‘Riverdale’ Spinoff ‘Katy Keene’ Canceled After One Season, Seeking New Home
Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene has been canceled by the CW after only one season. According to Deadline, the Lucy Hale-led series is seeking a new home, potentially on another network or streaming service.
As the show is currently streaming on HBO Max, the service is the most likely fit for the show should it be rescued. Adding weight to that possibility is the fact Katy Keene is produced by Warner Bros. Television, the same company behind HBO Max.
The article indicated that CW CEO Mark Pedowitz had extended cast options through July 31. The extension grants WBTV until the end of the month to find the show a new home and keep the original cast intact before they are released from their contracts and free to pursue other projects.
Katy Keene’s cancellation has come as something of a shock to fans of the show. Many assumed it would be safe thanks to the parent series’ success and the fact the network gave it a 13-episode order before it had even premiered.
Hale is also a considerable star thanks to her many years on Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars, and the series stems from Berlanti Productions, which produces several shows for the CW.
Deadline also reported that Katy Keene was “a modest ratings performer.”
Back in May, Pedowitz said the show had soft “linear ratings,” but it performed better on streaming. Not only was the series available to watch in full on the network’s free streaming platform, but the entire season became available on HBO Max after its season — now series — finale at the end of May.
According to the outlet, Katy Keene landed in the “bottom quarter of the CW’s series” in “Live+Same day linear ratings.”
However, the Deadline writer indicated that “while the shows around it excel in digital viewing, I hear Katy Keene has seen very little bump in delayed viewing — both via DVR and streaming.”
Alongside Katy Keene, both freshman dramas Nancy Drew and Batwoman also aired their freshmen seasons on HBO Max, and supposedly the other two shows fared much better in terms of viewing numbers.
Despite the low ratings, the Riverdale spinoff still found a devoted fan base who have taken to Twitter to express their unhappiness with the cancellation. Several also directly tweeted the HBO Max account, requesting the service to renew the show for another season.
“#KatyKeene has been cancelled what about ko???? Josie and the pussycats???? Jorge????? Guy??? Katy’s dad??? I am so sad!!!!!” tweeted one fan, inserting several crying emoji into their tweet.
