After a strong debut as the most-watched premiere of the fall season there was little doubt about Supergirl getting picked up for a full season. Still, CBS made the news official today, ordering seven more episodes of the freshman season for a total of 20. The Hollywood Reporter notes that though most shows score 22 episodes in a full season, Supergirl, starring Melissa Benoist, launched slightly later than other fall premieres. That, combined with the high per-episode cost, makes 20 a reasonable order.
Though Supergirl dipped in ratings since it’s record-setting premiere it’s still being applauded as a complex, funny portrayal that gives superheroines the kind of depth and brains other portrayals have cheated them on. And while Marvel’s Jessica Jones is making waves over on cable, Supergirl is still the only female-led comic character series on network TV, and so far the strongest of DC’s television properties. You can still catch the first season episodes on the CBS video site.
CBS’s pickup announcement coincided with a press conference today for an upcoming crossover episode of Arrow/The Flash on the CW. During the Q&A Greg Berlanti, executive producer of all three shows as well as upcoming Legends of Tomorrow, and the breakout NBC drama Blindspot, again quelled rumors of a potential Supergirl/Flash crossover.
When asked whether preliminary discussions had taken place for a crossover Berlanti replied they had not…yet. “Only because we just received the pickup. But not at this point.” Website Bleeding Cool started the rumors a couple days ago based on a “reliable source” who linked a crossover to May sweeps and possibly as a condition of a full season order.
Back in May, when Variety ran a feature on the uber-producer’s golden touch he indicated he’d be happy to see a crossover happen. “The network has said publicly at this point they’re going to keep her [Supergirl] to themselves. I always approach the shows as a fan first, so I would love to see it. I think in success, all things are possible. But there’s a lot that would have to happen before everybody might say yes to that.”
But Berlanti’s world is the kind of place where a lot does happen. This season he’s had two of the most popular shows in Blindspot and Supergirl, with the latter being praised as one of the best depictions of a female comic character. The upcoming Flash/Arrow meetup is the second time the series have intermingled, and will serve to launch spinoff Legends of Tomorrow, also on the CW, debuting January 21. Having all three shows on the same network has to grease some wheels, so whether Berlanti can make magic happen across networks remains to be seen.
The Flash/Arrow crossover episode airs Tuesday and Wednesday this week on the CW. Check out the trailer: