The CW has morphed into – frankly – the best broadcast network. It’s almost easy to miss it when cable and streaming are having their big moment, but The CW’s current slate of shows are some of the most entertaining productions on television right now. And of course, we have to rank them!
Like last year, we polled The Young Folks’ staff to rank the Top 10 CW Shows. This is us basically telling you how you should prioritize your CW catch-up binge time this summer.
Click through the slideshow to see which shows made our Top 10.
10. Reign
Most period dramas bore me because they often revolve around the gossip and the dull life of the townsfolk in that era, but Reign is not your average historical TV show. It follows the life and escapades of Mary, Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane) as she navigates the many political and religious obstacles that the 15th century throws at her. In a time where women are considered to be as tradable as cattle, Mary is a great example of feminism. Even after suffering through heart-breaking episodes that scar her emotionally and physically, she maintains the kind of dignity that even earns her the respect of her sworn enemies. The show also upholds the theme of female empowerment through Catherine, the Queen Mother of France (Megan Follows), as she often teams up with Mary to overcome the forces that threaten both their countries. The show’s midseason finale had me on the edge of my seat, and I’m absolutely psyched for its return. – Leigh Ann Brodber
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9. Supernatural
What started out as an exploration of American urban legends has since skyrocketed into one of the CW’s longest running and most popular programs. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester were born into the business of hunting demons and monsters. With a father obsessed with finding the beast that killed his wife, Sam did everything in his power to get out of the family business and settle down with his girlfriend. However, with his girlfriend dying the same was as his mother 22 years before, Sam reunites with brother Dean to emancipate the world from any supernatural threat that comes their way.
With later additions to the team such as troubled angel Castiel (Misha Collins,) Supernatural has continued to gain a strong following even after eleven seasons. Thanks to the stirring, and occasionally hilarious, dynamic between the three leads and the supporting characters, this paranormal dramedy stands as a testament of what can be made when a production team loves what the show they’ve made. With an episode that breaks the entire fourth wall by throwing the Winchester brothers into an alternate reality set production of their lives, you should know to expect a good chunk of laughs alongside the creepier episodes. If you haven’t already dove head first into the fan craze, this is definitely a CW classic worth checking out. – Donald Strohman
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8. The 100
Oh, The 100. What a tumultuous year that we have shared together as show and fans. From the poor decision to kill off a prominent lesbian character in a very “bury your gays” trope manner only to follow it up with killing off a prominent character who was also a person of color to sticking its white characters in “white savior” roles while delegating the rest to season baddies (a few exceptions of course), it seemed that the show was inches from going off the rails. Iit really is all due to the season finale that the entire season didn’t seem like a waste. Exciting, thrilling, allowing the female characters to shine and bringing the LGBTQ relationship to the focus in a moment of glory was everything the show set out to be but without the tone deaf nature of the first half of the season. While it doesn’t reach the heights of season two, it at the very least leaves us on a very promising note of where the show will go next. – Allyson Johnson
7. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
This show was the greatest and most expensive gamble for the CW network to date, but pulls off a DC Comics equivalent to a Guardians of the Galaxy adventure of misfit heroes and anti-heroes on an intergalactic time travel adventure that feels like a satisfying blend of Doctor Who with characters viewers are already familiar with based on their roles in The Flash and Arrow. Characters like Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer, Caity Lotz’ Sara Lance and Wentworth Miller’s Captain Cold get to have a larger sandbox to play with for themselves in addition to stronger scripts and direction to emulate character growth. This is one hell of a feat for a show with a massive ensemble cast, a broad range of science fiction settings and only 16 episodes to do it all in. – Evan Griffin
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6. Supergirl
Forever pleased that Supergirl has made the leap from CBS to the CW, I truly believe this will allow the series to shine. Perhaps the budget will be smaller but the creative freedom will be greater. Melissa Benoist is a star as Kara Danvers aka Supergirl and the persistent theme of being yourself and proud to be a woman is invigorating after so many shows (superheroes in particular) that seem to hang a “boys only” card outside their door. Sure, Supergirl hit more than a few bumps along the way to its finale, but its promise and optimism never once diminished. – Allyson Johnson
5. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Bursting onto the screen with gusto, singalongs and vibrancy, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend may not have the highest ratings (like, at all), but it makes up for it in its critical acclaim. Rachel Bloom leads this wonderful ensemble as Rebecca, a woman who moves across the country after suffering a nervous breakdown while working at a job she hates. Chasing after dreams of her past and fantasy love stories, Rebecca isn’t always an easy character to root for but she’s more than a little empathetic in her plight, and it helps that Bloom is an engaging performer. – Allyson Johnson
4. Jane the Virgin
Delightful, suspenseful and moving, Jane the Virgin’s second season was just as winning as its first. With higher stakes, more complicated relationships and a constant whirlwind of drama, Jane knows how to balance its many tones with ease and effectiveness. However, what really hits home is Jane’s relationship with her mother and grandmother, a trifecta of powerful but different women that is almost a rarity to see onscreen these days. – Gabrielle Bondi
3. iZombie
Possibly one of my favorite shows of the 2015-2016 year, iZombie has managed to exceed most expectations. Harboring an enormous heart and enough wit for three CW shows, iZombie succeeds due to its sheer ambition of scope, refusing to play the narrative with any predictability. Liv, Ravi, Peyton, Major, Clive and Blaine make up one of the most enjoyable cast of characters in recent memory, sharing a palpable chemistry with one another which makes their antics and adventures all the more exciting to watch play out. We care about these characters, and we aren’t ever 100% sure they can be considered safe in any given season – the stakes are real and if the season two finale is anything to go by, the zombie apocalypse is near. – Allyson Johnson
2. Arrow
There is no denying success of The Flash has changed Arrow for both better and worse, but in Arrow’s fourth season the writers team has mostly found the show a perfect sweet spot between delightful campiness and grim character angst that begun in a Post-Smallville sera. Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak return to Star City to reunite with their friends and their drive to protect people, but for Oliver, it is also to find that he can be a hero by focusing on the light within himself, to prove to himself more than anyone else that he is a good person despite all his bad deeds. A lot of relationship melodrama keeps the season from having a lot of great episodes, however Diggle has much more impactful, character defining moments in the season, Thea struggles with side effects of being brought back from the dead, and Felicity has a lot of parental issues resolved. Unfortunately, the Lances, previously the most interesting supporting characters on the series, have the least to work with throughout season four, to the degree that Katie Cassidy as Laurel has more impact on the team after her death than she ever did standing beside them in seasons past. Undoubtedly, Neal McDonough as the season’s villain, Damien Darhk, offers the most variety in character and power since Manu Bennett as DeathStroke in season two, but with darker magic powers and campier jokes than any foe that Oliver has faced. – Evan Griffin
1. The Flash
Barry Allen’s adventures in his second season, despite being similarly duped by his annual adversary, are infinitely more dangerous, and achieve a vast amount of world building while simultaneously building on the main cast’s characterization. It’s even able to do all of this, in addition to introducing a multiverse of the characters we already know, having faith that the viewers can maintain an understanding of who the actors are portraying between the traditional character, and each respective Earth 2 “doppleganger.” The mysteries surrounding Barry this season keep the cast and the viewers on their toes from the slowly revealed identity of Zoom, the origins of the Reverse Flash and the powers of the Speedforce, while the cast grows even stronger with a new Harrison Wells to accompany the Star Labs crew and the introduction of Joe West’s son Wally, the promise of new and interesting characters makes the future of this show all the more fascinating to behold. It’s all hefty science fiction, yet feels like some of the most human storytelling on network television. – Evan Griffin
Which CW show is your favorite?
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