Supergirl’s next flight may be to the north. As the freshman CBS drama’s future continues to be uncertain, I hear studio Warner Bros. TV is seriously considering moving production from Los Angeles to Vancouver next season. There have been exploratory conversations with the cast over the past couple of weeks, and, while I hear many are not thrilled about the potential move, it is a realistic possibility as the series is looking to reduce costs.
Supergirl was one of the biggest network shows to commit to filming in California in the last couple of years, so the expectation was that it would be among those awarded a tax credit by the California Film Commission which changed its methodology to give rebates based on productions’ economic impact. But Supergirl‘s application was not approved, which likely affected the show’s budget projections. For WBTV and Supergirl producer Greg Berlanti, relocating the show to Vancouver, which just trimmed its tax credit, would also make sense logistically because that is where all other Berlanti superhero dramas are filmed. But a potential Supergirl move to Canada would be a major blow to California’s effort to stem runaway production.
WBTV is looking to trim the budget of Supergirl as the studio is in conversations with CBS about a second season renewal. The show commands a very high license fee, and a reduction of that and/or the number of episodes ordered by the network are considered a possibility. Then there is the possibility of the show not getting renewed by CBS. I hear there already has been incoming interest by multiple networks and digital platforms inquiring about picking up the show. The CW has frequently been mentioned as a possibility because of Supergirl‘s young skew, the CW president Mark Pedowitz’s public comments about regretting not going after the project when it was originally pitched, and the fact that the CW is co-owned by CBS and Warner Bros. (One of the CW DC dramas, Flash, already crossed over to Supergirl, bringing it into the CW universe).
Despite all the chatter, many bet on Supergirl continuing at CBS in some shape or form, likely at a reduced license fee, and possibly with a shorter order (Its freshman season consisted of 20 episodes). CBS has yet to make renewal decisions on any of its freshman shows, including dramas Supergirl, Limitless, Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Rush Hour. While Rush Hour is unlikely to come back, the other four are all considered viable candidates with similar decent, not great, ratings performances, none standing out or lagging too much.
Supergirl was one of the biggest network shows to commit to filming in California in the last couple of years, so the expectation was that it would be among those awarded a tax credit by the California Film Commission which changed its methodology to give rebates based on productions’ economic impact. But Supergirl‘s application was not approved, which likely affected the show’s budget projections. For WBTV and Supergirl producer Greg Berlanti, relocating the show to Vancouver, which just trimmed its tax credit, would also make sense logistically because that is where all other Berlanti superhero dramas are filmed. But a potential Supergirl move to Canada would be a major blow to California’s effort to stem runaway production.
WBTV is looking to trim the budget of Supergirl as the studio is in conversations with CBS about a second season renewal. The show commands a very high license fee, and a reduction of that and/or the number of episodes ordered by the network are considered a possibility. Then there is the possibility of the show not getting renewed by CBS. I hear there already has been incoming interest by multiple networks and digital platforms inquiring about picking up the show. The CW has frequently been mentioned as a possibility because of Supergirl‘s young skew, the CW president Mark Pedowitz’s public comments about regretting not going after the project when it was originally pitched, and the fact that the CW is co-owned by CBS and Warner Bros. (One of the CW DC dramas, Flash, already crossed over to Supergirl, bringing it into the CW universe).
Despite all the chatter, many bet on Supergirl continuing at CBS in some shape or form, likely at a reduced license fee, and possibly with a shorter order (Its freshman season consisted of 20 episodes). CBS has yet to make renewal decisions on any of its freshman shows, including dramas Supergirl, Limitless, Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Rush Hour. While Rush Hour is unlikely to come back, the other four are all considered viable candidates with similar decent, not great, ratings performances, none standing out or lagging too much.
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