‘TV’s Top 5’: The CW, Freevee and Brands That Could Have Been

Welcome to the 260th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.

Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:

1. Headlines

Steve Carell and Bill Lawrence, Marvel’s Vision and Silk, Dexter prequel castings and the latest batch of Netflix’s “ratings” highlight the week’s top TV industry headlines.

2. RIP, Freevee

No, we’re not sure what the difference is between Freevee and Amazon with ads, but we’re pouring one out for the FAST channel’s original programming after news broke this week that both critically praised shows High School and Primo were formally canceled.

3. RIP, The CW

It’s the end of an era: After more than 20 years, Jared Padalecki’s run on The CW is coming to an end as the Nexstar-controlled network has canceled Walker after a four-season run. It marks the latest nail in the coffin for a network that launched the careers of scores of TV writers, showrunners and actors as profits become the priority for the new CW.

4. Mailbag

If you have a question you’d like to hear Dan and me discuss on the podcast, shoot us an email at TVsTop5@thr.com. This week’s listener-driven segment features discussions about the state of scripted on broadcast, which network(s) we most wish were still making originals (beyond The CW) and Dan’s tips for your Memorial Day weekend binge.

5. Critic’s Corner

As usual, we end with Dan’s thoughts on this week’s new and returning series. In this episode, he weighs in on the final season of Evil on Paramount+ as well as its Lollapalooza documentary, plus Netflix’s Tires and the Beach Boys documentary on Disney+.

Hear it all now on TV’s Top 5. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to never miss an episode. (Reviews welcome!) You can also email us with any topics or Mailbag questions you’d like addressed in future episodes at TVsTop5@THR.com.