Following the cancellation of The CW series Walker, star Jared Padalecki (Supernatural, Gilmore Girls) shared his honest opinions when asked about the network’s decision not to move forward with the show, reported Comicbook.com. Padalecki revealed his unhappiness with the new direction of the network, saying that after speaking with the head of Nexstar/CW, head of CBS and multiple executive producers, the cancellation was “a multivariate kind of issue” rather than strictly budgetary issues.
According to Comicbook.com, in 2022, Nexstar acquired The CW network, leading to different direction in their show’s programming lineup. Comicbook.com continued that “In 2022 alone, the network canceled ten series, including Naomi, Legacies, Legends of Tomorrow, and Roswell, New Mexico with other series, such as Nancy Drew, Stargirl, The Flash, and Riverdale also getting final series orders.” With Nexstar’s takeover, programming has shifted towards unscripted series, sports and co-produced scripted shows, with original scripted series like Walker and Superman & Lois ending and leaving All American as its last renewed original series.
Padalecki, as an executive producer on Walker, commented on these changes by saying, “I feel like The CW that I was a part of last year is not The CW that I was a part of under [former chairman and CEO] Mark Pedowitz for that entire almost 20-year stretch. They’re just changing the network around, where it’s not really going to be a TV network as much as it’s going to be, ‘Here’s something fun for an hour that you’ll never watch again, but hopefully you watch it. And it’s cheap!’ And I hate to say that, but I’m just being honest. I mean f-ck it. They can’t fire me again. I’m just being brutally honest. I think it felt to me like they were looking for really easy, cheap content that they could fill up time with.”
For context, Walker was a reboot of the 1993 Walker, Texas Ranger series starring Chuck Norris (The Way of the Dragon, Invasion U.S.A.), following the character “Walker after he returns to society after spending years undercover. As the father of two boys and a widower, Walker fight[s] crime alongside a new partner who is the only female ranger in history,” via mxdwn.
As for Padalecki’s next move, he hopes to find a role in Eric Kripke’s (Supernatural, Gen V) hit series The Boys, considering their history working together on Supernatural. Padalecki said if Kripke calls him to be in season five, he would be eager to fly out for filming via Comicbook.com.