The popularity of The CW's the Winchester brothers as they traveled across America, hunting monsters on the trail of their estranged father. While the main series centered on Sam and Dean – and later, the show's resident fallen angel, Castiel – the wider world of Supernatural offers rich material to expand on. Other fantasy series, such as The Originals and Chris Carter's Millennium, have proved that spinoffs can be as successful as their flagship shows.
Unfortunately, in Supernatural's case, many of its attempted spinoffs were ill-fated. The absence of the series' beloved main duo was felt in shows like The Winchesters, which focused on Sam and Dean's parents. Earlier spinoffs which were introduced through backdoor pilots were never picked up by the network. Following Sam and Dean returning for a 16th season. The series' prior spinoff attempts seem to suggest that the success of a Supernatural revival hinges on the return of its protagonists.
6 Ghostfacers
This Web Series Ran Alongside The Main Show
After their initial appearance in the season one episode, "Hell House," amateur ghost-hunters Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler were well received by Supernatural's audience base. Portrayed by A.J. Buckley and Travis Wester respectively, this hapless duo provided a comic note amid the fantasy-horror's dark overtones.
Supernatural creator Eric Kripke realized the untapped potential for a spinoff series fronted by these characters, and announced his intent to produce more Ghostfacers content at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con. An economic downturn meant that production was delayed until 2009. The largely forgotten Ghostfacers spinoff was eventually released as a web series comprised of ten three-minute segments.
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Its brief format meant that the show focused more on humor, rather than attempting to expand these minor characters with a complex, overarching storyline. The Ghost Hunters spoof worked because it functioned as a Supernatural companion piece, supplementing the main series rather than acting as a stand-alone show. An unreleased eleventh episode was the only one to feature a member of the main Supernatural cast: Misha Collins appeared as Castiel on Ghostfacers in a short webisode tied to Supernatural season 5.
5 Supernatural: The Anime Series
Japanese Anime Studio Madhouse Produced The Supernatural Adaptation
One of the more surprising spinoffs to come out of the main series is the Supernatural anime. Supernatural: The Animation was announced on the official Japanese Warner Bros. website in 2010, and debuted the following year. Produced by Madhouse studio, who are best known for anime series' such as Death Note and Black Lagoon, the 22-episode series covered the plot from the first two seasons of the live-action show, alongside several standalone episodes which featured original storylines and characters.
One of Supernatural: The Animation's most enjoyable aspects is its uncanny cartoon renditions of Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Supernatural's main concept translated well into the anime format, with its dark themes, monster-of-the-week premise, and the tragic backstory of its main characters.
The animated series secured a sense of authenticity by having Jared Padalecki voice Sam in the English-language dub.
Supernatural: The Animation delves into material beyond the show's timeline, such as the episode "Till Death Do Us Part" which covers Sam's first meeting with Jessica. The animated series secured a sense of authenticity by having Jared Padalecki voice Sam in the English-language dub. Jensen Ackles only voiced Dean for two episodes, however, with his character's animated counterpart being portrayed by Andrew Farrar for the rest of the show.
4 Supernatural: Bloodlines
Season 9, Episode 20 Introduced The Spinoff In A Back-door Pilot
The Supernatural season 9 episode "Bloodlines" was supposed to be a spinoff pilot. Written by Andrew Dabb and directed by Robert Singer, the unusual episode depicted five monster families running Chicago's underbelly. Sam and Dean get tangled up in their infighting after meeting novice monster hunter Ennis, who seeks revenge against the families after his girlfriend's murder.
These new characters would have formed the main cast of the spinoff series Supernatural: Bloodlines, styled as a gangster crime drama with a fantasy-horror twist. Despite this unique premise, the CW ultimately declined to pick up the series for its 2014-2015 season. By focusing on the intricacies of a monster society, Supernatural: Bloodlines shifted the gaze of the Winchesters' universe away from the demon hunters who were the focus of the main show.
However, this alternate perspective may have been the proposed series' downfall. The pilot's low ratings, possibly attributed to Sam and Dean's diminished roles, did not bode well for an extended series in which the starring duo wouldn't feature. The network must have correctly predicted that a spinoff without a strong link to the flagship show wouldn't interest fans, though this same mistake was repeated in successive Supernatural spinoff attempts.
3 Samuel Colt
Supernatural Creators Envisioned A Series About The Famed Demon Hunter
A lesser-known Supernatural spinoff was discussed by the creators in the early days of the series. While season three was in production, the writers proposed a the Colt revolver was a legendary hunter whose legacy looms over much of the series.
The character, inspired by the real life gun-maker of the same name, even appeared in a season 6 episode "Frontierland", which saw the brothers travel back in time to partner with their historical predecessor. While the idea was never developed into a full pilot, it remains an interesting premise for a Supernatural spinoff.
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Its historical setting would distance it significantly from the main series, but its unique combination of fantasy-horror and the fictionalized Old West may have been strong enough to make the show work. The show could have reused the time-travel concept to bring back some familiar faces for cameos. Since the original series draws many of its influences from the tropes of the Western genre, this abandoned cowboy spinoff would have slotted nicely within Supernatural's established universe.
2 Wayward Sisters
The Spinoff Series Would Have Starred Kim Rhodes As Sheriff Jody Mills
Wayward Sisters was another attempted Supernatural spinoff that never got made into a full show. Its backdoor pilot premiered in the thirteenth season of the show, and introduced a compelling group of lead characters. The titular "sisters" are a group of young girls orphaned after a supernatural tragedy. Under the guidance of their guardian, Sheriff Jody Mills, they train as a lethal family of monster hunters.
The premise was ed by a heartfelt storyline and the likable Wayward matriarch, who stood out among the series' newcomers. The Wayward Sisters effectively took Supernatural's formula and gender-swapped it, offering a departure from the show's hypermasculinity with some much-needed female leads.
More than just diversity box-ticking, Wayward Sisters made an earnest attempt to flesh out its characters with complicated histories and believable motivations. Compared to Bloodlines, which established an entirely new cast, Wayward Sisters had a much stronger connection to the flagship show. Unfortunately, the CW also ed on the series. Now that there's a gap in the market for Supernatural content, however, a revived Wayward Sisters could be the best way forward for the franchise.
1 The Winchesters
The Most Recent Supernatural Spinoff Ended After Just One Season
Released in 2022, The Winchesters is Supernatural's most recent attempt at expanding the franchise. The fact that the show managed to make it beyond a pilot – quite a feat for a Supernatural spinoff – may be attributed to its focus on characters who were central to the original series. This prequel show delves into the Winchester family tree to follow Sam and Dean's parents, John and Mary, who loomed large throughout Supernatural despite appearing less often in the show.
John Faces A Similar Fate As Dean On The Winchesters
The Winchesters episode 9 created a parallel between John Winchester and his son Dean in Supernatural, where they both have very similar storylines.
The Winchesters was developed by Robbie Thompson, and executive produced by Jensen Ackles, who reprised the role of Dean in the show. The cynical Winchester patriarch was memorably portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the original. Drake Rodger's take on a young John reveals a softer side to the character which fans have rarely seen, while Meg Donnelly's Mary is given a much more expanded role following her fridging in the original series.
The Winchesters Key Facts |
|
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
100% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
49% |
IMDB Score |
6,2 |
With its retro setting, The Winchesters had the potential to be every bit as cool as its parent show, while filling gaps left in the Winchester family story. The existence of a multiverse in Supernatural canon even allowed Dean a cameo appearance in The Winchesters' season finale. Ultimately, though, The Winchesters suffered the same fate as other Supernatural spinoffs, and was canceled in 2023. Showrunners have argued that the Winchester prequel was doomed by poor timing.
The wider world of Supernatural offers rich material to expand on.
But its eventual cancelation seemed inevitable after the franchise's poor track record with spinoff series. To date, no Supernatural spinoff has managed to attain the height of the original show. If the anticipated revival ever makes it to screen, it will first have to break this 17-year curse. Nonetheless, with a significant gap left in the market, the time may be ripe for yet another return to the Winchesters' universe.
Supernatural
- Release Date
- 2005 - 2020-00-00
- Network
- The CW
- Showrunner
- Eric Kripke
WHERE TO WATCH
Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural is a fantasy/drama series that premiered in 2005. The series follows the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester - two men wronged by supernatural beings as children who now spend their days investigating and hunting demons, ghosts, and monsters across the United States.
- Directors
- Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Robert Singer
- Writers
- Eric Kripke, Andrew Dabb, Robert Berens
- Franchise(s)
- Supernatural
- Seasons
- 15
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