Why The CW Canceled Jared Padalecki's Walker

There's just something about a procedural cop drama that seems to work well on network television. From “NYPD Blue” to “The Rookie” and everything in between, things like this have a huge audience. That's why the CW tried to reboot “Walker, Texas Ranger” several years ago. The original show featured a star legendary actor and action hero Chuck Norris as the title character. The network tapped “Supernatural” star Jared Padalecki, simply named “Walker,” to do the reboot.

Unfortunately for viewers, “Walker” Season 4, which ended in 2024, was the end of the show. The separated album “Walker: Independence” is also at the end of its activity. after just one season. There won't be a fifth season of adventure for Cordell Walker, and Padalecki is left to figure out what he wants to do with his career in the future. The CW officially canceled the series in May 2024, with the network saying in a statement: The Hollywood Reporter):

“We want to thank the entire cast, crew, writers, directors and producers of 'Walker' for their hard work and dedication over four incredible seasons. We also want to give a special thanks to star and executive producer Jared Padalecki, who has been a part of the CW family for over 20 years and was part of the network's biggest hits.

Padalecki, best known as one half of the Winchesters on Supernatural, remained in the CW family to host “Walker.” In the show, he plays Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two who returns to his home in Austin, Texas after two years in hiding. He soon finds that there is more difficult work to be done there, such as trying to reconnect with his children, dealing with his family, and finding his footing with his new partner, one of the first women in Texas Rangers history.

All of which still begs the question, why did the network cancel “Walker”? In short, the network that aired the show in its fourth season was radically different from the one that had aired the show years earlier.

Written and executive produced by Anna Fricke (“Being Human,” “Valor”), “Walker” is produced by The CW and first airs in 2021. The CW as we know it was a collaboration between CBS and Warner. Bros. However, as the TV landscape rapidly changes in the streaming era, both companies In late 2022, sold a controlling stake in the network to television giant Nexstar. This fundamentally changed the future of the network.

Nexstar came in and immediately looked to maximize profits. This resulted in a lot more unscripted television, which is much cheaper to produce. Scripted shows like “Walker” aren't nearly as cheap, and compared to the audience they attracted, the cost was harder to justify for the new owner. To that end, almost every scripted show on The CW has been canceled in the last couple of years, including all of them The DC Arrowverse shows that with this universe, there is now a thing that wasnot something that still is.

Simply put, Nexstar brass scrapped Walker to fit the new business strategy. Padalecki did not take too kindly to this. In June 2024, in an interview with Diversitythe actor was quite open about his feelings regarding the network's decision to cancel the show.

“I feel like the CW that I was at last year is not the CW that I was at under (former chairman and CEO) Mark Pedowitz for that nearly 20-year stretch. They're just changing the network around where it's not really going to be as much of a television network , as it will be: “Here's something fun for an hour 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, hell. They can't fire me again. I'm just being brutally honest. I think it was I like that they were looking for a really simple, cheap content to pass the time with.”

“Walker” is now streaming on Max, or you can grab the entire series on DVD via Amazon.