If All American season 7 happens on The CW, the cast could have lots of new faces

Not only has All American become one of the most popular shows on its home network The CW, but the teen football drama has also found impressive success streaming on Netflix. When new seasons are added to Netflix, you can always count on the fan-favorite show to make an appearance on the daily top 10 ranking, along with its spinoff All American: Homecoming.

But as the tides continue to shift on The CW, the network looks ahead to what the future might look like and whether that future will include the three remaining shows still hanging around from the pre-Nexstar days. As fans of Walker and the All American universe keep their fingers crossed for renewals, a new report from Deadline sheds some light on what might happen next.

According to Deadline, all three of the series are more expensive to produce than The CW's new programming due to the fact that they film in the United States. It's unlikely that all three will get a green light for another season, but the outlet points out that as the longest-running series and the one with some streaming prowess, All American season 7 could be in the cards.

All American season 7 would likely intro "new generation"

However, in order to secure a seventh season, All American would probably be forced to undergo the budget cuts that its spinoff encountered to make it to season 3. Deadline also noted that season 6 has been building toward the story's finish line, and now that it's been given two more episodes, that might mean officially closing the book on some of our favorite characters.

As television series age, the stars tend to receive salary raises. If All American would need budget cuts to keep going, that would mean parting ways with characters whose storylines have wrapped (such as Spencer, as he nears the NFL draft and a professional career) and no longer have a place in the story that's being told. It's happened on plenty of shows in the past, like Glee, Friday Night Lights, Grey's Anatomy, and even The CW's own One Tree Hill.

The tricky situation would then lie with both the creative team behind the series and the fans. Would the current showrunner want to continue telling new stories with new characters, or would a new showrunner come in to steer the ship in a new direction? Historically, major casting shakeups can be divisive among audiences. Would diehard fans be receptive to a new generation of characters?

Only time will tell what will happen with All American, but let's all keep our fingers crossed that history doesn't repeat itself. ABC's Once Upon a Time wrapped multiple storylines and bid farewell to beloved characters in season 6. The series rebooted itself in season 7 with a large amount of new characters in a new setting for what would ultimately become a disappointing final season. Sometimes, it's best to say goodbye, but maybe a fresh start could be a touchdown for All American.

All American seasons 1-5 are streaming on Netflix, and season 6 is currently airing on The CW.