Why did the CW cancel Jared Padalecki’s Walker?

There’s something about procedural police dramas that seem to work so well on network television. From “NYPD Blue” to “The Rookie” and everything in between, there’s a huge audience for such things. That’s why The CW sought a “Walker, Texas Ranger” reboot several years ago. The original show is starred Legendary actor and action hero Chuck Norris Like the title character. For the reboot, the network has turned to “Supernatural” star Jared Padalecki for what could be titled “Walker.”

Unfortunately for viewers, “Walker” Season 4, which ended in 2024, was the end of the series. The spin-off “Walker: Independence” is also at the end of its run After only one season. There won’t be a fifth season of Cordell Walker’s adventures, with Padalecki left to figure out what he’d like to do next in his career. The CW officially canceled the series in May 2024, with the network saying the following in a statement (via Hollywood Reporter):

“We want to thank all the cast, crew, writers, directors and producers of ‘Walker’ for their hard work and dedication over four amazing seasons. We also want to give a special thank you to star and executive producer Jared Padalecki, who has been a member of the CW family for over 20 years and has been an integral part of Integrated with some of the biggest hits on the net.

Padalecki, best known as one half of the Winchesters on Supernatural, He remained in the CW family to face “Walker.” In the show, he plays Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two who returns home to Austin, Texas after being undercover for two years. He soon discovers that there is harder work to be done out there, like trying to reconnect with his children, deal with his family, and find footing with his new partner, one of the first women in Texas Rangers history.

All of this still begs the question, why did the network cancel “Walker”? In short, the network that brought the show to the airwaves for its fourth season was radically different from the one that greenlit the show several years earlier.

“Walker,” written and executive produced by Anna Fricke (“Being Human,” “Valor”), was produced by The CW and premiered on the airwaves in 2021. The CW, as we know, was a collaboration between CBS And Warner Company. Brothers. However, with the rapidly changing television landscape in the streaming era, both companies It sold a controlling stake of the network to TV giant Nexstar in late 2022. This has dramatically changed the future of the network.

Nexstar came in and immediately looked to maximize profits. As a result, this has led to more unscripted television programmes, which are much cheaper to produce. Scripted shows like “Walker” aren’t nearly as cheap, and compared to the audience they bring, it was difficult for the new owner to justify the cost. To that end, nearly all scripted CW programming has been canceled over the past two years, including all scripted shows. The DC Arrowverse appears, with that universe now existinginstead of something that still exists.

Simply put, Nexstar officials eliminated “Walker” to fit the new business strategy. This is not something Padalecki took kindly to. In a June 2024 interview with diverseThe actor has been fairly candid about his feelings about the network’s decision to cancel the show.

“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 president and CEO) Mark Pedowitz for that entire period of almost 20 years. They’re just changing the network around, where it’s not going to be a television network as much as it’s going to be “This is a fun hour-long thing that you’ll never watch again, but hopefully you will.” And it’s cheap!” And I hate to say it, but I’m just being honest. I mean, damn it. They can’t fire me again. I’m just being brutally honest. I think it was like they were looking for really easy, cheap content that they could fill their time with.”

“Walker” is now streaming on Max, Or you can get the complete series on DVD via Amazon.