Arrow, the TV series based on the Green Arrow comic, has hit the target for the CW, with a full season pickup announced this morning after a strong debut and audience retention.
The CW launched the drama in October, away from the clutter of the typical September Premiere Week, with the series opening to a strong 1.3 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 4.14 million viewers. The opening marked the network’s best premiere since The Vampire Diaries and its most-watched telecast in three years.
“Our strategy of rolling out our new fall schedule later in the year really paid off for the CW on several levels, especially with Arrow, which was the network’s most watched premiere in three years and is one of the breakout hits of the new season,” CW president Mark Pedowitz said. “I’m proud of the quality of Arrow and I’m happy we’ll be able to share more of it with viewers.”The series held strong in Week 2, maintaining its 1.3 rating in the demo and declining a modest 16 percent among total viewers.
It’s a nice pick-me-up for the DC Comics film/TV division, and heck, maybe it will sell a Green Arrow comic or two at some point.
I’m not sure if this Arrow is the same Arrow in Smallville, but the Smallville Green Arrow has a strong presence in the new Smallville digital-first comic.
I’m pretty sure they are meant to be different characters. I have to say I like the show so far, but it’s HEAVILY borrowing from a Nolan sensibility, much heavier then I though it would.
Completely different character.
Also, having read the issue of Green Arrow (#13) that was published right before the premiere of Arrow, it seems like no one at DC Comics seems to want to sell comics to people who watch the television show.
It’s not the same Green Arrow. Different universe.
I think DC would likely argue that the Arrow comic would be the most likely thing that would attract viewers of the show. They have always been pretty up front about the movies/TV shows not influencing the DCU main titles and vice versa. I think the Andy Diggle and Ann Nocenti easter eggs are nice little winks in the first couple of episodes though.
Yes, in this universe Green Arrow is The Punisher. I think he killed at least ten guys in the first episode. Although it does look like Queen bought his mansion from Smallville’s Lex; I’m 99% sure it’s the same interior and exterior.
@Greg: “It seems like no one at DC Comics seems to want to sell comics to people who watch the television show.”
Well, that’s because Dan Didio and Jim Lee don’t want to sell comics to people who might want to read comics, of course — whether it’s hardcore collectors, casual readers or newcomers brought in by the show. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to the comics when Didio and Lee are finally fired for their editorial incompetence.
Interesting. Seeing as I’m enjoying lots of what they’re putting out right now. I guess that means I’m not a person.
Dude needs to work out some.
I never read the comics so as a complete outsider to that perspective, I have to say I really like the show and will watch every week. Might have something to do with the smoking hot dude, though. ;)
That you’re enjoying what they’re publishing doesn’t mean that they’re actually trying to market to you. After all, we’re talking about Jim Lee, whose marketing tactics as one of the Image founders led directly to the collapse of the entire market back in the 90’s and Didio’s open contempt for continuity, one of the *basics* of storytelling just reinforces that.
They’re just trying to get the speculators back — not the readers — even though the $3 and $4 cover prices of the regular covers and the outrageous prices for the variants means that the comics lack something that both speculators and readers want: a cheap buy-in.
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