It’s a sad day in Gotham. The CW has officially canceled Gotham Knights after just one season on the network.
The cancellation is just the latest for the network, which has been undergoing significant shifts since being sold to local television giant Nexstar Media Group in late 2022. The CW’s other two freshmen dramas for the 2022-2023 season, Walker: Independence and The Winchesters, have also been canceled.
“We’re still looking at those analyzing these shows… and looking at our budgets in 2024. We love all those shows, and they all do very well for us in different ways,” CW’s Entertainment President Brad Schwartz said about the shows last month.
The DC drama series will not return for a second season after being canceled by The CW. The first, and now final season, of Gotham Knights is expected to consist of 13 episodes, with Episode 12, “City of Owls,” scheduled to air on the network on June 20.
Gotham Knights had a respectable rating performance and, under different circumstances, could’ve made it to a second season. However, with the business model of the CW changing under its new ownership, only a few highly rated (by CW standards) scripted series could be aired.
While Gotham Knights is canceled, two other scripted shows, Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming, have been renewed for additional seasons.
“We love all those shows, and they all do very well for us in different ways,” said The CW’s Entertainment President Brad Schwartz in May, before the cancelation, regarding Superman & Lois, All American: Homecoming, and Gotham Knights.
Why is Gotham Knights canceled?
Gotham Knights joined The CW at a difficult time for the network. CW is now partially owned by Nexstar, which holds a 75 percent stake in The CW. The channel has amended its programming strategies by severely cutting back on the number of original scripted shows it will air next season.
Before this, only All American and Walker had received orders for the 2023-24 season, while fan-favorite programs like Walker: Independence, Kung Fu, and The Winchesters were axed. Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming will round out the schedule, bringing The CW’s scripted originals to four.
Even before all this, Gotham Knights was something of a controversial project. Despite sharing a name and premise with the video game Gotham Knights, the show instead focused almost entirely on original characters, including Turner Hayes, Bruce Wayne’s adoptive son. This bothered some who wished to see a more faithful adaptation.
On top of that, Gotham Knights was dinged for its low-budget aesthetic, though it won over plenty of supporters with the casting of Supernatural favorite Misha Collins as Harvey Dent.
It should be noted that following the news of Gotham Knights being canceled, a fan-led effort to save the series was trending on Twitter. Unfortunately, it would not be able to save the DC Series from being canceled.
Whether its status as a DC property will give it a boost remains to be seen, but for now, Gotham Knights have reached the end of the line.
About Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights is an American superhero television series developed by Natalie Abrams, Chad Fiveash, and James Stoteraux for the CW. Based on the DC Comics, it premiered on March 14, 2023 and follows Turner Hayes, Batman’s adopted son and his allies in the aftermath of Batman’s death.
The series features an unexpected alliance between Turner; the children of Batman’s enemies, Harper and Cullen Row; Duela; Batman’s former sidekick, Carrie Kelley; and a coder, Stephanie Brown. The group races to clear Turner’s name of Batman’s murder and to defeat the nefarious force rising up in Gotham City.
The shows stars Oscar Morgan, Olivia Rose Keegan, Navia Robinson, Fallon Smythe, Tyler DiChiara, Anna Lore, Rahart Adams and Misha Collins among others.
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