The CW on Thursday canceled two more series as network owner Nextstar continues to whittle down its roster of scripted shows. Kung Fu and Supernatural prequel The Winchesters — both produced by Warner Bros. TV, one of The CW’s former owners — won’t return to the network in 2023-24. Kung Fu ran for three seasons, while The Winchesters ends after a single season. The cancellations follow that of first-year show Walker: Independence, which comes from the network’s other former owner, CBS Studios, on Tuesday.
The ‘Winchesters,’ ‘Walker Independence’ Set For Short Freshman Runs, As CW’s Future Remains Unclear
Oct. 11 will see the premiere of The Winchesters, the highly anticipated Supernatural prequel that stars Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger as demon hunters Mary and John, parents of original series leads Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki). Walker: Independence, a prequel of the CW series Walker starring Katherine McNamara, will premiere on the network on Oct. 6.
The CW is taking another swing at a Supernatural spinoff. The network’s first pilot orders of the 2022 cycle include The Winchesters, a Supernatural prequel following the parents of Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) in the long-running series that concluded in 2020. The network has also ordered a pilot for Walker: Independence, a prequel to Padalecki’s current series, and Gotham Knights, a DC Comics show from three Batwoman writers. Additionally, The CW has ordered six more scripts for a Zorro drama that counts Robert Rodriguez among its executive producers.
The CW CEO Mark Pedowitz will be the first to tell you that Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki were the secret to the success of former network juggernaut Supernatural. Now, he’s hoping that one of them — Ackles — will help reinvigorate the recently concluded franchise with The Winchesters, a prequel series as The CW makes its third attempt to launch an offshoot from the 15-season hit.
