Press Release
May 3, 2021 (Burbank, CA) – The CW Network today renewed two more series for the 2021-2022 season, including a second season of KUNG FU and a third season of DC’s STARGIRL, it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The CW Network.
We are beyond proud to continue to share the stories of Nicky Shen and Courtney Whitmore, two strong, powerful young women at the center of this new generation of hit shows for The CW in KUNG FU and DC’S STARGIRL,” said Pedowitz. “While each boasts remarkable talent on both sides of the camera, KUNG FU and DC’S STARGIRL have not only treated fans to some visually stunning action and high-flying heroics, but they also both strike very powerful emotional chords as they delve into the family dynamics and personal relationships at their core, and we are so excited to see what happens next.”
The premiere episode of KUNG FU has been seen by a gross audience of more than 3.5 million viewers, including delayed L+7 viewership on The CW as well as encore weekend airings on its affiliated stations and sister cable network TNT. KUNG FU saw its audience grow in week 2 on an L+7 basis. Last year’s series premiere of DC’S STARGIRL was The CW’s most watched summer debut in 6 years. Season two of DC’S STARGIRL premieres Tuesday, August 10 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT).
In KUNG FU, a quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese American woman, Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad. Nicky will rely on her tech-savvy sister Althea (Shannon Dang) and Althea’s fiancé Dennis (Tony Chung), pre-med brother Ryan (Jon Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend Evan (Gavin Stenhouse), and new love interest Henry (Eddie Liu) as well as her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice…all while searching for the ruthless assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai) and is now targeting her.
Christina M. Kim wrote the pilot episode and serves as executive producer/co-showrunner of KUNG FU with Robert Berens. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero and David Madden also serve as executive producers. Hanelle Culpepper directed and co-executive produced the pilot episode. KUNG FU is produced by Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television and is inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman.
The CW drama series DC’S STARGIRL follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) and her stepfather Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) as she leads an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DC’s very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. In the thrilling second season, Courtney and her friends take on one of the most frightening adversaries in DC’s mythology – the dark entity of corruption known as Eclipso.
The series focuses on the character that started creator Geoff Johns’ career as a comic book writer when he created her in 1999, lovingly inspired by his late sister who was killed in a 1996 plane crash.
DC’S STARGIRL stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl, Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan, Amy Smart as Barbara Whitmore, Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez/Wildcat, Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite, Cameron Gellman as Rick Tyler/Hourman, Trae Romano as Mike Dugan, Hunter Sansone as Cameron Mahkent, Meg DeLacy as Cindy Burman/Shiv and Nick Tarabay as Eclipso. Geoff Johns (“The Flash,” “Titans,” “Batwoman,” “Superman & Lois”) is the showrunner and executive produces DC’S STARGIRL with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter. Based on the characters from DC, DC’S STARGIRL is produced by Berlanti Productions and Mad Ghost Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
KUNG FU and DC’s STARGIRL join the previously announced 13 current series The CW has ordered for the 2021-2022 season, including second seasons of SUPERMAN & LOIS and WALKER, as well as ALL AMERICAN (Season 4), BATWOMAN (Season 3), CHARMED (Season 4), DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (Season 7), DYNASTY (Season 5), THE FLASH (Season 8), IN THE DARK (Season 4), LEGACIES (Season 4), NANCY DREW (Season 3), RIVERDALE (Season 6) and ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO (Season 4). Specific premiere dates for each series will be announced at a later time.
Like all of The CW’s upcoming new shows, every episode of KUNG FU and DC’s STARGIRL, as well as the current seasons of BATWOMAN, NANCY DREW, SUPERMAN & LOIS and WALKER, will be available to stream on The CW’s free digital platforms (The CW app and CWTV.com) following its broadcast on The CW Network.
We are beyond proud to continue to share the stories of Nicky Shen and Courtney Whitmore, two strong, powerful young women at the center of this new generation of hit shows for The CW in KUNG FU and DC’S STARGIRL,” said Pedowitz. “While each boasts remarkable talent on both sides of the camera, KUNG FU and DC’S STARGIRL have not only treated fans to some visually stunning action and high-flying heroics, but they also both strike very powerful emotional chords as they delve into the family dynamics and personal relationships at their core, and we are so excited to see what happens next.”
The premiere episode of KUNG FU has been seen by a gross audience of more than 3.5 million viewers, including delayed L+7 viewership on The CW as well as encore weekend airings on its affiliated stations and sister cable network TNT. KUNG FU saw its audience grow in week 2 on an L+7 basis. Last year’s series premiere of DC’S STARGIRL was The CW’s most watched summer debut in 6 years. Season two of DC’S STARGIRL premieres Tuesday, August 10 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT).
In KUNG FU, a quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese American woman, Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad. Nicky will rely on her tech-savvy sister Althea (Shannon Dang) and Althea’s fiancé Dennis (Tony Chung), pre-med brother Ryan (Jon Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend Evan (Gavin Stenhouse), and new love interest Henry (Eddie Liu) as well as her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice…all while searching for the ruthless assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai) and is now targeting her.
Christina M. Kim wrote the pilot episode and serves as executive producer/co-showrunner of KUNG FU with Robert Berens. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero and David Madden also serve as executive producers. Hanelle Culpepper directed and co-executive produced the pilot episode. KUNG FU is produced by Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television and is inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman.
The CW drama series DC’S STARGIRL follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) and her stepfather Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) as she leads an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DC’s very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. In the thrilling second season, Courtney and her friends take on one of the most frightening adversaries in DC’s mythology – the dark entity of corruption known as Eclipso.
The series focuses on the character that started creator Geoff Johns’ career as a comic book writer when he created her in 1999, lovingly inspired by his late sister who was killed in a 1996 plane crash.
DC’S STARGIRL stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl, Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan, Amy Smart as Barbara Whitmore, Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez/Wildcat, Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite, Cameron Gellman as Rick Tyler/Hourman, Trae Romano as Mike Dugan, Hunter Sansone as Cameron Mahkent, Meg DeLacy as Cindy Burman/Shiv and Nick Tarabay as Eclipso. Geoff Johns (“The Flash,” “Titans,” “Batwoman,” “Superman & Lois”) is the showrunner and executive produces DC’S STARGIRL with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter. Based on the characters from DC, DC’S STARGIRL is produced by Berlanti Productions and Mad Ghost Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
KUNG FU and DC’s STARGIRL join the previously announced 13 current series The CW has ordered for the 2021-2022 season, including second seasons of SUPERMAN & LOIS and WALKER, as well as ALL AMERICAN (Season 4), BATWOMAN (Season 3), CHARMED (Season 4), DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (Season 7), DYNASTY (Season 5), THE FLASH (Season 8), IN THE DARK (Season 4), LEGACIES (Season 4), NANCY DREW (Season 3), RIVERDALE (Season 6) and ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO (Season 4). Specific premiere dates for each series will be announced at a later time.
Like all of The CW’s upcoming new shows, every episode of KUNG FU and DC’s STARGIRL, as well as the current seasons of BATWOMAN, NANCY DREW, SUPERMAN & LOIS and WALKER, will be available to stream on The CW’s free digital platforms (The CW app and CWTV.com) following its broadcast on The CW Network.
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