CW Boss on Future Jane the Virgin Spinoffs, End of Output Deal With Netflix & More!

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Jane the Virgin fans were dealt a huge blow last week when The CW officially passed on Jane the Novella, a prospective spinoff of the soon-to-conclude dramedy. 

The series was to be an anthology, with each season based on Jane the Virgin's titular character's novel series, with Gina Rodriguez attached to narrate. 

Grind It Out - Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 6

But CW boss Mark Pedowitz has now opened up about the decision to not go forward with the series. 

“We are big fans of Jennie Urman and Gina and we had great appreciation of what they did," he said during a conference call ahead of the network's upfronts presentation. 

Related: The CW Orders Batwoman, Nancy Drew and Katy Keene

"In this particular situation, this spin-off didn’t quite get to where we wanted to get to. We have reached out to Jennie and if she wishes we are very interested in pursuing a potential another spinoff for Jennie. It’s in her court.”

Support Me - Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 6

His issue with Jane the Novella was that it lacked the spark that made the original series a hit. 

“This particular project did not have what Jane had,” he added.

While it's unfortunate the in-the-works spinoff is not going forward, it is good to know that there is the option for other series set in the same universe down the line. 

Pedowitz also touched on the status of the other pilot, Glamorous, which failed to secure a series order. 

It remains in contention for a series order, but there needs to be some retooling. 

“We are still looking at Glamorous,” he said.

“It is very, very funny. We will take a harder look at it when we go back to Los Angeles.”

“We believe Ben J. Pierce is a star,” Pedowitz continued. “It needs some retooling so we can try to move forward with it.”

Related: Jane the Virgin Spinoff Among Pilot Orders at The CW

The pilot was said to be an internal favorite at the network, so it remains to be seen whether the retooling will help get the series on the air. 

The other big question mark heading into upfronts was the status of The CW's output deal with Netflix. 

Ending The War - Riverdale Season 3 Episode 21

Deadline reported earlier this week that the deal was not being renewed. Naturally, it raised a lot of questions about the future of the network. 

Through the deal, Netflix took the domestic rights to every CW drama, putting their whole seasons out just eight days after they conclude their linear run. 

“Not at all,” Pedowitz said when asked about how this would affect the network. 

“We have a very strong brand, and it is really up to our studio partners to decide where the past seasons of our programming goes,” he said.

Katy Keene Pic

“It’s important to note that the CW is a vital part of their ecosystem. We end up as a platform making these shows popular and they have increased value across the multi-platform system.”

It means that new CW dramas on deck for the 2019-20 season, Nancy Drew, Katy Keene, and Batwoman will not automatically be earmarked for Netflix. 

Instead, they will be shopped to other buyers, but that's not to say that Netflix won't be interested. Riverdale is a huge success for the streamer, so there's a good chance it could try to land the rights to Katy Keene. 

What are your thoughts on all this CW news?

Hit the comments. 

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.

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Jane the Virgin Quotes

You can't protect her from everything Xiomara. You've done a fantastic job raising a daughter with extraordinary DNA.

Rogelio

Jane: I could see the finish line, first with Michael, and then Rafael, and now it's just not even in sight, and I'm a mom. When I was ten years old making that promise, I didn't see this coming.
Xo: Yeah, makes sense. So, maybe it's time to reevaluate?
Jane: Yeah, maybe.