When hit drama series Supernatural premiered on the WB on September 13th, 2005, no one in the studio expected the series to outlive not only the network that created it, but also survive over three showrunner exits and two network president changes. Supernatural, which is expected to air its twelfth season this coming October, is deemed as the longest running sci-fi themed show in U.S Television history. The longtime series has also been remarked by other TV series executive producers as an immortal property that will continue to reign in a dedicated fan base and high viewership numbers for many more seasons to come.
Supernatural was the only show developed from the WB lineup that transitioned into the revamped Warner Brothers and CBS sister TV network the CW in 2006. Fans of the Sci-Fi themed show have commented that Supernatural’s two main stars, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, are the dedicated core that have brought loyal viewers to the show every week on the CW.
Mark Pedowitz, the CW’s Chief President, stated that viewership ratings are stable and because of the great cast and crew, he and the longtime series fans will continue to support their creative efforts. Pedowitz even admitted that he expects the series to outlive his time as the CW head chief and wants to ensure that he will help the show’s creators and team create a worthwhile season of sci-fi drama.
Series creator Eric Kripke has commented on the series possible immortality that due to the show’s resilience against the insurmountable odds that emerged after a few major showrunner exits and changes, the crew was dedicated to keep the show interesting and fresh every year. Kripke stated that after every Supernatural season finale, the creative team met up to pitch new ideas for the next season and also discussed how they could plead to keep the series around on the CW.
Even though Krpke left the show after its fifth season, Sera Gamble took over the Supernatural’s showrunner duties for season six and seven. Gamble was then succeeded by Jeremy Carver in 2015, who then passed the showrunner torch to Andrew Dabb for Supernatural’s season twelve.
Supernatural has overcome difficult milestones, but Ackles and Padalecki are determined to see the show’s three hundredth episode air on the CW. The Supernatural team might have gained potential television immortality because of their reluctance to place creative limits on their new episodes.
