Posted in: CW, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: cw, preview, season 4, superman & lois
Superman & Lois Final Season Set for 2-Hour Return on October 17th
CW's Elizabeth Tulloch & Tyler Hoechlin-starring Superman & Lois will return on Thursday, October 17th, for a two-hour final season premiere.
Yesterday, we were treated to some quick looks at the fourth and final season of CW's Elizabeth Tulloch, Tyler Hoechlin, Michael Bishop, Alex Garfin & Michael Cudlitz-starring Superman & Lois, courtesy of the fine folks over at CW18 Milwaukee. Until today, we knew that the series would return this fall to Thursday nights at 8 pm – but now we also have a date to pass along. Make sure to make down October 17th for a two-hour season premiere – with the series settling into its one-hour time slot the following week.
Here's a look back at the teaser for the network's fall lineup that dropped on Wednesday – followed by some additional thoughts on the final run that we covered earlier this year:
Last month, Brad Schwartz, CW's President of Entertainment (and someone who still seems to have "'Arrowverse'-on-the-Brain"), shared with TV Line his impressions of what he's seen so far of the final season. "I have watched nine of the 10 episodes, and [they are] f***king awesome. It is weekly-event television. Greg Berlanti and the producers have constructed 10 bangers. They really go for it. I've cried twice watching [the episodes], and I haven't even gotten to the finale yet. It's Emmy-worthy. And, by the way, you can watch this final season without having watched the previous [seasons] and still be emotionally invested in what is happening. It's a wonderful, 10-episode, contained arc." Though he hasn't seen the finale, Schwartz did read the script – adding, "People are going to be blown away."
Earlier this year, Schwartz discussed the series and the final season during the Television Critics Association Winter Press Event about the final season. Noting that the series return would be "wasted" during the summer, Schwartz confirmed that the series will hit screens for its final run this fall. Teasing that the upcoming season is "going to blow your minds, Schwartz added, "I watched the first episode last night. It will make you cry."
But that wasn't the only bit of news that Schwartz made during the event, also noting that Superman & Lois was going to end with its fourth season no matter how well it did. Why? "They don't want a competing Superman product in the marketplace," Schwartz explained, referencing Warner Bros. Discovery & DC Studios' Superman: Legacy, written and directed by DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn. During a rollout of their short-term & long-term plans for their new DCU in January 2023, Gunn & Co-CEO Peter Safran said that they expect the series to run for "one or two more seasons" – with Gunn adding, "It's a show everybody likes, so it's going to keep going for a little bit."
Heading into the final season, the series faces an abbreviated episode count (10 episodes), reductions to the production's budget & writers' room, and departures of series regulars Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck & Sofia Hasmik (though most are expected to appear in some capacity). Yvonne Chapman (Kung Fu, Avatar: The Last Airbender) has joined the cast as Amanda McCoy, a trusted ally of Cudlitz's Lex Luthor. CW's Superman & Lois is expected to kick off its final season sometime this fall. Douglas Smith (Big Love, Clarice) has been cast as Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen, an extroverted 20-something known for being the 'life of the party' around the office. Despite being work colleagues with Clark, he's been unable to get him out of his 'awkward' shell. Unaware of Clark's super-secret, Jimmy's still determined to become his pal.