CBS Explains Airing Supergirl Against Gotham

When reports emerged that Supergirl would air on CBS at the same time that Gotham was airing on FOX, fans wondered what the TV executives had going through their heads.

After all, aren't "comic book superhero fans" pretty much all one big, happy demographic? Why would you want to break that audience up?

Well...no, not according to CBS Chairman Nina Tassler.

"Well, I think that they're different audiences," said Tassler today at the Television Critics Association presentation for Supergirl (via IGN). "I think Supergirl has a much bigger, broader audience. It's more family entertainment. And they look different, they feel different."

It's worth noting that while Tassler obviously hopes for a bigger audience, reading this to mean she's predicting they'll easily overtake Gotham would likely be a mistake. What she seems to mean is that the potential audience is much larger -- the same reason big-budget blockbusters tend to go for the PG-13 rating instead of an R, which limits their audience at theaters.

Last season, The CW's iZombie and ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. both aired in the same time slot and both were successful, gaining renewals for the 2015-2016 season.