‘The Winchesters’ & ‘Walker: Independence’ to Have Shorter First Seasons Amid CW Cutbacks
The Winchesters and Walker: Independence won’t receive an additional episode order for their first seasons, as the future of The CW remains in flux. Both seasons will remain at the original 13 episodes.
According to Deadline, the CW was hit with dozens of layoffs on Tuesday, November 1, and “a significant reduction in expenses will be a centerpiece of the new owner’s turnaround plan.” Season 2 renewals for both The Winchesters and Walker: Independence are still a possibility, but the Nexstar-appointed president Dennis Miller has decided against backorder for any first-year CW series. Nexstar Media has 75 percent ownership of The CW.
The Winchesters and Walker: Independence aren’t the only series with futures up in the air, with returning series All American, All American: Homecoming, Superman & Lois, and Kung Fu all awaiting renewal. DC’s Stargirl, Riverdale, Nancy Drew, and The Flash are all coming to an end at the CW this 2022-2023 season.
Both The Winchesters and Walker: Independence have strong fan bases, with The Winchesters being the network’s most-watched series debut since Naomi on January 2022. Walker: Independence has an 85 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 71 percent critic rating.
According to Deadline, Nexstar’s plan includes moving toward more unscripted and cheaper scripted programming and targeting programming toward older viewers. They also reported that the list of current series cancellations is expected to grow. Do you want to see. more episodes of these series? Sound off in the comments below.
The Winchesters, Tuesdays, 8/7c, The CW
Walker Independence, Thursdays, 9/8c, The CW
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services