One Iconic The CW TV Show That Simply Couldn’t Have Been Done in 2024

While The CW has definitely been out of its glory years for quite some time now, viewers are just jumping on the nostalgia bandwagon. Throughout the years, the network has focused heavily on teen and young adult viewers, so much so that many now consider the network a solid part of their childhood.

While there have been many great shows, both original and based on comic book characters, the chances of bringing back The CW as we know and love it are very slim. As the showrunner of one of the network's most iconic series, Arrow, it would be completely impossible to make shows like that today.

Will The CW Arrow Come Back?

Created in 2012 by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg, the superhero drama Arrow, based on the adventures of DC Comics' Oliver Queen, became an instant hit with viewers.

In contrast to the bright and dynamic Marvel movie productions, The CW's DC Universe gave audiences a proper look at the grittier and darker settings, and people quickly became obsessed with it. It was Arrow that kicked off the universe, which was then expanded by Flash and Supergirl, and it was Arrow whose farewell was the hardest for fans.

Looking back on the show's legacy, Guggenheim admits that he was lucky to get the chance to create something of this scale for cable. At the time, Arrow became the savior The CW was looking for to keep the network afloat. Now, however, it would have been an immediate no-go, as the network has been cutting all ties with its past.

“I don’t think we could do Arrow today… I don’t think we could have done it with the amount of leeway and creative freedom that we had. It was a very special, unique time in the business,” he said on The Showrunner Whisperer podcast.

Though many now see The CW's rebranding as the first step in the network's demise, Marc Guggenheim believes the channel is doing its best to survive. For the time being, that may mean a lack of original scripted content, but it is hard to guess what the future holds.

If you are feeling nostalgic and want to re-watch Arrow, the show is still available for streaming on Netflix.

Source: The Showrunner Whisperer Podcast