The CW announces they have picked up the DC Black Lightning TV series for a full season order.
The CW also renewed iZombie for its fourth season, The Originals for a fifth season, and picked up the new drama comedy show, Life Sentence.
Regarding Black Lightning, the character is being played by Cress Williams and described as centering on Jefferson Pierce who made his choice: He hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with a daughter hellbent on justice and a star student being recruited by a local gang, he’ll be pulled back into the fight as the wanted vigilante and DC legend Black Lightning.
Black Lightning is coming to The CW from executive producers Greg Berlanti, Salim Akil, Mara Brock and Sarah Schechter, from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Salim Akil is directing and wrote the Black Lightning pilot.
The narrative centers on Jefferson Pierce, who had retired his Black Lightning alter ego to focus on his family and career. However, the rise of the local gang, The 100, and the threats they pose to his loved ones compel him to don the suit once more. The series also explores the emergence of superpowers in his daughters, Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain), who adopt the mantles of Thunder and Lightning, respectively.
Originally, “Black Lightning” was in development at Fox, which ordered a pilot in September 2016. However, Fox passed on the project in February 2017, leading to The CW picking it up and officially ordering it to series in May 2017.
