When it comes to television networks and their impact on programming, there’s nothing quite like The CW. While the network is now largely focused on unscripted programming and sports after being acquired by Nexstar in 2022, there was once a time when it was the home of some truly incredible shows, most of them focused on the under-served teen demographic. It was the home of iconic teen dramas, innovative comedies, and, eventually, some of the most successful comic book inspired television to date with the so-called Arrowverse. The 2010s in particular were a great time for the network, leaving audiences with a wide range of shows that offered up something for just about everyone.
But while the glory years had no shortage of shows for fans to enjoy, there are a few that stand out as the best in the network’s history. Looking at a combination of critical and audience response, we’ve come up with a list of the seven best CW shows of all time. These seven shows might not be the most iconic, but they are the ones that won people over the most — and you might be more surprised by which shows didn’t make the list than the ones that actually did.
7) iZombie
Rose McIver may be best known for her role as Sam on CBS’s Ghosts, but CW fans might just know her best from our number seven selection, iZombie. Debuting in 2015 and airing for five seasons on the network iZombie is the comic book series that everyone forgets was based on a comic book — it’s an adaptation of the DC Comic of the same name. You can kind of think of it as Buffy the Vampire Slayer with zombies meets a police procedural with a dash of Veronica Mars thrown in (Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas was also behind iZombie).
The series follows Liv Moore (yes, that’s a pun) played by McIver, a medical student until she is turned into a zombie after attending a boat party. She abandons the life she had planned because of her transformation but takes a job at the King County morgue and discovers that when she eats the brains of the dead, she absorbs their personality traits, skills, and flashbacks of their life which she in turn uses to solve crimes. The series eventually expands to Liv and her allies working together — including a search for a cure — but the stakes also get higher as the zombie population of Seattle increases. The show was very well-received by critics, though viewers were particularly unhappy with the fifth and final season. It’s still an overall solid series and one of the most unique takes on zombies yet.
6) Supernatural
Supernatural got its start on The WB, but as The WB became The CW — and 14 of the show’s 15 seasons aired on The CW — it makes the list. In fact, Supernatural is one of the main shows people think about when they think about the network’s programming. The series stars Jarade Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as brothers Sam and Dean Winchester and follows their adventures dealing with just about every kind of supernatural creature and entity you can imagine — including biblical angels, such as Castiel, played by Misha Collins.
Given that the series continues to have a massively devoted fanbase and that it remains one of the network’s most popular ever shows, it might be surprising to see it so low on this list. That’s a product of its longevity. While some of Supernatural’s 15 total seasons were great, others were less well-received by both fans and critics. Still, Supernatural stands as some of the best the network ever produced — and if we’re being honest, some of the best horror to ever air on network television.
5) DC’s Stargirl
DC’s Stargirl is an interesting series. The series technically premiered on the now-defunct DC Universe platform with episodes airing on The CW a day later. This worked for Season 1, but Seasons 2 and 3 aired exclusively on The CW. It’s also unique in that, while the series has ties to the network’s Arrowverse, it isn’t actually an Arrowverse series, despite a cameo on the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Debuting in 2020, Stargirl stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore, a high school student who discovers superhero Starman’s cosmic staff and becomes a new hero, Stargirl, and leads to the formation of a new incarnation of the Justice Society of America.
A fun, family friendly superhero series, Stargirl was a fun and hopeful series that brought to screen some of DC’s perhaps lesser-known heroes. The series didn’t reinvent the wheel by any stretch, but it was a consistently good watch that fans and critics alike both enjoyed. The second season in particular was very highly rated. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled after just three seasons — though the series got a satisfying conclusion that left viewers with a note of hope, perfectly fitting for the series’ overall energy.
4) Superman & Lois
Another comic book inspired series, Superman & Lois is also a bit of a unique entry on the list. While Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent/Superman and Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane were both first introduced in the Arrowverse — and Superman & Lois comes Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing who were also connected to the Arrowverse — Superman & Lois is not exactly part of that world. Set in a different reality, the series centers around a more mature Superman and his family, following Clark and Lois as they return to Smallville to raise their teen sons and also deal with all of the threats that Superman usually faces.
Given the more family-oriented approach to the iconic hero, Superman & Lois is a unique DC Comics adaptation and both critics and fans really responded to that. The show isn’t perfect — it had a very full main cast up until its final season and some felt that the final season was a little lackluster, but overall, the four-season series is for many the gold standard when it comes to Superman portrayals.
3) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Even if we weren’t using critical and fan response as part of our ranking process, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend would still be a top three choice. The four-season romantic musical comedy-drama was created and written by Rachel Bloom and stars Bloom as Rebecca Bunch, a lawyer who moves away from New York City to a town in California in pursuit of her ex-boyfriend from a high-school summer camp that she’s determined to pursue. Despite the wild-sounding premise, the series is actually a really thoughtful (and funny) exploration of mental health and complex relationships. It’s very well-done and a great watch.
And both critics and fans agree on that. While Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was never a huge ratings driver for The CW, it was extremely well-regarded and won multiple Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Critics Choice Award, proving that ratings don’t necessarily equal quality.
2) Jane the Virgin
A very loose adaptation of the Venezuelan telenovela Juana l Virgen, Jane the Virgin ran for five seasons after its debut in 2014 and stars Gina Rodriguez as Jane Villanueva, a very devout 23-year-old virgin who ends up pregnant after being accidentally artificially inseminated by her gynecologist. The series also stars Justin Baldoni, Brett Dier, Jaime Camil and Yael Groblgas.
Jane the Virgin received a lot of acclaim during its run. Not only was it a hit with critics and fans, but it also received multiple Golden Globe nominations with Rodriguez winning Best Actress — Television Series Musical or Comedy. The show also earned a Peabody Award and was chosen as one of the top 10 shows of 2014. The show is funny and wildly outlandish at times as it satirizes the telenovela, but it’s also thoughtful and heartfelt, giving audiences a window into the life of a young woman who is trying to balance family, a major unexpected life change, and her own goals and dreams. The show is one of a kind.
1) Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris’s full cast.
If you are surprised to see Everybody Hates Chris on this list, we understand. The series originally debuted on UPN, but that network merged with The WB to form The CW which is how i8t landed here as three of the show’s four seasons were on The CW. Created by Chris Rock, the series is loosely based on his own childhood growing up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklin. The series boasted a solid cast, including Tyler James Williams, Terry Crews, and Tichina Arnold.
What makes Everybody Hates Chris stand out so much is that the show is more than just a take on a comedian’s life. It’s actually a really well-crafted family sitcom (some have compared it to some of the classic Norman Lear sitcoms that helped to define the genre) and is considered by many critics and viewers as one of the best sitcoms of all time.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!