With all of the major networks hosting their upfront presentations next week, many are already getting a head start, issuing series orders from their pilot slate. The CW is one such network, announcing today it has issued a series order for their highly-anticipatedBlack Lightningseries, although it hasn’t been announced if the show will arrive this fall, or if it will be held for a mid-season debut. This show marks the fifth DC Comics series from producerGreg Berlanti, followingArrow,The Flash,DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, andSupergirl, the later of which moved to The CW last season after debuting on CBS.
TV Linereports that bothBlack Lightningand another series,Life Sentence, starring Lucy Hale, were given series orders. This news came just two days after the network canceled bothFrequencyandNo Tomorrowafter just one season apiece. The CW today also handed out renewals for bothiZombieandThe Originalsfor their fourth and fifth seasons respectively. The rest of The CW’s superhero lineup,Arrow,The Flash,DC’s Legends Of TomorrowandSupergirlhave already been renewed for next season, so it will be interesting to see what the network will do with fiveDC Comics TV showson the air.
The first African-American DC Super Hero to have his own stand-alone comic title,Black Lightningis based on the character created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden in 1977. Jefferson Pierce made his choice: he hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with one daughter hell-bent on justice and the other a star student being recruited by a local gang, he’ll be pulled back into the fight as the wanted vigilante and DC legend, Black Lightning. The cast includesCress Williamsas Jefferson Pierce, China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce, Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce and Christine Adams as Lynn.
Thissuperhero TV serieswas first put into development at Fox, but when the network dropped the show, it was quickly picked up by The CW. There were reports that the network would try to stagger all five of its DC Comics shows, ifBlack Lightningwere given a series order, which would likely mean saving at least one or two shows to debut in midseason, instead of airing one superhero show a night. The CW was originally airing four nights of DC programming, withSupergirlon Monday,The Flashon Tuesday,Arrowon Wednesday andDC’s Legends of Tomorrowon Thursday, all airing at 8 PM ET on their respective days. However, in mid-season, The CW movedLegends of Tomorrowto the Tuesday, 9 PM time slot.
Black Lightningwas created by Salim Akil, who also directs the pilot episode and executive produces alongside Mara Brock Akil, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter. The CW holds their upfront presentation on Thursday, May 18, so it’s possible that we may get to see the first trailer, photos or artwork fromBlack Lightningthen. Fans already got their first look at Cress Williams asJefferson Piercein March, when production got under way in Atlanta, but we’ll have to wait and see if the first trailer arrives next week forBlack Lightning.
