The CW

Credits

Descriptions by
TheRealMarcel2000

Captures by
TheRealMarcel2000

Editions by
Sov and TheRealMarcel2000

Video captures courtesy of
La'Saw Brewer and Originalsboy

Background

The CW is an American TV network that is a joint venture between CBS Corporation (now the CBS Entertainment Group division of ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global)), which owned UPN, and Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Time Warner (then WarnerMedia, now Warner Bros. Discovery), which owned The WB. The CW launched on September 18, 2006 through a merger between The WB and UPN.

On January 5, 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS were exploring a possible sale of either a majority stake or all of The CW, and that Nexstar Media Group (which became The CW's largest affiliate group when it acquired and absorbed former The WB network co-owner Tribune Broadcasting in 2019) was a potential buyer. The sale was announced on August 15, 2022, with Nexstar being confirmed as the new majority owner, and was completed on October 3, 2022.

1st Ident (Dare to Defy) (2017-October 2021)

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Visuals: There is a close-up of an object emerging from a colored background. As the camera cuts to another shot of the object, it's revealed that it is the letters in The CW logo (a "C" connected to a "W" with the word "THE" inside the "C") that are emerging. The camera cuts to another close-up of the logo before finally cutting to the fully formed logo.

Variants:

• This ident's background can be dark green, light blue, purple or red.
• For shows by DC Entertainment, after the main animation finishes, there is a transition with the letters "CW" into the DC logo for whatever show is to follow.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Sparkling sounds, and a 4-note synth jingle accompanied by 3 low string notes (this later became the mnemonic of The CW). Composed by David Gamson.

Audio Variants:

• Sometimes, the synth jingle plays earlier than usual.
• For DC shows, the sound effects from the DC logo's variant are heard on the DC logo while The CW jingle plays over.

Availability: Seen before the start of programming on The CW from 2017 to October 2021 (examples being DC shows like The Flash and Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and as a pre-roll bumper on streaming prints of The CW content.

2nd Ident (Dare to Love, Defy Hate) (October 10, 2021-2024)

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Visuals: On a red, white and cyan background, several red layers flip to the left like a book (a la the 2011 TV Land logo) until they form The CW logo, with the word "THE" appearing inside letter-by-letter.

Variants:

• Starting in 2022, the colors are different.
• A version exists where the slogan "DARE TO LOVE, DEFY HATE" is seen at the bottom.

Technique: CGI by John Northway.

Audio: Same as the previous ident, but with a whoosh sound.

Audio Variant: Sometimes, a snippet of Stevie Wonder's "Where Is Our Love Song" can be heard instead. This is usually used for the slogan variant.

Availability: Seen before the start of programming on The CW from October 10, 2021 to January 2024 (an example being Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and as a pre-roll bumper on online streaming prints of The CW content (including originals like All American and acquired programs such as Killer Camp).

3rd Ident (January 14, 2024-)

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Visuals: On a dark green background, a red-orange light flickers a bit, then it stretches into a brightly glowing line with curved ends, before it crashes into a modified CW logo ("THE" is missing, the "C" is shorter and the "W"'s stems are closer to each other).

Trivia:

• The red-orange color of this logo is internally nicknamed "hot sauce".
• The logo's symbol is called "The Stage", formed by extending the C lettering from the logo.

Variants:

• On original shows, the word "ORIGINAL" is seen below.
• A shortened version exists.
• An alternate version exists, where The CW logo appears on a light pink background when the letter "C" is stretching to the left, then the background changes into dark green and the logo forms.

Technique: Computer animation by DixonBaxi.

Audio: A sound of an amplifier being turned on, followed by a synth choir and the striking of a match.

Audio Trivia: According to Chris Spadaccini (the chief marketing officer of The CW), the match-striking sound symbolized The CW's programming would "spark" viewers' emotions and curiosity.

Audio Variant: For the alternate version, the match-striking sound is only heard.

Availability: Seen before the start of programming on The CW since January 14, 2024 (e.g. American prints of Wild Cards) and as a pre-roll bumper on streaming prints of The CW content. The alternate variant can be also seen on Totally Funny Kids and Totally Funny Animals.

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