Walker and All American will be getting severely reduced episode orders for their next seasons. So far, the two series are the only shows on the current slate of The CW that have been renewed, as the network's new owner Nexstar has purged almost every other original scripted series. Walker, which is a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Jared Padalecki will be returning for season 4, whereas All American, which stars Daniel Ezra as high school football star Spencer James, will be going into season 6.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, both series will have a limited number of episodes in their return seasons, though it is unclear whether this is due to decreased budgets or the current writers strike. Walker, whose prequel Walker: Independence was canceled last week, has been officially ordered for 13 episodes, five episodes shorter than its previous shortest season of 18. All American does not have an official episode order, but it will have 13 or less, which would be a decrease from its previous minimum of 16 in seasons 1 and 2.

Will The CW's Renewed Series Stick Around For Long?

The future is still uncertain as The CW radically reshifts its priorities. There are currently only three other shows still on the bubble, namely Superman & Lois, the spinoff All American: Homecoming, and Gotham Knights, which stars another Supernatural cast member, Misha Collins. While those shows' fates are still in question, the schedule that The CW is building around them, which includes acquired Canadian series, live golf, and a renewal of the canceled AMC series 61st Street, is building toward a slightly opaque new brand identity.

This is all part of a shift away from more expensive originals and co-productions. If this reduced episode count really is because of budgetary concerns, any renewed shows will need to get strong ratings to continue to prove their worth to the network. One boost in All American, and potentially Homecoming's favor, is that both are currently part of a streaming deal with Netflix that has benefited many CW series in the past.

Walker and All American may have survived the initial CW purge, but their path forward is still rocky. With reduced season orders and unclear renewal priorities, this may not encourage viewers to stick around and see what comes next. If their ratings dip even a little bit, it seems likely that both will get the axe sooner than later.

Source: THR