Supernaturalmade a few attempts to launch a spinoff series, and details about one are now being shared by a key creative behind the project. Created by Eric Kripke, the Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles-led series remains one of the most popular modern fantasy shows nearly five years after ending, with it often ranking high on whatever streaming platform houses it.
However, even with its popularity,Supernaturalhas struggled to find success with spinoffs, as three different projects were cancelled during development. The one that did finally get off the ground,prequel seriesThe Winchesters, was cancelled after just one season due to decreasing ratings across its 13-episode run.
During a recent interview withTV Insider, Andrew Dabb reflected on the scrappedWayward Sistersspinoff series. The formerSupernaturalshowrunner began by feeling “that ship has sailed” on it happening, even though the pilot script is “really good”, and he and his creative team “spent a lot of time building up to it”:
Bob Berens, who really did the lion’s share of the work on it, did an amazing job. Those actors were amazing. It just didn’t work out for us. But I certainly think there were more stories to tell there.
Dabb went on to share that one of the big goals with the spinoff was to have it be “back to basics” forSupernatural, particularly since it would focus on characters that “weren’t going to necessarily be dealing with angels and demons” at the start, calling that “Sam and Dean’s bailiwick”. Instead, it would “focus on monsters” and the process of Kim Rhodes' Jody forming a team. See the rest of what Dabb shared below:
The other thing that you’d have there, which you didn’t have onSupernaturalas much — you did in bits and pieces — was the formation of this team, which I thought was really cool and a process we had started. And then we were going to get into alternate realities, which, at this point now, they’ve been done so many times. I’m like, “I don’t want to see another story with alternate realities ever again.” But at that point in time, they were still new enough. We were like, “Oh, that’s interesting. We could do something with that.” I mean, there’s a reason we had Chuck [Rob Benedict’s God] destroy all our alternate realities in the Supernatural season finale, because I’m like, “I think we’ve seen enough of that. I think we’ve definitely seen enough of that.”
What Dabb’s Comments Mean For Wayward Sisters
Much likeBuffy the Vampire Slayerbefore it, development onaSupernaturalspinoffnot only always seemed a given, but all the more surprising when none got made. In addition toWayward Sisters, which was set up in season 13, there was also briefly aGhostfacersspinoff in the conversation, while season 9 had a Chicago-set spinoff pilot subtitledBloodlinesnot picked up.
Of the various projects discussed and developed, Dabb’s comments point toWayward Sistersbeing the closest to the originalSupernaturalformula, which could have either worked to the show’s benefit or hindrance. Those wanting a return to the monster-of-the-week format might have welcomed the spinoff, while multiverse adventures could have alienated others.
The more unfortunate takeaway from Dabb’s comments is thatWayward Sistersis that there’s not a likelihoodfor it to get another shot at getting made. ThoughThe Winchesterswas short-lived, it also took a risk with semi-new faces by following John and Mary Winchesters' origins, which the 48% Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes indicates didn’t work.
However, withWayward Sistersfocusing onbelovedSupernaturalcharacters, particularly Jody and Donna, there was a better chance of getting backed by fans. Plus, with Dabb, who was part of the mainline show for over a decade, developing it with fellow series vet, Robert Berens, it would still stand a chance to perform well.
Our Take On Wayward Sisters' Cancellation & Future
As disappointing as it was at the time it was announced,Wayward Sisters' initial cancellation was probably for the best, given Dabb and co-showrunner Robert Singer were in the early days of their run as showrunners ofSupernatural. Though having experience with the show prior, leading the charge on a title like that far into its run requires a lot of attention.
That being said, I do think it would be nice forWayward Sistersto get another shot. In the wake ofSupernatural’s ending, it feels like there hasn’t been a great ongoing replacement, and withBuffy the Vampire Slayergetting a reboot, and talks of a revival from Padalecki and Ackles all the time, they could come back to pass the torch properly to new hunters.
Supernatural
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Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
