The CW network has gone on a shopping spree, grabbing four shows that have aired elsewhere.
That includes “Coroner,” plus three supernatural tales – “Swamp Thing” (a favorite among some fantasy fans), “Tell Me a Story” and the animation/live action mix of “Dead Pixels” (shown here).
The CW has been open to buying overseas shows for the summertime. On May 21, it starts the third season of “Burden of Truth,” a Canadian show that has Kristin Kreuk (its former “Smallville” co-star) as a lawyer; on June 10, it starts the second season of “Bulletproof,” a British cop show.
With COVID-19 temporarily shutting down productions, other networks may also go shopping. Fox has announced a fall schedule with two shows that have aired elsewhere – “Cosmos: Possible Worlds” (from the National Geographic Channel) and “L.A.’s Finest” (from the Spectrum system).
No specifics have been set on when the new shows will air. “Coroner” has had two seasons in Canada, with a premise – a crimesolving female medical examiner – that has already worked for several shows and novels. The others are all in the fantasy field, something that abounds on CW:
– “Swamp Thing,” like many CW shows, is based on a DC Comics character. It had one season on the DC Universe streaming service, but was trimmed to 10 episodes after creative differences/
– “Tell Me a Story” had two seasons on CBS All Access. Each season told a self-contained story, putting fairy-tale characters in modern times.
– “Dead Pixels” is a half-hour show (a rarity for CW) that has had one season in England. Its characters are huge fans of an online fantasy game. The show is split between the struggles of their real lives and (via animation) their imaginary world in the game