Supergirl had a solid freshman season, but it wasn’t quite the ratings juggernaut CBS had hoped it would be. Supergirl has existed in a nebulous world due to its connection to the Arrowverse shows, and even though a crossover with The Flash helped to spike the ratings up, it didn’t do much to energize the audience in the long run. With renewal talks going on, there’s some possibility that Supergirl might not remain at CBS. Seeing as how the show is produced by Greg Berlanti — the main producer behind Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow — it’s possible that Supergirl might get renewed but will start season two on the CW.
This sounds like a great idea, but there’s one big obstacle in the way: budget. CBS spent some serious coin on Supergirl and the CW just doesn’t have those kinds of resources, especially considering that The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow regularly push their budgetary boundaries with great CGI. Supergirl is a show that needs to be able to remain largely fantastic, and a move to the CW might seriously hobble the potential for bigger spectacle.
Supergirl tonally fits together with the other Arrowverse shows, so it’d be nice to have it on the same network for that reason alone. Supergirl has also managed to take up the mantle from her cousin when it comes to being inspirational and uplifting. If the cinematic Superman is going to be as dour as he has been, it’s nice to know that a more optimistic version of a Kryptonian is out there for younger (and less jaded) viewers.
But will the budget issue be too great to tackle? I have to believe that there’s a way to lessen the budget while not compromising the show to the point of feeling cheap. If anyone can figure it out, it’s the folks over at Berlanti Productions. Here’s hoping we hear some good news about this one way or another. Supergirl definitely deserves another season, no matter what form that takes.
