Posted in: CW, streaming, TV | Tagged: cw, Jared Padalecki, walker

Walker: CBS Studios Head on Series End; Praises Jared Padalecki, Team

CBS Studios President David Stapf addresses CW's cancellation of Walker and praises Jared Padalecki, showrunner Anna Fricke, and the team.

Series star and EP Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) didn't mince words last month when he shared his personal insight into the ending of Walker and how the CW network has changed over time (more on that below). The network's new owners, Nexstar Media Group, are looking to take things in a new – and cheaper – direction. While not abandoning original programming, this version of CW isn't looking to spend a lot – aiming for license fee rates as low as possible while also leaning heavily on licensed programming, live sports, and reality-based programming. During an interview with Deadline Hollywood, CBS Studios President David Stapf addressed the cancellation of a series that was the network's most-watched series.

"We were obviously disappointed, but I get it. It's a business and CW has to make the decisions that they have to make, and I'm sure it was a difficult decision for them as well," Stapf shared. "But we're really proud of that show; those producers and everybody involved did an incredible job, particularly given the budgetary restraints that we kept putting on them; it was pretty extraordinary. [Showrunner] Anna Fricke is a fantastic producer, and Jared is a great producer and lead; he was a really good number one."

During an interview with Variety that went live shortly after the series finale "See You Sometime" aired, Padalecki addressed the situation with the network and his thoughts on where the CW's new ownership and how it differs from the network he was an essential part of making a success.

Before discussing the network, Padalecki shared how he appreciated CBS's David Stapf and CW's Brad Schwartz giving him a chance to inform the team that the show was canceled instead of having to work off of the network's timeline. But when asked if he had a chance to speak with anyone at the CW about the reason it wasn't bringing the series back, Padalecki noted that he was able to speak to two of the major players to get an answer – and it doesn't sound like he was impressed.

"I talked with the head of CBS and the head of Nexstar/CW, I talked with the other [executive producers] on 'Walker,' and I think it was a multivariate kind of issue. My understanding is — and again, this is just what I'm told — that Nexstar is going in a different direction with The CW. I mean, they have an hour of 'Trivial Pursuit' and an hour of 'Scrabble' coming up. I don't know why you wouldn't just download the app or grab a board game and play with your friends, but they're clearly just — what's that great quote? It's like, 'If somebody tells you who they are, ask questions. If somebody shows you who they are, believe them," Padalecki shared.

The actor and executive producer continued, "I feel like The CW that I was a part of last year is not The CW that I was a part of under [former chairman and CEO] Mark Pedowitz for that entire, almost 20-year stretch. They're just changing the network around, where it's not really going to be a TV network as much as it's going to be, 'Here's something fun for an hour that you'll never watch again, but hopefully you watch it. And it's cheap!' And I hate to say that, but I'm just being honest. I mean, fuck it. They can't fire me again. I'm just being brutally honest. I think it felt to me like they were looking for really easy, cheap content that they could fill up time with."

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