The CW
The next episode of The 100, which is Season 6 Episode 6 (called “Memento Mori”) isn’t airing next week. Instead, the show is taking a week off and returning on June 11 rather than airing next week on June 4. Do we have any idea why? The CW typically has a week’s hiatus for The 100 in late May or June. This year’s break is probably in preparation for July Sweeps. Read on for more details.
The week break is not because anything special is airing on The CW instead next week. According to TV Guide, next week on June 4 at 9 p.m. Eastern, The CW will simply be re-airing the premiere of Season 6 at 9 p.m. Eastern when a new episode would normally air.
The CW hasn’t made an official announcement about why the show is taking a week off, as of the time of publication. But you can look back and see that they did something similar last year too, only it was one week earlier a couple days after Memorial Day. So this fits The CW’s pattern: they frequently take at least a one week break in either late May or early June from The 100.
The brief hiatus probably doesn’t have anything to do with The 100 not wanting to compete with NBA finals. An NBA finals game is not happening on June 4, according to the current schedule. Plus, The 100 is still returning on June 11 while the finals are continuing.
More than likely, the hiatus is due to The CW wanting to schedule certain episodes to air during Sweeps Week, which is also probably the reason for the hiatus last year too.
The CW often builds hiatuses strategically into its series to make sure they can take advantage of sweeps. In 2017, for example, The CW put The 100 on a three-week break in April because of Sweeps. This year, The CW is likely planning for July Sweeps. The season used to end before July Sweeps happened, but because the show starts later now, The CW will actually be able to air some episodes during summer sweeps.
This year, July Sweeps takes place June 27-July 24, 2019.
The CW likely wants to make sure they air some of their best episodes of The 100 during July Sweeps, thus the one-week hiatus. Whatever the reason, we’re going to miss the show next week.