A prequel to The CW’s long-running dark fantasy series “Supernatural” and an origin story for its crime drama “Walker” will premiere on the network this fall.
Three other series will make their CW debuts this fall — the legal drama “Family Law,” which aired on Canada’s Global Television in 2021, the action drama “Professionals,” which aired in various nations in 2020, and the competition series “Magic With the Stars.”
Shows not returning include the superhero series “Legends of Tomorrow,” which ran for seven seasons; the prime-time soap opera “Dynasty,” which ran for five seasons; the fantasy dramas “Charmed” and “Legacies” and the science fiction series “Roswell: New Mexico” which each ran for four seasons; the superhero series “Batwoman” and the crime drama “In the Dark,” which both ran for three seasons; and the superhero series “Naomi,” which premiered in January.
“The Winchesters” is described by The CW as “the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester (Drake Rodger) met Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) and put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world.”
Its executive producers include Jensen Ackles, who starred as Dean Winchester in “Supernatural” and will be the narrator of the new series. The pilot was written by Robbie Thompson, a producer on “Supernatural,” which ran from 2005-20. McG, who directed the 2000 film “Charlie’s Angels” and its 2003 sequel, “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” is also among the executive producers.
“Walker Independence” is set in the late 1800s and tells the story of affluent and tough-minded Bostonian Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara), whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey west and arrives in the frontier boomtown of Independence, Texas, where she encounters diverse and eclectic residents running from their pasts, chasing their dreams and keeping their own secrets, according to The CW.
The script for the pilot was written by Seamus Kevin Fahey, a “Walker” producer and writer, from a story he co-wrote with Anna Fricke, “Walker” showrunner.
“Family Law” stars Jewel Staite as Abigail “Abby” Bianchi, a recovering alcoholic attorney struggling to put her career and family back together after hitting rock bottom. As a condition of her probation, Bianchi is forced to work at her estranged father’s (Victor Garber) firm and practice in family law for the first time while forging new relationships with the half-brother (Zach Smadu) and half-sister (Genelle Williams) she never previously met.
Staite is best known for being part of the Fox space Western “Firefly,” which ran for 11 episodes in 2002.
This is the second time a series on American television has been titled “Family Law.” The other ran on CBS from 1999-2002.
“Professionals” marks the return of “Smallville” star Tom Welling to The CW. In “Professionals,” Welling stars as a top-tier security operative hired by a billionaire (Brendan Fraser) to investigate the explosion of a next-generation medical data satellite he designed.
In “Magic With the Stars,” two celebrities train with professional magicians and compete to create a show-stopping series of magic performances. Their performances are judged by a panel including magician Criss Angel.
The CW also announced Thursday that the young adult drama “Riverdale” will begin its seventh and final season at midseason.
The superhero series “Superman & Lois” and “The Flash” and the mystery “Nancy Drew” also will begin their seasons at midseason.
“Gotham Knights,” set in Gotham City following the murder of Bruce Wayne, will premiere at midseason, as will the cooking competition series for professional chefs, “Recipe For Disaster.”
The CW’s 14-hour fall schedule consists of 10 hours of dramas, including two hours of Canadian series and one international, and four hours of alternative programming.
The CW is the fourth major English-language network to announce its 2022 fall schedule, following NBC, ABC and CBS. Fox announced its programming plans for the 2022-23 season Monday but did not announce a fall schedule.
Here is The CW fall schedule:
— Monday: “All American,” “All American: Homecoming”;
— Tuesday: “The Winchesters,” “Professionals”;
— Wednesday: “DC’s Stargirl”; “Kung Fu”;
— Thursday: “Walker,” “Walker Independence”;
— Friday: “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”;
— Saturday: “Magic With the Stars,” “World’s Funniest Animals,” “World’s Funniest Animals”;
— Sunday: “Family Law,” “Coroner.”