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The CW is a US television network best known for entertainment programming aimed at a broad audience, and in recent years it has leaned increasingly on unscripted shows such as game shows and reality-style series to fill its schedule. "Scrabble" and "Trivial Pursuit" are television adaptations of the well-known board and quiz games, produced with games company Hasbro, while "Police 24/7" is a documentary-style series that follows police officers on duty.

The three shows matter to The CW because they have become some of its most-watched entertainment programmes, both on the network itself and when repeated in syndication, where local stations across the US air past episodes outside of primetime. Renewing them further ahead of new seasons even airing shows a network betting on cheaper, ready-made programming formats rather than more expensive scripted drama or comedy.

The people involved include familiar television faces fronting the game shows: Craig Ferguson, a former late-night chat show host, presents "Scrabble," while LeVar Burton, an actor and longtime host of the children's reading programme "Reading Rainbow," presents "Trivial Pursuit." "Police 24/7" comes from television producer SallyAnn Salsano, known for other unscripted formats.