It appears as if The CW have given up on the idea of a Supernatural spinoff TV show judging by comments from the network’s president, Mark Pedowitz. With season 14 due later this year, Supernatural has proved itself to be one of the most enduring and popular fantasy-based television properties ever created, with a loyal legion of fans across the world rabidly following the adventures of Sam and Dean Winchester. Given Supernatural’s long and successful on-screen tenure, it’s no surprise that The CW have made several attempts to launch a spinoff series, albeit never with success.
The first of these attempts came in 2014 with Supernatural: Bloodlines. Intended to follow on from the season 9 episode of the same name, Bloodlines would have centered on a group of Chicago-based monster crime families but the episode was nowhere near well-received enough to warrant the production of a full series. The most recent attempt at a spinoff came during the latest season in the form of Wayward Sisters. Starring familiar faces such as Jody Mills, Claire Novak and Donna Hanscum, the series would have seen the female hunting force take on the various nasties of Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas. Although fans much preferred the Wayward Sisters backdoor pilot to the Bloodlines one, the spinoff was not picked up for a full series.
Speaking at the Television Critics’ Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, as reported by EW, The CW president Mark Pedowitz was asked about a potential “third time’s a charm” attempt at a Supernatural spinoff and his reply strongly suggests that fans should not get their hopes up. Pedowitz stated:
Although not many tears were shed when The CW turned down Supernatural: Bloodlines, the concept behind Wayward Sisters packed a lot more star power, was more in line with the tone and premise of the main series and was far better received critically. The backdoor pilot was also one of most watched episodes of season 13. With this in mind, it’s difficult to imagine exactly what The CW are looking for in a Supernatural spinoff, as it would surely be unrealistic to expect a spinoff to attract higher viewing figures than the main series. The backdoor pilot also demonstrated clear chemistry between the core Wayward Sisters cast and the episode’s cliffhanger ending has yet to be resolved.
“We were very happy with the women who were in the Wayward Sisters spinoff. We have a certain number of slots this year. It just did not get there. Supernatural may be Jensen and Jared - and there may not be a franchise beyond that.”
However, there is likely a lot of sense in Pedowitz’s suggestion that there is no Supernatural without Sam and Dean. Even the most hardcore fan of the show would have to admit that Supernatural has had ups and downs in terms of quality and during those dips, it has been the chemistry between Sam, Dean and Castiel that has kept the series alive in a culture of quickfire cancellation. Clearly, despite featuring some of the most interesting side characters in the Supernatural universe and doing well in terms of both critical reaction and viewership, Wayward Sisters failed to convince The CW that a Supernatural spinoff was a good idea and if a butt-kicking Jody Mills couldn’t do the job, it’s likely nothing ever will.
More: Why Supernatural Has A Reduced Episode Count In Season 14
Supernatural season 14 is set to premiere October 11th on The CW.
Source: EW
