Supernatural was a huge hit for The CW. No other series ran there for so long. In 15 seasons and over 300 episodes, Sam and Dean Winchester fought demons, monsters, Paris Hilton and eventually even God. In reality, however, three years after the end, the future looks bleak.
All four spin-off attempts failed, either right after the pilot or after Season 1. Here you can find out frustrating and unfortunate reasons and why the fantasy horror franchise is on the brink of extinction.
Cursed Fantasy Universe: All 4 spin-off attempts fail for frustrating reasons
With a series as big as Supernatural, there are always spin-off attempts. The broadcaster wants to get more out of the brand, those responsible for the series want to tell more about their universe. But in the case of Supernatural, that became one chronology of failure.
All Supernatural spin-offs and their short lifespan:
Supernatural started the first attempt with the anime series Supernatural: The Animation. Together with the well-known Japanese anime studio Madhouse, Supernatural creator Eric Kripke retold the first two seasons and embellished the childhoods of Sam and Dean as well as supporting characters.
After the 1st season with the cliffhanger finale it was over and there is still no statement about season 2. The 1st season probably stayed behind financial expectations back, which is the most plausible reason for dismissal on this list.
Warner Bros.
Supernatural: The Animation
In Germany, the anime is only available on DVD or Blu-ray *.
Supernatural launched the first live-action spin-off attempt while the series was already in its 9th season. In the 20th episode, a backdoor pilot should launch the offshoot Supernatural: Bloodlines start. A backdoor pilot is an episode within the main series that also doubles as episode 1 of the new series.
In Bloodlines, Sam and Dean stumble upon a monster conspiracy in Chicago and meet the spin-off protagonists along the way. The idea sounded promising, but the series was never ordered.
“The biggest problem was our timing”, summarizes then-author and later showrunner Andrew Dabb. The Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals launched last year and “probably it was just a bit too similar”.
The next offshoot was requested by fans three years before it was created. As Bloodlines should too Supernatural: Wayward Sisters start with a backdoor pilot (season 13, episode 10). The second live-action attempt also didn’t go into series production.
The CW
Supernatural: Wayward Sisters
The reason for this is almost ridiculously frustrating, since Wayward Sisters also failed on a Vampire Diaries spin-off. The station wanted in the year just a single fantasy horror spin-off implement and decided on the second Vampire Diaries offshoot Legacies.
The fourth Supernatural offshoot is called The Winchesters and guaranteed the greatest success of all attempts. Supernatural star Jensen Ackles himself drove the project through Sam and Dean’s parents and even starred in it himself. You can currently only rent or buy the series in this country. *
The odds were absolutely fine. The Winchesters was one of the most watched series on The CW according to Screen Rant. Timing was at fault again and the cancellation continues Supernatural’s never-ending streak of bad luck. The Sender wants to completely reorient itself and has discontinued a large part of the current series.
The survival of Supernatural depends on someone else wanting the fantasy universe
In Supernatural, Sam and Dean were able to break one or the other curse – but in reality it looks bleak. The CW generally sidelines the fantasy horror brand, which means the end of The Winchesters does too the end of the Supernatural universe at the network sealed.
(yet) The CW
Jensen Ackles in The Winchesters
Jensen Ackles does not give up the fight according to his series role Dean Winchester. The only hope for more stories from the Supernatural universe is that another broadcaster or streaming service buys the rights. The producing studio Warner Bros. Television had already prepared for it and is looking for Deadline “aggressive” for a new home.
After 12 years of spin-off misery, Supernatural would be granted an appreciative place to stay.
Podcast tip: Work through the Supernatural finale with us
Together with my colleague Esther, I process the overwhelming finale in this stream trawl episode. We discuss why it had to stop exactly like that.
At this point you will find external content from Podigee, which complements the article. You can show it and hide it again with one click.
The fact that 15 seasons of Supernatural were worth it, despite all the ups and downs, is also shown by the series and fan family that the finale leaves behind. This will last, even with stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki turning to new projects.
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