Many Supernatural fans rejoiced in 2021 after it was revealed that Jensen Ackles was continuing the franchise with a prequel series. That show, The Winchesters, ultimately made its debut in the fall of 2022 and, while it amassed a devoted fanbase, it struggled on The CW. That’s likely a major reason why the network ultimately opted to cancel it after a single season. Ackles didn’t give up hope, however, as he kicked off a viral campaign to save the series and stated that he’d look to shop the series somewhere else. Though things don’t seem to have gone the EP’s way, as it looks like the show is now officially dead, and Ackles has released a statement.
The freshman series was unable to secure a new network home, according to sources for TVLine. With that, the #SaveTheWinchesters initiative has proven to be unsuccessful. Per the news outlet, all efforts to shop the dark fantasy series around have effectively ended. This development surely comes as a major blow for fans, who’d since rallied around the prequel in the hopes of saving it. And of course, this certainly isn’t how EP and Jensen Ackles – who recently signed a deal with Amazon – would’ve liked things to have panned out. Despite that, he took to Twitter to share a grateful message:
To all of you who watched, followed, and supported this story, THANK YOU. And to all those who brought this show to life…I couldn’t be more proud of what we all did together. But as they say…timing is everything. With a massive Network shift coupled with an industry strike…welp…that’s some unfortunate timing. Sleep well dear @WinchestersOnCW …until we meet again. Somewhere down the road.
“Timing” is indeed a very important element when it comes to the entertainment industry, and the Supernatural offshoot certainly went into the works during a turbulent time. The CW has been going through a series of major changes over the past year or so after being acquired by Nexstar. The company has been looking to cut costs and, as a result, it’s been shrewd when it comes to picking the content it wants the network to carry. This programming approach led to yet another cancellation bloodbath this year. Also, as the actor and producer mentioned, Hollywood is currently being impacted by the ongoing WGA writers strike. So theoretically, even if the show had been picked up elsewhere, it likely wouldn’t have gone back into production right away.
The Winchesters takes place in the 1970s and tracks the early adventures of John and Mary Winchester – the parents of the OG show’s protagonists, Sam and Dean. Jensen Ackles reprised his role as the latter character, who served as the narrator. With this show, the actor hoped to expand upon the lore established within its long-running predecessor. Showrunner Robbie Thompson previously explained that he and the creative team also hoped to “mess with expectations” that fans had.
The season (or series) finale gifted fans with a major surprise, as Jensen Ackles appeared as Dean in the flesh, thanks to some multiversal shenanigans. This prompted some to wonder if Supernatural itself could return at some point. Robbie Thompson addressed the prospect shortly after the final episode aired, and his comments were surely enough to get one pumped.
But alas, it would seem that this is the end of the road for the Winchester family, for right now anyways. Who knows, the franchise could make a comeback at some point in the future, as just about anything is possible. But until such a thing happens, viewers can join the series’ EP and star in celebrating the now-departed spinoff series.
All 13 episodes of The Winchesters are currently streamable using a Max subscription.