The CW would love to coax Elena back for an encore appearance in the final season of The Vampire Diaries, but whether or not that happens, the arrival of Supergirl has literally given the network something to sing about.
Greg Berlanti, the mastermind behind the CW’s lineup of superhero shows – Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow – told TV writers Thursday that there will be a musical crossover episode between Supergirl and The Flash in the second half of the upcoming season.
That’s in addition to the already announced non-musical crossover episode between the two shows in late November or early December
The earlier crossover will unofficially welcome Supergirl to the CW, after it spent its first season on CBS
CW President Mark Pedowitz said he learned only shortly before the May announcement of fall network schedules that parent CBS was offering Supergirl to the CW.
“I couldn’t sign up fast enough for it,“ said Pedowitz. He admitted Supergirl probably won’t get the 6-7 million weekly viewers on the CW that it got on CBS, but predicted that “it will still probably be our No. 1 or No. 2 show for the season.”
Berlanti said the musical crossover episode will utilize Supergirl star Melissa Benoist, and could even bring in performers from shows not directly involved in the crossover, like Victor Garber from Legends of Tomorrow.
Berlanti said the songs haven’t been chosen yet, but they will likely be already-written material and that “I love the American Songbook.”
Elsewhere in the superhero world, Pedowitz said the network is not currently negotiating for any more on-air shows, but that the CW’s digital channel, CW Seed, will debut Freedom Fighters: The Ray next year.
Berlanti also said that a “significant character” in one of the superhero shows will come out this season. He declined to identify the character further, but said it will be a valuable step toward diversity.
As for the rest of the CW, Pedowitz said Supernatural will continue for the foreseeable future, which could mean “the show will outlast my tenure in this chair.”
What’s not running forever, though, is the popular Vampire Diaries.
Pedowitz said he and creator Julie Plec’s team mutually decided this coming season would be a good point at which to wrap up the story.
He said “discussions are going on” with Nina Dobrev, whose Elena Gilbert was the show’s central female character for most of its life, to return at some point before the end.
Elena left the show in 2015 with a storyline that sent her into the distant future. Having her return, even for a brief appearance, would presumably involve further time travel.
Pedowitz seemed to caution, however, that her return is not a certainty. “Hopefully she’ll be back,” he said, “but should it not work out, Julie has planned a great series finale that will satisfy the fans.”
Pedowitz also indicated the CW is following a common trend on broadcast television these days and keeping many shows, like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (right) and iZombie, at 13 episodes rather than the traditional 22.
The only four shows with 22-episode orders so far this upcoming season, he said, are Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and Supernatural.
He also said that the Friday the 13th series, Crystal Lake, is no longer in development, nor is the dystopian series Little Women.