supernatural

It’s truly the end of an era, as The CW’s longest-running series, ‘Supernatural’ will end after the upcoming fifteenth season.  Stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins delivered the news via Instagram.

Not only is ‘Supernatural’ the longest-running CW show, but it is the longest-running American sci-fi/genre series ever!

Awwwwwww! They were babies! Padalecki and Ackles in ‘Supernatural’ Season One, 2006

Last summer, it was announced that the current fourteenth season would be shorter than normal, 20 episodes, down from the average 23.  This was to allow the cast and crew to spend more time with their families.  The fifteenth and last season will also consist of 20 installments.

‘Supernatural’, created by Eric Kripke, is the only series remaining from before The CW existed.  When it began, it aired on The WB, which later merged with UPN under the new banner.  With the added 20 episodes, it will consist of 327 episodes.  In January, The CW’s president, Mark Pedowitz said that the network would continue to support the show, which despite its longevity was still strongly rated, as long as Ackles, Padalecki, and Collins wanted to keep going.

“As long as the ratings hold up and the guys want to do it, we’re in.  It’s really that simple. They have created something of these two brothers we’ve had these discussions that actually transcends anything.”

The CW has attempted to create spinoffs, most recently last season’s ‘Wayward Sisters’, but none were successful.  Pedowitz admitted that The CW would stop trying as the success of ‘Supernatural’ clearly lie in the appeal of Ackles and Padalecki.

Earlier this month, it was announced that ‘Arrow’ would sign off with a shortened eighth season this fall.  And The CW’s most critically acclaimed shows, ‘Jane the Virgin’ and ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ are also signing off after ‘Jane’s upcoming fifth season, and ‘Crazy’s current.  The network already has several pilots on order, so their odds of getting picked up just got a bit better.

‘Supernatural’ executive producers Robert Singer and Andrew Dabb issued this joint statement:

“Firstly, we would like to thank all the people who have been involved with the show both in front of and behind the camera. For us, it has been an experience of a lifetime. The support we have had from both Warner Bros Television and The CW has been incredible.  We’d like to give special thanks to Jensen, Jared, and Misha for making this journey so special. It is now most important to us to give these characters that we love the sendoff they deserve.”

Are you sad to see ‘Supernatural’ go?  Or was it the right time?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter