Supernatural ran for a staggering 15 seasons and over 300 episodes. It started in 2005, the last year before The WB became The CW. That kind of longevity is exceedingly hard in the primetime television world (unless you’re a CSI or NCIS). More than sheer numbers, the fanbase for Supernatural is one of the most rabid and passionate in sci-fi/fantasy. It seemed, therefore, that the prequel series, The Winchesters, might have better than a fighting chance to find success. Not so, as the network has canceled the series after only one season.
According to Deadline, The CW has opted not to continue with the series, which premiered in October 2022. Set in the 1970s, The Winchesters followed the young love and monster-hunting of John (Drake Rodger) and Mary (Meg Donnelly), the eventual parents of Dean and Sam Winchester. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith played the characters, respectively, on Supernatural. Jensen Ackles as Dean served as narrator for the show. He was also one of its executive producers.
Warner Bros. Television, the studio which produces The Winchesters, has vowed to shop the series around elsewhere. The first season ended in March after 13 episodes. They have the power of the Supernatural fandom at their back, too.
Ackles took to Twitter on Thursday evening with the #SaveTheWinchesters hashtag. The cast made a video, which Ackles shared, to ask for support from the fans—support, that would no doubt make the The Winchesters more appealing to other networks and streamers. You can’t underestimate the power of the Supernatural fans, so we can only imagine how fast this campaign will grow.
Featured Image: The CW
Originally published on May 11, 2023.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
