Superman & Lois was a strong start for the new series featuring the Man of Steel.
After a smash-hit premiere, the CW has already renewed the freshman drama for a second season. It marks one of the fastest renewals for a freshman drama ever.
Flying high
The February 23 premiere of the new Arrowverse series outdid expectations. The live airing drew a 1.7, the highest rating for any CW series since 2019.
Additionally, another million viewers watched via the CW’s website and other viewing platforms and nearly doubled the live-plus-same-day viewership among adults 18-34, growing 93-percent.
The 90-minute premiere was followed by a special that focused on the Arrowverse, teasing the rest of the season to follow. Renewing a series after just one episode is unusual, but CW Chairman Mark Pedowitz stated that the numbers justify it.
“The phenomenal multiplatform debut of Superman & Lois, which delivered for us in a big way on both a linear and streaming basis, is a testament to the creativity, hard work, and dedication of the talented people who worked tirelessly in front of and behind the camera, especially in this challenging environment. We are thrilled to now have two brand-new bonafide hits in Superman and Walker, both of which have been renewed for next season along with 11 other of our shows, further positioning us for continued strength and stability for next season.”
The show’s success follows the network’s also strong debut of Walker. The cult series’s reboot premiered to 2.43 million viewers for one of the CW’s highest-ever-rated shows. That earned Walker a second season as well.
The new Superman
The series follows Superman/Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and his wife Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), moving to Clark’s home of Smallville following his mother’s death.
They also finally reveal to sons Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan (Alex Garfin) that Clark is Superman.
The premiere had Clark losing his job at the Daily Planet after suspecting media mogul Morgan Edge had a secret plan to take over Smallville.
Meanwhile, Jordan discovered he had inherited his father’s powers while Jonathan was a normal human.
Superman also did battle with a mysterious Stranger (Wole Parks) who acted as if they had a past together. In the final scene, the Stranger returned to his spaceship where his computer addressed him as “Captain Luthor.”
The series will continue to explore Jonathan and Jordan adjusting to their father being Earth’s greatest hero while Clark handles being a family man more than super-heroics.
There will also be friction in how long-troubled Jordan gains powers rather than his athletic brother. Lois will continue to investigate Edge while the Stranger causes trouble.
The CW plans
Superman & Lois and Walker’s success adds to the CW’s decision to renew over a dozen other shows, including Arrowverse’s series The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman.
The network also ordered pilots based on a live-action Powerpuff Girls, the DC heroine Naomi and a reboot of the cult sci-fi series The 4400.
As of yet, there’s no word whether Melissa Benoist will have a cameo on Superman & Lois as Supergirl (whose own show ends after its sixth season). At least fans can be assured this new Superman will continue to fly high on the CW for another year.
Superman & Lois airs on Tuesdays on the CW.