The CW continues its annual round of early renewals with a nod to midseason staple The 100, which has been picked up for a fifth season.

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The serialized sci-fi drama, which successfully weathered a controversy over the killing off of a lesbian character last season, was one of the first CW series designed for shorter runs and the first to go the distance. It airs 13-season installments in spring.

The 100 was created by Jason Rothenberg, who is expected to remain executive producer and showrunner. Rothenberg has a pilot at the CW, Searchers. If it goes to series, I hear The 100 may beef up its top ranks with a co-showrunner or strong No.2.

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With The 100 pickup, the CW for a third straight year has given early renewals to all returning scripted series currently on its schedule, sans those whose ends have been announced (this year, that’s The Vampire Diaries and Reign). The 100 joins Arrow (renewed for Season 6), The Flash (Season 4), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (Season 3), Supergirl (Season 3) as well as veteran Supernatural and praised comedies Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season 3) and Jane the Virgin (Season 4).

Additionally, the CW just gave a Season 2 pickup to Riverdale, the first freshman show this season to get a renewal. The network’s new fall entries, No Tomorrow and Frequency, are considered very long shots unless either gets major traction with their reruns, currently available on Netflix.

Yet to debut are the new seasons of iZombie and The Originals, whose fate will be an April-May decision.



The 100 has done solid business, running on par with such other renewed CW series as Jane the Virgin and Riverdale. Like those two, it sees significant amounts of delayed and digital viewing. The 100 averages a +70% increase in total viewers, a +73% gain in adults 18-34, and an +86% jump in adults 18-49 in Live+7 day ratings over Live+Same Day.

Based on the book series by Kass Morgan, The 100 is from Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Rothenberg and Leslie Morgenstein.