Riverdale to End With Season 7 at CW, to Premiere in 2023
Pop’s diner is closing its doors for good: Riverdale will end its run on The CW at the conclusion of its upcoming seventh season, TVLine has learned.
“I am a big believer in attempting to give series that have had long runs an appropriate sendoff,” CW Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz said during an executive call Thursday. “We had a long conversation with [executive producer] Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa] yesterday, who is thrilled by this news, and we will treat the show in the manner it deserves…. We want to make sure it goes out the right way.
“I think they, too, felt that seven years is the right amount,” Pedowitz added. “As a fan myself, I do want to do what is right for the show.”
Riverdale was renewed for Season 7 in March, along with fellow CW dramas The Flash, All American, Superman & Lois, Walker, Kung Fu and Nancy Drew. Season 6 is currently airing Sundays at 8/7c; Season 7 is being held for midseason, to air sometime in 2023. An episode count remains TBD, but Pedowitz said he does “not believe it will be a shortened season.” (To see The CW’s just-released fall 2022 schedule, click here.)
This TV season (which includes three Season 5 stragglers), Riverdale is averaging 560,000 total viewers with Live+7 DVR playback factored in. It thus ranks No. 16 in total audience out of the 19 dramas The CW has aired this fall and winter, outdrawing only The Outpost, In the Dark and Dynasty.
Riverdale joins a number of CW dramas on the chopping block: The network also axed Dynasty, Charmed, Naomi, 4400, In the Dark and Roswell, New Mexico last week — In the Dark and Roswell still have new seasons premiering this summer — along with the previously cancelled Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow. The CW’s atypical “bloodbath” of cancellations this season is likely due to the network’s rumored upcoming sale (perhaps to the Nexstar affiliate group) and thus its uncertain future.
Season 6 of Riverdale kicked off last fall with a five-episode “Rivervale” event that saw Archie and company face a macabre series of supernatural adventures, with Kiernan Shipka stopping by to reprise her Netflix role as teen witch Sabrina Spellman. It then returned in March with a new time slot and a fresh nemesis in Percival Pickens (Chris O’Shea), the posh newcomer who quickly took over the town with his mysterious mind-control powers. But don’t worry: Archie, Betty, Jughead and Cheryl soon learned they had mysterious powers of their own.
Are you sorry to hear Riverdale is ending? What do you want to see in the final episodes? Grab a booth in the comments and share your thoughts.
So is the CW going the way of the WGA network? Also in 2024 what is going to be the flagship show of the CW? Nancy Drew?
It will probably be cheap programming, imports, Hallmark-style family fare, reality TV, game shows…
Once the sale completes the network will be open to other third party studios like say Sony to pitch their shows. The days of CBS & WB shows dominating the platform will come to an end.
The flagship show will probably be walker now. Nothing against walker it justs every station seems to be doing western stuff it’s getting old. Walker or all American will probably be there flag ship
That’s because they’re capitalizing on the trend. Yellowstone’s success, as well as the success of its spinoff 1883 (with more spinoffs coming) has created a moment for Westerns.
no since they’re returning to the Winchesters the Supernatural prequel will probably be the flagship show
All American’s their highest rated show right now so I guess that takes the crown. It’s the only one of the older shows not held to midseason.
Speaking of game shows I’m pretty sure they quietly canceled Hidden Temple show.
Yeah, I believe that too. My mom liked the reboot.
It’s sad that only Riverdale will have a proper ending, while Legacies and Legends of Tomorrow won’t. I think they deserved way more
And Batwoman.
Legends’ characters and storylines can appear on the Flash (I’m guessing at least Sarah will), which is a show that needs storylines.
Legacies has nothing. It was the last of his sharing universe.
Julie Plec has said that she had some heads-up so Legacies and Roswell, New Mexico will have at least some closure. I am really surprised they didn’t save Legacies to pair with Winchesters though :(
Well you can thank Netflix for their license fee money keeping Riverdale alive over those shows.
I’m not sure this is true because Nancy Drew is not on the same deal. The show’s ratings have tanked but it seems to be very popular still with streaming (including CW app) and on social media engagement. Main reason it is likely ending is because the stars contracts are up and it is an in-demand cast that hasn’t made shy their feelings for the show’s quality.
Nope, it’ll be the end of the Netflix agreement with Warner Bros for the show. What the cast may or may not think of the shows quality is completely irrelevant when a platform is paying tens of millions of dollars to Warner Bros for a final season.
It’s not irrelevant when all their contracts are up.
Contracts being up means very little in television. Actors in long running shows extend their deals all the time without issue countless times.
The cast was NOT going to re-up their contracts, therefore no more show. What are you not understanding? I swear people just love to argue on the internet even when it betrays their utter foolishness!
@Christian
That’s nothing more than speculation. Fact is no one knows what may have happened had the Netflix money not dried up.
Contracts don’t determine renewal. It’s the other way around. They can leave if their contracts are up, but that doesn’t impact renewal chances.
If a show loses its cast, it does impact renewal chances. It makes no sense to think it’s irrelevant.
@paulo Unsubstantiated internet rumors shouldn’t be taken as fact. Better to listen if it comes from a reliable source like this website or Deadline.
Yes, the Netflix deal is up, I’m just saying Nancy Drew got renewed when it wasn’t part of that and it h ad low ratings, so there could have been other factors too. And yes actors do extend their contracts all the time when they love their work which is why Grey’s and SVU still have their leading ladies, but the Riverdale cast has been vocal about being unhappy with the show’s quality and they are very in-demand young film actors. At least two or three of the core five probably wouldn’t have resigned, and how do you do Riverdale when losing the leads?
CBS are obligated to have a certain number of shows they own on the CW(at least until the sale completes). I’m not sure if they’re related but I would say with Tom Swift being a thing the idea is to grow that universe.
Nancy Drew was literally saved though to be on HBO Max. That’s the point. There’s no middle man anymore. It’s just Paramount and WB dealing with each other. It’s basically taking a 10$ bill from your left pocket and putting it in your right pocket. No Netflix cash.
@Snow Exactly. CBS and WB were obligated to have a certain number of shows on the CW, when they merged in 2006. Until the sale is completed, that’s still the deal. It’s pretty straightforward.
Cast contracts are contingent on renewal, not the other way around. If the show isn’t renewed, the contracts are voided.
The network might not want to renewal a show without its leads. Yes, it has happened. No, it usually doesn’t work.
Actually Legacies will have a fairly good proper ending, the Producer said they were given a warning that they may not be back for another season, so season 4’s finale was said to be rewritten in the short period of time they had before filming began on the finale, the writers did their best to tie up as many loose ends as possible and to treat the finale as the very last, it was promised it will close out on the best note possible and there will be NO cliffhanger.
Good that it is ending season 1 was really good then it got not so good
Most tv shows don’t have more than 7 seasons thanks for giving us 7 seasons for the fans
About time this garbage ends! How it got S7 is beyond me. So low amount of viewers and stupid storylines. Should been cancelled after S2.
I agree I only watched season 1 then I stopped watching. I also watch rivervale which was really good. They need to make a spinoff rivervale
It’s comments like this that make me laugh. Why did you continue watching seasons 3-6 if you thought it was crap. And if you stopped watching it, how can you judge the seasons you didn’t see? More likely you are bitter that a show you liked didn’t get renewed and just lashed out at a convenient target.
It got renewed, because Netflix cash kept paying for it. Beyond that, CW was in the business of barely canceling anything for YEARS. Hence, why everyone is having such a hissy fit about them cancelling like 80% of their lineup. lol
I’ve watched Riverdale since the beginning. I can’t believe it was renewed. This show is a mess! It should have ended (with a proper ending) this year.
It’s sad how riverdale gets one final season and legacies doesn’t. Happy for all riverdale fans that are least get a planned finale. But it still hurts knowing that legacies got canned.
The Flash should have ended after Season 7!
I really think since this deal with the CW/Nexstar hasn’t officially closed that many series, LoT, Charmed, Legacies should have had truncated seasons (13 episodes)
Riverdale overstayed its welcome IMO
I think most people knew this though.Anyhoo…lets get that Barchie endgame!!!!
Finally!!
“Im a big believer in attempting to give series that have had long runs an appropriate sendoff,” just like the one legends of tomorrow got right. Give me a break.
Blame the show’s producers, They were given a heads-up in plenty of time, and did a cliffhanger regardless.
Quite frankly, the joke was over by the end of Season 2.
Um, the show is ending, it’s not getting “canceled.”
It SHOULD have gotten canceled years ago…but alas, that is not the case.
You should know the difference between an ending and a cancellation..
Yep. I read that KJ, Cole, Lili, Camilla, and Madaeline all signed three-year extensions after season 4, meaning season 7 is the last they are on contract for and it’s very doubtful most of them would have re-signed (Casey became a regular in season 2 and others in season 3, so I’m less clear on their contracts expiration dates, but moot point without the core group). Thus it ending, not being canceled.
LOL Are you seriously arguing semantics? In this business, they mean the same thing in actual practice.
In my opinion, “Riverdale” should stay on longer than 7 seasons. At least 9 seasons. That’s a good amount of time for a show. It’s bad enough that the CW cancelled three of my favorite DC shows: “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”, “Batwoman”, and “Naomi”. Now they’re going to end “Riverdale” after 7 seasons? That really sucks!!!
The main cast’s contracts are up and they’re very in-demand so I am not sure the CW had a choice with it. How do you do a Riverdale show if the likes of Archie, Jughead and Betty all leave? 7 is a good run, be grateful it’s getting the one last season that Legends of Tomorrow didn’t.
I figured as much. I believe that the actors’ contracts are up after season 7 and a lot of them didn’t seem like they wanted to continue.
We all knew it would end next season but i’m happy to hear it’s probably going to be a full season
Also hopefully they wrap up the supernatural storylines this season and go back to normal next year
There is no normal when it comes to Riverdale! :)
“I am a big believer in attempting to give series that have had long runs an appropriate sendoff,” okay so what about Legacies?? Sure it was only in its 4th season, but it’s the third show in a shared universe and for the last remaining of those shows to be unceremoniously cancelled, effectively ending the expanded universe, it’s a little disrespectful to the fans, the cast and crew, and the author of the book series.
Seriously!! 13 years and that’s the send off it gets. A make shift finale that got turned into a series finale.
Considering Julie Plec said she was given a heads up, it probably did get an actual ending. In that respect, blame her.
In just a couple of years CW will evolve to commercials only without the few minutes of programming that currently interrupts. You’ll be able to use the restroom, get all of the housework done and even have time to make a snack. Now that’s progress…..
This show was past it sell by date years ago.
Euthanasia
I mean, are we shocked? I still watch Riverdale every week, but to me, Riverdale has gone down hill with each and every season. I think the only thing I’m shocked about is that it lasted this long. Just kind of sucks that Riverdale will be the CW show to actually have any sort of proper ending. I am firmly of the belief that the creators of EVERY show should be given a heads up that the end is near so they have time to craft a proper ending.
They were, though. It’s on them that they chose to go with cliffhangers.
Based on the direction the series has been going, I’m really hoping season 7 will follow the “Afterlife with Archie” storyline and end with a bang. It seems fitting.
I hate to seebthe show come to a end,I have falling in love with the cast they are remarkable ,I would love to see Archie and Veronica back together and most of all my two favorite Betty and jug head back together on the show and in real life,they make such a beautiful couple she is very pretty and he is adorably cute.sobsad to hear it’s ending but will look out for these people on different shows great actors
Three of the four leads have been phoning it in for several seasons now; it’s obvious they no longer want to be there, so this makes sense (not to mention the show itself hasn’t been very good for awhile).
I heard they want to put on cheap, right wing propaganda “new” shows as the do extremely well.
LMAO Typical liberal. Everything is “right wing propaganda,” when it’s actually the opposite and has been left wing propaganda on the CW FOR YEARS.