It’s that time of year again, where we all huddle around our monitors and wait with bated breath to learn whether or not our favorite shows will return next season. While we still have plenty of time to go before the 2018 upfronts (at which formal announcements regarding renewals and cancellations are often made), it looks as though the Television Critics Association press tour may have given us the early word on the future of ‘Supernatural’.
Fans of the veteran series are, of course, no stranger to anxiously awaiting word of its renewal. The show has been a mainstay of the CW lineup from the very beginning, one of a handful of shows (including ‘Smallville’ and cult hit ‘Veronica Mars’) that made the jump from the antecedent WB and UPN networks. Despite this, it constantly found itself on the bubble in its early years, often leaving fans waiting until the last moment to learn its fate. Of course, since then the show has found a remarkably loyal and passionate audience. Now, the questions surrounding the show’s future – such as they are – have more to do with its longevity than its ratings. After all, the series is currently in its thirteenth season, and even the most beloved show can’t run forever (despite what ‘The Simpsons’ might lead you to believe).
Speaking to Deadline CW president Mark Pedowitz noted that, while he wasn’t ready to make an initial announcement, “next year would be ‘Supernatural’s three hundredth episode, which is remarkable.’ That would be putting it mildly, considering how few shows ever reach triple-digit episode counts (or double-digit season counts, for that matter). Pedowitz then added that the show “will go on as long as it keeps going, the boys keep doing it, and the ratings keep holding.”
That’s not exactly confirmation of a fourteenth season, but reading between the lines of Pedowitz’s remarks, it certainly seems as though the CW’s powers that be are pleased with the show’s ratings performance. This would mean that if the show were to end anytime soon, it would be on its own terms rather than the result of an abrupt cancellation.
‘Supernatural’ is also due to set up a potential spinoff, dubbed ‘Wayward Sisters‘, with a backdoor pilot airing when the show returns from its midseason hiatus. This marks the second attempt at establishing a spinoff, after ‘Supernatural: Bloodlines‘, for which a backdoor pilot aired during the parent show’s ninth season. While ‘Bloodlines’ was ultimately not picked up, Pedowitz seemed optimistic about ‘Wayward Sisters’, noting that he has seen it and liked it. Pedowitz said that the decision would ultimately depend on fan reaction, however, noting that “the real question is whether fans will watch it if the boys aren’t in it.”
‘Supernatural’ stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. The show airs Thursday nights on the CW and will resume its thirteenth season on January 18.
