In 2009, the CW ordered a pilot to Jason Rothenberg and Bill Robinson's long-in-the-works drama about a group of young Washington, D.C. staffers titled Body Politic.

[4] After the CW didn't pick up the pilot, the Rothenberg and Robinson tried to promote the potential series to other networks including NBC and ABC.

Online describe it as the "Best Pilot you may never see" and that "if the CW ever wants us to take it seriously as a trademark network of our generation, it needs to branch out from its usual routine of picking up shows geared for a younger audience.

[7][8] The series premiered on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, and was watched by an estimated 2.7 million American viewers, and received an 18–49 rating of 0.9.

IGN editor Eric Goldman writes, "Overcoming most of its early growing pains pretty quickly, The 100 was a very strong show by the end of its first season.