The Winchesters season 2 may be in doubt. A prequel to the long-running monster drama Supernatural, and set during the 1970s, The CW series follows younger versions of John Winchester (Drake Rodger) and Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) in the 1970s as they fall in love and search for their missing fathers. Even though it's focusing on different characters, the prequel is deeply connected to the original series. Jensen Ackles narrates the show, occasionally appearing on-camera, in addition to serving as an executive producer behind the scenes. Fan favorites from Supernatural also make guest appearances.
But as The Winchesters attempts to start off on a high note, The CW is undergoing a period of significant change. Nexstar, the largest local TV company in the U.S., recently acquired a 75% stake in The CW. Previous equal owners, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, will each retain a 12.5% stake in the network. With the shift in leadership, the teen-focused network has already seen a slew of cancelations and a prioritizing of different programming. Those priorities have now called the future of The Winchesters into question.
According to Deadline, under its new leadership, The CW has decided not to order more episodes of The Winchesters and fellow spinoff Walker: Independence. As a result, the two dramas will remain at their originally planned 13 episodes. The same is expected to apply to all of the network's new shows.
Will Supernatural Spinoff The Winchesters Be Cancelled?
Dennis Miller, the new head of The CW, made sure to stress that no decisions about next season have been made. This would suggest that the lack of additional episodes does not necessarily mean that cancellation news is looming. The Winchesters, which is still early into season 1, having only aired four episodes, performs relatively well in the ratings in terms of the numbers that The CW usually pulls in and it's part of an established franchise. If the ratings hold or even improve, that would obviously bode well for The Winchesters season 2.
But more broadly, in accordance with The CW's older audience, the channel is generally moving away from younger-skewing dramas and favoring cheaper and unscripted series. That likely means that, as cancellations continue, including shows like Stargirl and Nancy Drew, it's unlikely that audiences will see a repeat of Supernatural's impressive 15-season presence on television. Based on the current trajectory of The CW, as well as the nature of the prequel itself, The Winchesters will probably have a shorter run.
Source: Deadline