The CW has continued its recent cutbacks in content, and neither The Winchesters nor Walker: Independence have been given back orders for full seasons, meaning their freshman seasons will remain at just 13 episodes. Both shows are prequels to some of The CW's bigger hits in recent years.
The Winchesters is a prequel to Supernatural, following the lives of John (Drake Rodger) and Mary Winchester (Meg Donnelly) back in the '70s and exploring their demon-hunting origins. The Winchesters is chockfull of Supernatural Easter eggs and has been successful in the ratings. Meanwhile, Walker: Independence is an 1800s-set prequel to the CW's Walker: Texas Ranger reboot Walker (which also stars Supernatural alum Jared Padalecki in the title role). It has also been performing well in the ratings.
According to Deadline, the CW's new owners over at Nexstar have opted not to backorder more episodes for The Winchesters or Walker: Independence. What's more, the report says that this applies to all freshman shows on the CW, regardless of their performance. The report does note that this does not necessarily mean that either show will be cancelled and that decisions on the fates of these series are up in the air at the moment.
The CW underwent ownership changes and has been predicted to experience major shakeups under its new management, and this prediction has proven largely true. A recent round of layoffs at the company underlines Nexstar's desire to cut costs at the network, which is also underlined by their desire to move towards cheaper, unscripted content. Four scripted shows are already confirmed to be ending after their next season on the CW: The Flash, Riverdale, Nancy Drew, and Stargirl. While the former had been on the air for many seasons, the latter two will be ending with their fourth and third seasons, respectively.
With the CW's lucrative Arrowverse coming to an end, it will be interesting to see where the network goes next. Though The Winchesters and Walker: Independence may be doing well by the ratings standards at CW, it's possible that their production costs are making Nexstar doubt their long-term viability. Until a decision on their seasonal orders has been made, however, all that can be said is speculation.
The CW is one of the last places for scripted, network television. With the rise of streaming, such networks have been shuttering left and right, their content dwindling quickly. There's simply no room in the budget for shows like the CW's Flash series, which is coming to an end after its ninth season. The move towards unscripted television may change the face of the network so that it's largely unrecognizable soon enough.
The Winchesters and Walker: Independence are currently airing on The CW.
Source: Deadline