For The CW, deciding the fall lineup involved choosing between two spinoffs of popular series. In one corner was Supernatural's Wayward Sisters and in the other, a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries franchise entitled Legacies. In the end, Legacies won out. For fans of Supernatural, one question quickly rose to the forefront: Why? Well, The CW's top boss Mark Pedowitz has explained why the network came to the decision it did, saying:
We are big fans of the characters and the women who played those characters... We hope they continue on as guest stars on Supernatural... But we did not feel creatively that the show was where we wanted it to be. And we felt we had a better shot with Legacies.
There you have it! According to Deadline, Mark Pedowitz offered the reason during a pre-upfronts call with the press. The backdoor pilot for the proposed spinoff aired back in January to good ratings. So the numbers clearly played less of a factor here, as Pedowitz's statement reflects. With him positively acknowledging the cast and the characters, it is unclear where the disconnect between that and a series pick-up occurred. Wayward Sisters is the second Supernatural spinoff to be passed over by the network.
The previous spinoff attempt occurred back in 2014 with Supernatural: Bloodlines. Why a property as popular and long-running as Supernatural has not been able to score a spinoff at this point is anyone's guess. The series, which will return for its fourteenth season this fall, has been a fixture of The CW since the transition from The WB in 2006. The CW boss did not elaborate on the creative advantage Legacies had over Wayward Sisters or why the latter was not where the network wanted it to be.
From the sound of things, the cast of Wayward Sisters will still have a home on Supernatural as guest stars. Fans will have to watch and see how and when Supernatural may work them into Season 14. The spinoff has been two years in the making, according to its co-creator Andrew Dabb. That is a long time to invest in something for it not to work out.
The series was set to follow Supernatural's Sheriff Jody Mills as leader of a group of monster-fighting young women, all orphaned by supernatural tragedies. All of which sounds like a unique premise that would have drawn devoted Supernatural fans, as well as it intrigued non-viewers. Will The CW live to regret passing on the project? Only time will tell. For now, a lot of disappointed Supernatural fans will have to wait for the next potential spinoff to be pitched.
While Wayward Sisters will not be a part of The CW's fall lineup, Supernatural will return for Season 14 this fall. For what you can watch awaiting the drama's return, check out our summer premiere schedule. Want to know what other shows were renewed for 2018-19 broadcast season besides Supernatural? Then check out our 2018 network TV rundown. And remember, you can watch Supernatural's first twelve seasons on Netflix.
