Stargirl fills a need on The CW, even though it's derivative of other superhero stories

The Hollywood Reporter

"Although it was developed for DC Universe (and episodes will premiere a day earlier on the streaming platform), Stargirl skews much younger and lighter than the service's variably gloomy and snarky (neither word necessarily meant as criticism) entries like Titans, Doom Patrol and the beloved animated Harley Quinn — making it a much better fit for The CW," says Daniel Fienberg. "So kudos to whoever realized that going sharesies on this one was a good idea. It also benefits Stargirl immensely to be premiering just as most of The CW's regular superhero shows are wrapping their seasons or have already settled into what could be a longer-than-usual hiatus owing to the coronavirus. It's hard to imagine TV ever having a deficit of superhero shows, but Stargirl's premiere comes at a moment when we may not have a surfeit. The result is that a show that is frequently derivative to the point of distraction might actually fill a need for viewers able to concentrate on its occasional charms until better superhero shows return."

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• Stargirl goes to dark places, despite its sunny hero
• Stargirl is personal for creator Geoff Johns: The character, which Johns created in 1999, is named after his sister Courtney, who died in the explosion of TWA flight 800 in 1996. “I took my love for my sister and DC Comics and combined the two,” said Johns, oversees The CW series. "My sister was a ball of energy and so optimistic and  unafraid," he added. "I wanted to try to capture some of that in a character that would be around forever."
• Brec Bassinger felt a responsibility playing Stargirl: "Geoff is very open and honest about it," she says. "From the very beginning, he was straightforward. I know it's such a sensitive subject, it's such a tragic thing, so sometimes I wouldn't know how to ask certain questions just because I want to be sensitive to him, but he's so great. This role does mean so much to him, so I feel like every day walking onto set, I wanted to do good for myself because I always like to do my best, but I always wanted to do good for him as well.
• Johns wanted to make Stargirl super-accessible: “We wanted to create something that was for everybody"
• Johns explains what changed from the original Stargirl comic