‘Riverdale’ Spinoff ‘Katy Keene’ Canceled After One Season at The CW

Former Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale is zero for two on The CW. Just two years after the network canceled Life Sentence after only one season, her Riverdale spin-off Katy Keene has also met the chopping block. The series gets the unfortunate distinction of being The CW’s only canceled series of the 2019-2020 TV season.

The CW held off on making a decision on Katy Keene for as long as possible since its shows have found new life on streaming platforms in the past, including Riverdale itself. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Katy Keene did not perform as well as hoped in delayed viewing and on digital platforms like Batwoman and Nancy Drew did this season. Even after Katy Keene moved to HBO Max, Warner Bros. TV and The CW did not see enough of a bump to keep the show alive on the network. Still, Deadline reports Warner Bros. TV is considering a new home for Season 2, possibly including HBO Max.

Like Riverdale and Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Katy Keene was another series inspired by Archie Comics characters overseen by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Hale starred in the title role, an aspiring fashion designer trying to make her way in New York City. Ashleigh Murray moved over from Riverdale to Katy to continue playing Josie McCoy. The rest of the lead cast included Katherine LaNasa as Gloria Grandbilt, Julia Chan as Pepper Smith, Johnny Beachamp as Jorge/Ginger Lopez, Lucian Laviscount as Alx Cabot, Zane Holtz as K.O. Kelly and Camilly Hyde as Xandra Cabot.

Aside from Murray, other Riverdale characters popped up, even though the series was set five years after the mothership series. Robin Givens played Jose’s mother Sierra, while Casey Cott appeared as Kevin Keller, Josie’s step-brother. Mark Consuelos also made a guest appearance as Veronica Lodge’s father Hiram. Hale also appeared in the Riverdale episode “Men of Honor” to introduce Katy.

Work on Katy Keene began back in August 2018, when Aguirre-Sacasa announced another Riverdale spin-off. Hale was based in March 2019 and the show was filmed in New York. “On the show, we’re more focused on Katy wanting to become a designer, but in the comics, she really does a little bit of everything — she acts, she sings, she dances,” Hale said in an interview with TVLine after the Season 1 finale aired. “So that’s exciting for me, because the possibilities are endless.”