding his Cosmic Staff to protect Blue Valley. She then puts together a team of young heroes to form the second generation of the Justice Society of America.
Stargirl was nothing short of a delight. Its light-hearted and whimsical tone made it a joy to watch, while its strong writing transcended the typical plot-of-the-week format The CW’s DC shows relied heavily on. With its compelling mysteries and high production values, this show wasn’t designed for television and that didn’t change even when it became a network TV show.
Stargirl was one of the highest-quality shows on television, and not even the new CW’s unjust cancellation of it can dim the light it shone so brightly with.
2. Smallville
Before Arrow, before The Flash, and before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was dominating movie theaters, there was Smallville. A series that flew the superhero flag at a time when costumed crimefighters were sparse on the small screen, the DC TV series focused on Clark Kent’s teenage years, showing us how he dealt with the highs and lows of high school all while trying to keep Smallville safe and figure out who he was destined to become.
The reason that Smallville worked so well in a non-superhero era of TV was down to how well it mixed genres. Yes, it was technically a superhero show, but a superhero show in the way that Buffy The Vampire Slayer was (without tights and capes). And it was, at its heart a teen drama and a family drama, both of which were staples of the early 2000s.
The show was a Superman story for a younger generation and it was incredibly successful, which isn’t surprising given how television appealed to teenagers. What it lacked in costumes, it made up for in heart, ensuring that you felt every last thing the characters were feeling when the creative team wanted you to.
Yes, it may have went on for too long and there are some of its seasons that completely missed the mark, but Smallville never stopped making us believe that a man could fly. And 10 seasons later, it finally happened.
Who knows where this superhero era would be without the young Man of Steel.
1. Superman and Lois
When Tyler Hoechlin first debuted on Supergirl as the Man of Steel, fans were calling for him to headline his own Superman series. Those calls got louder whenever Elizabeth Tulloch made her debut as Lois Lane, because now we knew how great the pair were together and how awesome a series about them would be. Eventually, finally, The CW greenlit Superman and Lois.
But this wasn’t the Arrowverse series that fans were expecting. Set on a separate earth, the show is a standalone tale set years after Superman and Lois Lane’s most iconic stories, instead choosing to focus on what their life was like after their happy ending. Now veteran superheroes, reporters, and married with kids, the series adopts a more grounded tone than the average superhero fare, showcasing how they balance heroism with raising two teenage sons after a move back to Smallville.
Superman and Lois is a breath of fresh air. It’s a family drama as much as it is a superhero show, and that’s what sets it apart from any of the other shows in this genre. It’s full of heart, love, and triumph. It’s light-hearted and comic-accurate Superman, but with just enough realism to ground him without losing the sense of who the character is. It’s led by incredible performances from Hoechlin and Tulloch. And it just might be the greatest Superman story ever told.
It might not be on the big screen, but Superman and Lois is cinema.
Which of the DC TV shows to air on The CW is your favorite?