Why Naomi Won't Be Returning For Season 2

An overwhelming amount of programming on The CW focuses on the superhero genre. Even casual television viewers are probably aware of series like "The Flash" and "Superman and Lois," but they may not be aware that the network's apparent obsession with superpowers extends even beyond the walls of the so-called "Arrowverse." In fact, even the characters from "Riverdale" have developed superpowers in recent seasons.

Despite technically falling in the same category as the aforementioned shows, 2022's "Naomi" managed to separate itself from similar programs on the same network with a rather inventive premise. The series follows teenager Naomi McDuffie (Kaci Walfall), an avid comic book fan who runs a website dedicated to Superman, and who discovers she has superpowers of her own while investigating a mysterious event in her hometown. As she attempts to control her newly discovered powers, she is forced to confront her own mysterious past, and the importance of her place within the multiverse.

The first season of "Naomi" blended the excitement of a superhero origin story with a coming-of-age tale about a girl who feels as though she doesn't belong ⁠— and in doing so established itself as a show that stood out amongst the multitude of superhero media currently dominating television and film. Critics certainly took note of the series' distinctive charm, as indicated by the 90% critical rating the show currently holds on Rotten Tomatoes (which is actually higher than both "The Flash" and "Superman and Lois"). Unfortunately, it was announced in May 2022 that "Naomi" had been canceled, only two days after the climactic Season 1 finale. Here's why.

As reported by Deadline, one of the main reasons The CW chose to cancel "Naomi" was the fact that the show simply could not draw a consistent audience week by week. Although the series managed to attract an audience of around 800,000 for its premiere, the Season 1 finale only drew around half of that number, totaling 428,000 viewers (via TV Series Finale). 

While these numbers are troubling enough, the devil is always in the details when it comes to the cancelation of a series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the most important demographic for network television is the 18-49 age range, and this is where "Naomi" also struggled a great deal. From the series premiere to the series finale, the series lost more than 57% of this crucial viewership.

Interestingly, Deadline also speculated that another factor that may have influenced the show's cancelation is the expected sale of The CW to Nexstar Media Group. Notably, the questionable future of the network has impacted its series in a number of ways, including one that has DC taking a radical approach to San Diego Comic-Con. The network also canceled a large number of series in recent months. In addition to "Naomi," The CW recently said goodbye to "Legends of Tomorrow," "Batwoman," "Dynasty," "Charmed," "In The Dark," "4400," and "Roswell, New Mexico." 

In another article by Deadline, The CW CEO Mark Pedowitz seemed to attribute much of this to the network's current state of upheaval. "Everyone recognized this was a time of transition for The CW," Pedowitz explained. "Unfortunately, some difficult financial and strategic decisions needed to be made at every level..."