After 15 seasons of action, adventure, mystery and the paranormal, The CW’s “Supernatural” is coming to an end.
Actors Jensen Ackles (ex-Eric Brady, “Days of our Lives”) and Jared Padalecki, who play the Winchester brothers, announced the news alongside co-star Misha Collins in an Instagram video published Friday from the show’s Vancouver, Canada set.
“We just told the crew,” Ackles said at the top of the video. “Though we’re very, very excited about moving into our fifteenth season, it will be our last. Fifteen years of a show that has certainly changed my life…I know it’s changed these two guy’s life, and we just wanted you to hear it from us that though we are excited about next year, it will be the finale. The big grand finale of an institution.”
Following some jokes and emotional back and forth between the co-stars, Ackles added, “I will say this, a little word from Eric Kripke, the creator of this world and these characters. In a show about family, it is amazing and it is the pride of his life that it became family.”
The final season will consist of 20 episodes, the same number of episodes ordered for the current 14th season. The series will conclude after airing 327 episodes and will rank 21st in terms of most episodes produced for a scripted primetime series ever. It will hit that mark after surpassing “Family Guy” and “Criminal Minds.” In the meantime, “Supernatural” currently ranks 23rd on the list.
“Supernatural” joins “Arrow” as shows ending their runs next season on The CW. This season, the network will say goodbye to “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” after four seasons, and both “Jane the Virgin” and “iZombie” after five seasons.
A premiere date for the final season (airing in 2019-2020), and when the show’s last episode will air, has not been announced.
“Supernatural” debuted September 13, 2005, on The WB and was renewed for a 15th season in January. When the series concludes next season, it will mark the end of an era for The CW: “Supernatural” is the network’s longest-running series and the only series still on the air since the network’s 2006 launch, wherein predecessors The WB and UPN were merged and filled the new network with the highest rated shows at the time. Other transplants included “Gilmore Girls,” “Smallville,” “America’s Next Top Model” and “7th Heaven,” among others.
Hey #SPNFamily here’s a little message from @JensenAckles @mishacollins and me. I’m so grateful for the family that’s been built because of the show. Excuse me while i go cry. pic.twitter.com/QDXDsAyIfK
— Jared Padalecki (@jarpad) March 22, 2019
It’s been a hell of a run, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all of it. No matter what, we’ll always all be #SPNFamily. pic.twitter.com/VMods3bV4V
— Misha Collins (@mishacollins) March 22, 2019