The WIT Analysis: The CW

The Charmed reboot is The CW’s most-talked-about new show, according to The WIT’s analysis of social media in the week since the network’s Upfront presentation.

The CW is expanding to a six-night schedule this fall and has slated Charmed for its brand-new Sunday offering, pairing the show (on offer from CBS Studios International) with Supergirl. Counting Jennie Snyder Urman and Ben Silverman among its exec producers, the supernatural drama focuses on three sisters struggling to accept their new destiny as witches. The original, from Aaron Spelling, ran on The WB (which merged with UPN to form The CW) from 1998 to 2006. The trailer logged 10.6 million views as of May 24 on its official Facebook page and on CW’s YouTube playlist, and it has already signed up more than 60,000 Facebook fans, making it one of the most followed new titles of the upcoming season across all networks (second only to Legacies—more on that show later). Meanwhile, it generated the most Twitter conversations out of all the new shows, with more than 25,000 comments (topping the buzz around Dynasty last year).

“The engagement and reaction indicators around the Charmed reboot are among the highest of all upcoming new shows—only with an unprecedented dislike ratio,” says Caroline Servy at The WIT. “The social media audience is massively protesting, arguing that they never asked for a remake but for a revival with the original cast, or a ‘next generation’ reimagining… at least a way to connect the series to the original. The impressions after watching the trailer are not getting better, and fans of the franchise are not quite over the disappointment yet.”

The second buzziest title for the network is All American, a new Greg Berlanti show that will air in the Wednesday night slot after Riverdale. Inspired by the real-life story of NFL linebacker Spencer Paysinger, the drama follows a football star who moves from his hometown of Compton to play for Beverly Hills High School. The only other CW show with a trailer available has just 167,000 views and around 1,000 Facebook/Twitter followers.

While the numbers are low, “the feedback is extremely positive,” says Servy, “with plenty of users relieved to welcome a sportier kind of ‘superhero’ on the young-skewing network and early praise for the cast (including Pretty Little Liars heartthrob Cody Christian) and the realism. The vibes range from 90210 to The O.C., but also Friday Night Lights. People seem hyped, intrigued and will probably sample this new addition to the schedule.”

Although it doesn’t have a trailer available yet, Legacies gets a special mention because of its early social media engagement. Not set to air till midseason, the show, set in the world of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, already has 162,000 Facebook likes, making it the most anticipated show of the 2018-19 season across all networks. The latest from Julie Plec centers on the next generation of supernatural beings at the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted.