Liane Hentscher/The CWIf at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That's how The CW is looking at its Supernatural spinoff. The long-running drama, now in its ninth season, featured a backdoor pilot this season. However, the network passed on Supernatural: Bloodlines, citing the strength of its other pilots.
"We believe there is a real brand in Supernatural," CW's Mark Pedowitz told reporters during an Upfronts conference call. "We had six really good pilots this year and we felt that Supernatural just didn't get there."
But Pedowitz said they will go back to the drawing board once again. Will it focus on existing Supernatural characters? That remains to be seen. "What it is and what it isn't yet is still up in the air," he said. Discussions will begin in June or July. Meanwhile, Supernatural will return for season 10 on Tuesdays this fall.
"We had a very good year this year," Pedowitz said, citing it was the network's most-watched season in three years. "We're a very different CW than we were a few years ago."
The CW shook up its schedule for the fall season and moved The Originals to Mondays with new series Jane the Virgin. Meanwhile, fan-favorites Beauty and the Beast and Hart of Dixie will return midseason. Beauty and the Beast, largely considered on the bubble for cancellation, got a surprise renewal from the network. Pedowitz cited the show's business model and its international appeal, coupled with social media presence, as why it received a third season. But what about shows like The Tomorrow People, which the network axed?
"Primarily, Tomorrow People...just didn't have the same level of social engagement or digital side that Beauty and the Beast does get," he said.