Superman & Lois Faces Further Grim Consequences of Budget Cuts

Summary

• The network has reduced the number of episodes and cast members for Season 4.
• The new management has also fired three writers.
• Fans are worried this could seriously compromise the show's quality moving forward.

At this juncture, it's no secret that The CW is facing considerable difficulties, with the new management and declining ratings leading fans to believe that the once-popular network could soon close down shop for good. Besides canceling numerous successful projects like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, the new executives failed to introduce fresh shows to recapture viewers. Both The Winchesters and Walker: Independence were canceled after just one season.

And it looks like things have not improved over the past few months. The CW recently announced a substantial budget cut for one of its most popular shows, Superman & Lois, which has agitated the show's fan base.

Season 4's Problems, Explained

Superman & Lois has the dubious distinction of being the most expensive show on The CW's roster because of the extensive CGI and complex action scenes required to drive the show's narrative. Thus, in a bid to save costs, the new management decided to limit the upcoming Season 4 to 10 episodes instead of the usual 13.

Although this was disappointing, fans were somewhat accepting, as many had expected The CW to cancel the show altogether. However, when the new executive team unexpectedly announced a reduction in the show's writing staff from eight to five for Season 4, fans were outraged.

The fact is, Season 3 was one of the best-written installments any The CW show has seen in a while, as the ratings on IMDb clearly demonstrate. Therefore, the prospect of losing almost half of the writing staff in Season 4 did not sit well with fans, who feared the show's quality might plummet.

This, combined with the news that only four regular stars - Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Michael Bishop, and Alex Garfin - have been invited to return for the upcoming season, has led fans to believe that The CW is doing everything possible to undermine the project they cherish so much.