Will ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Get a Second Season?

You’ve heard the songs, you’ve seen the craziness—and that Golden Globe.  But Crazy Ex-Girlfriend almost never was, and might no longer be next fall.

While The CW picked up the unlikely musical comedy after multiple rejections—and made a star out of Rachel Bloom in the process—there’s still some question as to whether it will be back for a second season.

Bloom recently spoke to NPR to say a renewal is out of her control, but she’s holding out hope that the powers-the-be at the network will sign on for a second season of craziness.

“We’re hopeful,” Bloom said about the chances for a second season. “We’re still waiting on it. We’re hoping for good news, but, you know, it’s something that’s so out of our control — the same thing with ratings, the same thing with awards. All we can do is make the show we want and make it until someone tells us to stop.”

The CW has been supportive of the show, and Bloom’s Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy certainly didn’t hurt matters.  In fact, it came right on time, as the show was surely headed for bubble territory. But the fact that Bloom, 28,  not only won the coveted acting trophy but also took out veteran heavy hitters like Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Lily Tomlin and Jamie Leigh Curtis in the category was pretty darn impressive.

Ar the Television Critics Association winter previews in January,  CW President Mark Pedowitz acknowledged the ratings for the  show weren’t great, but said his team has “great faith in the show, great faith in the showrunners and the creators, Aline Brosh McKenna and Rachel Bloom.”  Pedowitz also said the network stood by the controversial elements of the show, and the underlying mental illness theme, despite the fact that the crazy factor could be what keeps some viewers away.

“We wanted that very in-your-face point of view and we supported it and if that’s the reason we’re not getting a mass audience, then I’m sorry to hear that but we’re not asking them to change the show,” the CW boss said, adding, “I wish the numbers were better, but we believe there is a place on our schedule today for a show like this and we’re going to give it a chance to get seen.”

With support like that, you’d think a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 2 would be a done deal. But it’s not that simple. Even the show’s title has chased some people way. It’s kind of like TV version of judging a book by its cover. CBS’ Angel From Hell suffered a similar fate, and you know how that ended up.  But for Crazy Ex, the title is definitely intentional.

Bloom told NPR, “The whole show is about deconstructing stereotypes and deconstructing people and finding the truth beneath tropes. And so that’s why the title is so, kind of, provocative in that way. You know, using the label ‘crazy ex-girlfriend’ and viewing it from a feminist perspective and how does one come to embody that?”

Bloom’s Globe win may have drawn more attention to the show, but the ratings are still crazy low. But even though the odds are stacked against Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in today’s quick-to-cancel television landscape, Bloom is itching for a second season. Literally. The actress told Entertainment Weekly,  “Writing and creating this show scratches every single creative itch I have. It is the most satisfying thing I have ever done, maybe will ever do. So the more that I can do the show, the happier I am.”

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs on Mondays at  8/7c on The CW.