The CW is leaving the Wild West behind, cancelling Walker Independence after just one season, TVLine has confirmed. Earlier today, the mothership series Walker was renewed for a 13-episode Season 4.
Walker Independence‘s freshman season averaged 950,000 total viewers and a 0.1 demo rating (with Live+7 playback). Out of the 14 dramas that The CW aired this TV season, it ranks No. 4 in audience and is an eight-way tie for sixth in the demo.
In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Seamus Kevin Fahey said there is a Plan B to find the show a new home if The CW does not pick up the series for Season 2.
“If The CW isn’t ready to move forward, what are the other options? So naturally, it would lead to that,” Fahey shared. “No one wants it to go away, long story short. We’re going to do what we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“We have a lot of support at [CBS Studios]. Everyone loves the show. We’re all proud of what we did on the show,” Fahey added.
An origin story set in the late 1800s, the Walker prequel spinoff followed Abby Walker (Arrow‘s Katherine McNamara), an affluent Bostonian whose husband was murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crossed paths with lovable rogue Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr, playing an ancestor of his Walker character, also named Hoyt Rawlins). “Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams,” reads the official synopsis. The resident of Independence “struggle with the changing world around them, while becoming agents of change themselves in a town where nothing is what it seems.”
The cast also included Katie Findlay (How to Get Away With Murder), Greg Hovanessian (Another Life, When Hope Calls), Lawrence Kao (Wu Assassins), Justin Johnson Cortez and Gabriela Quezada. Walker star/executive producer Jared Padalecki is among the spinoff’s EPs.
The show’s finale aired on March 2 and concluded with a cliffhanger twist that set up a bigger threat and new mystery for a potential second season. (Get more scoop on the finale and what might still be ahead in our post-mortem interview.)
Among the 14 broadcast shows still on the bubble are The CW’s Supernatural prequel The Winchesters, All American: Homecoming, Gotham Knights, Kung Fu and Superman & Lois. Check out TVLine’s Renewal Scorecard for the latest intel on those series and many others.
Walker Independence fans, hit the comments with your reactions!
Yellowstone spin-off knockoff?
Technically, the Windy pilot was ordered months before 1923 (then known as 1932) was ever announced.
Yellowstone is like a knock off of Dallas, the prime time soap opera. Walker Independence has nothing to do with that is an entertaining western prequel to Walker, neither of which is a boring soap opera. It also isn’t restricted to streaming subscriptions either.
It is a period western. Not in present time. Not anything like Yellowstone.
Nexstar renewing a show with a male lead while then going to cancel it’s spinoff with a female as the lead in an ensemble show. Sounds oddly damn familiar to what they did to Nancy Drew and to Stargirl. They are so inclusive. /s.
No. 4 in audience and I’m expected to think Nexstar’s Golf and realities are gonna rank higher? They are delusional.
Can’t wait for them to crash and burn in 2025 with all the “profit” they can make without having actual scripted content.
Truly hoping they can find this show a new home.
Nancy Drew was long before Nexstar completed the CW purchase
That’s false, they were in the middle of production of their 4th Season when they got the news on October 26th, at night, that their show would be the last one aka they were canceled in the middle of shooting.
Nexstar completed the purchase in August.
I watched two seasons of Nancy Drew and as fan of the series, I couldn’t get into it. If they’d changed the names and the location, I would have enjoyed it much more. I don’t know where it was in the ratings but surely that had something to do with it, not just the fact that it was female led.
It did take some creative liberties but it was still doing good enough in the standarts of the network even on Friday nights. Much better ratings that the current unscripted things they have now on Thursdays that barely go above 300K.
Did Nexstar say anything about inclusiveness? Thought that was the old guard. lol
They’re all about literally low-cost cheapest product of putting the bare minimum. The CW was all of this time accused of being all about low budget, but Nexstar is whom will truly live up to that reputation. The old guard gave everything a chance and actually handled budget better nor tried to reduced license fee.
Nexstar are a joke in every sense of the word.
Since these cw shows are produced under CBS studios, why not put on Paramount plus? They would have a good home there. Same with East New York.
If Paramount + can do something with their app to make it work without getting stuck and also having them figure out how to have it keep up with which episodes I last viewed. It’s the most annoying app out there now, it really sucks.
I haven’t had too much problems with the Paramount + app.. other than it keeps wanting me to watch Star Trek Voyager after every episode i finish of anything.
For me, it’s Star Trek: Discovery… and I’ve already watched every episode of that long ago.
no problems. Maybe it’s you.
I agree… I havehad constant, ongoing problems with them ever since I’ve subscribed with them.
I feel a bit bad for katherine, she never seems to catch a break, this show cancelled after 1 season, her canaries spin off didnt get picked up, shadowhunters cancelled ahead of intended ending, I hope her luck changes for the better.
This. She’s a trooper though, and keeps on keeping on.
But anyone could have told these execs that a historical western was going to be a hard sell to the CW audience. It needed a real hook.
Her and Lucy Hale could start a production company together, heh.
I guess they thought of that yellowstone franchise and thought easy money.
Oh yeah she had like two shows I think on cw that got canned.
Shadowhunters lasted three seasons.
And still ended too soon……
This show was better than Walker…Just rename The CW because it’s not The CW anymore :(
I agree. I watched two episodes of Walker, and couldn’t get any further. WI caught my attention right away. It has s a great cast, and they could tell any number of stories. Hopefully it will go to Paramount+
This! I would rather they cancel Walker and keeep Independence. I hope they can find a new home for it.
I have a strong feeling
Superman & Lois & Gotham Knights will move to Max considering how well they’ve done on there.
Kung-Fu will be renewed especially because it’s cheap.
A-A: Homecoming renewed as well.
Winchesters cancelled.
With sources saying there will potentially be 4 renewed original series, a new Fall 2024 schedule may be the following:
M
All-American
Canadian Import
T
F-Boy Island (2 hours)
W
Canadian Import (with Chad Michael Murray)
Kung Fu
Th
Canadian Imports (2 hours)
F
Comedy/ Magic shows (2 hours)
Sat
Comedy/Repeats (2 hours)
Sun
Family Law
Canadian Import
What do y’all think?!
And for Midseason:
A-A: Homecoming (Mondays at 8p, new time)
F-Girl Island (Tuesdays, 2 hours, 8-10p)
And
Walker (Thursdays at 8p or Wednesdays at 9p)
There is also Bump season 2 and 3. an Australian import.
I’m personally finished with the CW if they don’t renew Superman & Lois. It’s good that Walker has been renewed, but I need more than that to keep me watching the network. That junk they’re adding to the new CW only makes me want to crap in my underwear. There’s nothing left with all of my old shows going. I’m gone if there’s no S & L AND Walker.
Nah… All American: Homecoming, Gotham Knights, Superman & Lois, and Kung Fu are all done. Nextstar said only 2 or three shows would be returning and with Walker getting the 2nd slot, it’s highly unlikely that any of the bubble shows will get one.
Well Kung Fu just got canceled so scratch that one off
I really hope there’s a plan B in the works. Walker: Independence is a fantastic show with a fabulous cast, great writing, and breathtaking cinematography! It deserves a better home than the CW.
Agree
Thoroughly enjoyed this show — Nexstar is doing everything it can to drive away viewers. They think their business model is so smart but all it will do is drop the ratings into the basement.
This cowboy phase needs to move on. Blah
Yeah…it’s not 1952, Westerns need to stay in the past.
I sure hope someone picks up the show for season 2… I really enjoyed Walker Independence
While I am happy Walker was renewed, I am disappointed about Walker Independence and I’m sure the Winchesters won’t be far behind in cancellation. The CW went from being my most watched network to only watching Star Girl, Walker, W:I, and Winchesters this past year. I have the 2nd half of the last season of Coroner on my DVR but it got so depressing I haven’t felt the need to watch it.
Looking forward to the last season of Nancy Drew but I can’t stand golf and have no interest watching their reality shows. Good bye CW!
Such a bummer. I enjoyed this show WAY more than Walker — couldn’t make it past the 4th ep of that show. This doesn’t bode well for the other CW bubble shows.
CW, I’m very unhappy with your choice to cancel WALKER INDEPENDENCE! I hope it will be picked up by another channel or streaming service.
Somme of us enjoy westerns. Why can’t you consider people older than 49? We watch more tv.
That’s sad for it’s fan.
Gonna be a weird schedule next season with All-American and Walker joined by non compatible canadian imports and reality shows.
Aw, that’s too bad. I really enjoyed this show.
I need this series in my life! I hope it is brought back somewhere!
I like the original Walker but at this point there isn’t much more they could tell to build these characters and stories around. They were basically said by the finale of the first if not by the end of the season season. Axing Walker: Independence is not a smart move since older folk love western themed shows. This is clearly a huge blow to their target demographic. Expect low ratings no matter what they air because CW was in the same sinking boathouse with a lot of shows especially All-American that execs seem to think we like to watch but the numbers say otherwise even from the start. All inclusive my foot. It’s about the benjamins…always have been about the benjamins, lol.
Please don’t cancel this show! Such a good show!!
Mistake. Loved Walker Independence. So much for having programing for older viewers. Grew up watching westerns. Love westerns.
Walker had a great ensemble cast, great acting, a a wonderful story of the issues of the expansion of the American west.
CW is going to loose a lot of us “older” viewers.😥
It isn’t just older viewers, it’s viewers actually IN the West. We’re so ignored out here by everyone, that having the occasional show is wonderful! We actually get represented even if it’s historically. There’s just too much taking place on either coast, and not nearly enough in the center of the country. I always perk up at westerns because it’s home.
I loved Walker independence. This is so sad. I am disappointed to never have closure. Matt Barr is absolutely amazing as Hoyt.
Why is this show getting canceled after one season? They aren’t giving the show a fair shot. They renewed the Winchesters. Whoever decides which shows to renew doesn’t know what they’re doing and obviously doesn’t care about their fans very much. I think u should reconsider and at least give it a couple more seasons to see what happens
They haven’t and probably won’t renew The Winchesters.
I love this show! Something different on the western front! Hopefully it’s picked up on streaming or another network!
This was a good show, really like it,
Not superhero-y enough for them? This show actually had promise.
They renewed Walker and All-American. If you can’t tell, they’re not superhero-y either.
This news wasn’t even surprising considering all the other great shows the “new CW” dumped this past year.