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Supernatural (TV series)
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Supernatural is an American drama-horror television series starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, brothers who hunt demons and other figures of the paranormal. The series, which is filmed in Vancouver, BC, Canada, debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. The second season premiered on September 28, 2006, and the third on October 4, 2007, though its run was interrupted by the writers' strike. Supernatural returned for a fourth season on September 18, 2008.
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Encyclopedia
Supernatural is an American drama-horror television series starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, brothers who hunt demons and other figures of the paranormal. The series, which is filmed in Vancouver, BC, Canada, debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. The second season premiered on September 28, 2006, and the third on October 4, 2007, though its run was interrupted by the writers' strike. Supernatural returned for a fourth season on September 18, 2008. The series was renewed for a fifth season on February 24, 2009.
Plot
The series follows the brothers Dean and Sam Winchester, played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, who travel across the country in a black 1967 Chevy Impala investigating and combating paranormal events and other unexplained occurrences, many of them based on folklore, myths, and American urban legends, as well as classic supernatural creatures such as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. Eric Kripke, the series' creator, cites Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and American Gods as influences on Supernatural, along with American Werewolf in London and Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey.
The plot of the series has evolved over time, beginning initially with the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, looking for their father throughout most of Season One. Once they find him, the show becomes about killing Azazel, the yellow-eyed demon responsible for the death of their mother 23 years ago. This is accomplished, but not until after Azazel's plans are completed and a door to Hell is opened, although only momentarily, releasing a horde of demons into the world. This event also sees the death of Sam, who is subsequently resurrected by Dean selling his soul at the end of Season Two. In the third season, the plot of the show focuses on trying to save Dean from his deal. Along the way, they meet a demon named Ruby, who has an interest in Sam and claims to be able to help save Dean, as well as Bela Talbot, an "acquirer" and seller of occult objects who is constantly a thorn in their side. The brothers eventually manage to track down the demon who holds Dean's contract, a powerhouse named Lilith who also wants Sam dead. However, Sam and Ruby ultimately fail to save Dean, who is killed and sent to Hell. Season Four begins with Dean awakening dazed and confused in a grave, having been rescued by an angel named Castiel on orders from God. Sam on the other hand, has further developed his abilities with the help of Ruby during the months that Dean has been dead. It is soon revealed that Dean was revived to help stop Lilith's plan of breaking the 66 seals, which would let Lucifer walk free once again.
Cast
Main characters
Recurring characters
* Credited on-screen as a star in the third season, in select episodes.
Episodes
| Season | Ep # | First Airdate | Last Airdate |
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| Season 1 | 22 | September 13, 2005 | May 4, 2006 | | Season 2 | 22 | September 28, 2006 | May 17, 2007 | | Season 3 | 16 | October 4, 2007 | May 15, 2008 | | Season 4 | 22 | September 18, 2008 | --- | | Season 5 | 22 | |
Recurring elements
While the locations and storyline changes on a near weekly basis, there are a few things that show up regularly.
Colt
The Colt, and thirteen original bullets, were made by Samuel Colt for a paranormal hunter in 1835. According to legend, anything shot with it will die, including creatures normally immune to any and all weapons. It also serves as the key to the Devil's Gate. Colt used six of the bullets before it ended up in the hands of John Winchester, who gave it to Azazel in the second season premiere episode "In My Time of Dying" in return for Dean's life being spared after an almost-fatal car crash. At the end of the second season, the last bullet is used to kill Azazel, and the gun is thought to be useless. However, Ruby later assists Bobby in repairing the gun so that it can use more bullets. Towards the end of the third season, Bela steals the gun from the brothers and gives it to Lilith in an attempt to get out of her own deal she made ten years prior.
Impala
Dean's trademark black 1967 Chevrolet Impala was passed down to him by his father, who bought it in 1973 after Dean, sent back in time by Castiel, convinced him to purchase it over a 1964 VW Van in the episode "In the Beginning". It bears a Sedgwick County, Kansas license (though their hometown of Lawrence, Kansas is actually in Douglas County) plate KAZ 2Y5, a reference to Kansas, the Winchesters' home state, and 2005, the year the show premiered. Starting in the episode 2.20 "What Is and What Should Never Be", the car sports a new Ohio license plate (CNK 80Q3) to aid the brothers in hiding from the FBI.
The car has been prominently featured on the series, beginning with the teaser of the pilot which shows John Winchester holding his two sons as he sits on the car and watches his house burn. The car is Dean's most prized possession, and he protects it with nearly the same ferocity with which he protects his family. Despite this, however, he attacks the car's rear with a crowbar after a talk with Sam in the episode "Everybody Loves A Clown" due to the pressure from his dying father's secret about Sam. In the pilot episode, the trunk is revealed to hold various weaponry to fight the supernatural.
In an interview at a convention, Ackles said the main Impala they use has a 427 and skid plates. The actual car was bought from the Kelley family of Farmingdale, NJ in 2005. The Kelleys were the second owners of the car, they bought it from the original owners. The car was bought new in 1967 at Mathews Chevrolet in Farmingdale, NJ. It was originally baby blue with baby blue interior and dual bench seats. After Sam inherits the car following Dean's death in the third season finale, he revamps the radio with an iPod jack.
Parents
While only featured in a select few episodes, Sam and Dean's parents play a pivotal role in the series. Mary's death compels John to become a hunter to kill the demon responsible, training his sons along the way. The influence of John Winchester is seen in the series even after his death, as the boys constantly reference his journal for advice. They repeatedly run into other hunters or civilians that knew John very well.
Roadhouse
First appearing in "Everybody Loves a Clown", Harvelle's Roadhouse is a frequent stop for hunters. It is owned and run by Ellen Harvelle, whose daughter, Jo Harvelle, works there as a bartender. Ash lives in the building, with a room of his own. In the episode "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1", Dean Winchester and Bobby Singer arrive at the Roadhouse, finding it to have been burned down by Azazel's followers. In "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2", Ellen is revealed to be alive, but everyone else inside the roadhouse, including Ash, has died.
Series creator Eric Kripke stated that he hated the Roadhouse, which led to the decision to destroy it. According to him, "It just didn’t work in a road show... It’s a road show! But we have a home. No, that’s the point, it’s a road show, so you don’t have a home. So, burn it!"
Ruby's knife
This weapon is first seen in the third season premiere, "The Magnificent Seven". The knife functions similarly to the Colt, as it is able to kill most demons. Ruby never explains its origin or age, but is quite skilled in its application and use.
Singer Salvage Yard
The salvage yard is owned and run by Bobby Singer, and sometimes serves as a hideout for the main characters.
66 seals
Holding Lucifer at bay are over 600 mystical seals, only 66 of which have to be broken for him to be released. The demon Lilith has begun attempts to break them, prompting God to have the angel Castiel resurrect Dean from Hell to help stop her. While only two seals - the Rise of the Witnesses, which was performed by Lilith, and the summoning of the demon Samhain, achieved by witch siblings - have been shown to be broken, 34 seals have been broken as of the fourth season episode "Criss Angel is a Douchebag".
Trouble with the law
Because Dean and Sam do not get paid for their hunting, the brothers earn their living and pay for their hunting equipment through credit card fraud (a fact which is often mentioned, but never actually depicted on screen), poker winnings, and pool hustling. Furthermore, their investigations often put them on the wrong side of the law, as they have desecrated graves, impersonated various officials, and committed breaking and entering. Framed for murder (and later bank robbery) by shapeshifters, Dean has become a highly wanted man, and the brothers are occasionally pursued by various law enforcement officers, most notably FBI Agent Victor Henriksen. Because of all of this, the brothers often use aliases, usually derived from hard rock musicians.
Production notes
Supernatural is a Warner Bros. Television Production Inc., in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision. From executive producers McG and Peter Johnson with writer/executive producer/creator Eric Kripke and director/executive producer David Nutter. Though the pilot was filmed in California, principal filming takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia with post production work taking place in California.
Production was halted on December 5 2007 upon completion of the twelfth episode due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Originally twenty-two episodes were ordered for the third season, but the season number was shortened down to sixteen episodes, with four new episodes airing in April and May 2008.
Like other recent TV dramas such as Lost, the show does not have an opening credit sequence or theme music, but instead only a title card, generally following a brief recap of previous episodes and the current episode's opening scene. In Season One, the "Supernatural" logo is a flickering aqua-blue text. In Season Two, it appears in flames and the "A" becomes a pentagram. In Season Three, "Supernatural" is a moving silvery text against a background of clouds of demon smoke (in the series, demons frequently travel as smoke outside of human hosts). In Season Four, black bird wings flutter across a white background, followed by "Supernatural" flickering in red against a solid black background. Beginning with the first season episode "Scarecrow", the name of each episode appears before the cast credits.
A "previously" sequence before each episode highlights a montage of past events. This may be scored to a classic rock song, particularly when the episode is important to the story arc. This was first done with the episode "Salvation", in which the entire season was recapped to Kansas's "Carry On Wayward Son". This song was used again in the second and third season finales.
The production team also created a "coming soon" sequence midway through Season Two, set to Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog".
Series creator Eric Kripke has stated that the series' storyline is planned out for five seasons, and that he hopes to end it there on a high note.
Alternative platforms
- Supernatural seasons were made available on iTunes beginning on December 5, 2006. In most cases, the episodes may be downloaded one day after they are aired. It is the first CW show available on iTunes. A notable change for Season One episodes: some of the accompanying classic rock music selections have been changed from the original aired versions.
- The CW has also begun offering the four most recent full, streamed episodes directly from its website .
- Australia's Network Ten began offering full episodes for download via their website, through an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television in January 2006. It is the first U.S. television show available for free download in Australia. The episodes appear online soon after being televised, and are viewable for up to a month after download.
- In November 2006, Season Two episodes of Supernatural were made available for download on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for 160 Microsoft Points ($2) each. Similar to iTunes, the entire season up until the most recent episode has been made available.
Tie-ins
- The website featured in the episode "Hell House" is a real website set up by the show's producers.
- In the episode "Tall Tales", the website Sam mentions his computer is stuck on is actually a link back to the Warner Brothers website.
- For a time, Dean's cell number was a real number, 1-866-907-3235, with Jensen Ackles reading the message: "This is Dean Winchester. If this is an emergency, leave a message. If you are calling about 11-2-83, page me with your coordinates."
- The episode "Tall Tales" featured a tie-in to that week's issue of the tabloid newspaper Weekly World News. Both the print edition (dated February 19, 2007) and online Weekly World News featured an exclusive interview with Sam and Dean as well as a spoiler-free sneak preview of the episode. In the article, written by Paul Kupperberg, Dean says he's been subscribing to the Weekly World News since the fourth grade.
- Supernatural official season guides
- Season One (September 25, 2007)
- Season Two (April 8, 2008)
- Season Three (March 3, 2009)
- Two additional companion guides, The "Supernatural" Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls and John Winchester’s Journal, both by Alex Irvine have been published. These books function as resource guides that contain illustrations and detailed descriptions of the supernatural creatures the Winchester family has encountered, giving additional background on creatures and mythology featured on the show.
- The official premiered on November 27, 2007, published by Titan Magazines. Six issues a year will contain cast and production crew interviews and behind the scenes features.
- In June 2007, the winner of the CW and Promax "making the cut" competition was announced. The winning Supernatural promo can be viewed .
In-continuity
- Three Supernatural novels have been published.
- Supernatural: Nevermore by Keith R.A. DeCandido (July 31, 2007)
- Supernatural: Witch's Canyon by Jeff Mariotte (October 30, 2007)
- Supernatural: Bone Key by Keith R.A. DeCandido (August 26, 2008)
- Supernatural Role Playing Game - A pen and paper roleplaying game (RPG) that is in production through Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. Originally scheduled for release in the summer of 2007, it has had multiple delays. The game will consist of one person known as the Game Master, who runs the whole game, and two or more player characters, known as Hunters. These Hunters can either be newly created characters or Dean and Sam Winchester. The material used will "follow the information from the show, the comics, and the novels."
Ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Supernatural on The WB and The CW.
| Season | Timeslot | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Rank Network | Viewers In Millions | Season High | Season Low |
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| Season 1
| Tuesday 9/8c | September 13, 2005 | May 4, 2006 | 2005–2006 | #127 | #5/19 | 4.52 | 5.82 | 3.26 |
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| Thursday 9/8c |
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| Season 2 | Thursday 9/8c | September 28, 2006 | May 17, 2007 | 2006–2007 | #134 | #9/17 | 3.28 | 3.93 | 2.72 |
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| Season 3 | Thursday 9/8c | October 4, 2007 | May 15, 2008 | 2007–2008 | #120 | #6/17 | 2.92 | 3.25 | 2.22 |
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| Season 4 | Thursday 9/8c | September 18, 2008 | May 2009 | 2008–2009 | TBD | #3/16 | 3.29 | 3.96 | 2.94 |
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Season One
When it first aired on September 13, 2005, Supernatural rated higher than 2003's One Tree Hill premiere in adults 18-34, adults 18-49 and total viewers (5.69 million). Supernatural attained the time period's highest adult 18-49 (2.5) rating for the WB in two years. The episode was #2 in its time period among persons 12-34 (2.5), men 18-34 (2.2) and men 12-34 (2.1), achieving gains over the time period season premiere of One Tree Hill in 2004. Supernatural improved over the WB's hit series among adults 18-34 (2.6, +4%), men 18-34 (2.2, +120%), adults 18-49 (2.5, +19%) and men 18-49 (2.1, +110%) as well as men 12-34 (2.1, +91%) and total viewers (5.69 million, +15%). On October 11, 2005, Supernatural scored its best ratings yet in persons 12-34 (2.6/7), women 18-34 (3.1/8), women 18-49 (2.9/7) and women 12-34 (3.4/9). The series also scored its best ratings yet in teens (3.0/9) and female teens (4.4/14). Supernatural also attracted its second largest audience to date (5.5 million), adults 18-34 (2.5/7), adults 18-49 (2.4/6) and men 18-49 (1.9/5). On January 31, 2006, the drama series achieved all-time ratings highs for the series in adults 18-34 (2.6/7), women 18-34 (3.3/8) adults 18-49 (2.6/6) as well as women 18-49 (3.1/7) and men 18-49 (2.1/5), households (3.8/6) and total viewers (5.82 million). On March 30, the show was moved from Tuesday to Thursday and suffered a ratings decline which many thought was due to the lead-in (from Gilmore Girls to Smallville) and competition (in fact the series aired against CSI: Crime Scene Investigation). On May 4, 2006, the first season finale achieved its best rating after the timeslot move and scored 3.99 million viewers and an estimated 3.0/5 households ratings.
Season Two
The CW schedule was officially released on Thursday, May 18, 2006, confirming Supernaturals place in the program line-up, where it still airs on Thursdays, in the same timeslot, with the same lead-in, Smallville, and aired against Grey's Anatomy and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Supernatural was the only new series from The WB's 2005-06 season that was renewed for a second season by The CW. The second season premiere aired on September 28, 2006 and earned an estimated 2.7/4 rating, out-performing 2005's premiere of Everwood Thursday at 9PM on The WB by 46% in adults 18-34 (1.9/5), 111% in men 18-34 (1.9/6), 19% in women 18-34 (1.9/4), 31% in adults 18-49 (1.7/4), 60% in men 18-49 (1.6/4) and 11% in viewers (3.9 million). On October 26, 2006, the show matched its season best in adults 18-49 (1.7/4) and women 18-49 (1.8/5), and held 90% of "Smallville's" women 18-34 (1.8/5 v. 2.0/6) audience and 100% of its women 18-49 (1.8/4 v. 1.8/5) audience and in total viewers (3.65 million and 2.8/4 households). On March 15, 2007, with guest-star Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), the show averaged its third largest audience of the season, earning 2.3/4 and 3.5 million in total viewers. The second season finale on May 11, 2007, averaged the worst ratings ever in adults 18-49 (1.2/3) and in total viewers (2.72 million).
Season Three
The third season premiere aired on October 4, 2007, average only 2.97 million viewers and 2.0/3 households, 1.2/3 in adults 18-49 and 1.2/3 in persons 18-34. The special episode aired on November 1, 2007, ranked the best ratings for the third season in total vievers (3.24 million and 2.0/3 households), adults 18-49 (1.3/3) and persons 18-34 (1.4/4). That week, Supernatural was the third most-watched show on the CW and tie with a fresh episode of America's Next Top Model. On December 13, 2007, the CW aired the second special episode of the season and average a 2.0/3 rating in total viewers and 1.3/3 in persons 18-34. It was the fourth most-watched show on the CW that week. On January 31, 2008, after a one-month hiatus and with its first episode aired against Lost, it scored 2.94 million viewers and 1.8/3 household, 1.3/3 in adults 18-49 and 1.2/3 in adults 18-34. That week it was the third most watched show on the CW. On February 7, 2008, it ranked the lowest ratings in 3 years, and averaged only 2.68 million viewers, 1.1/3 in adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. Despite this, it was the fourth most-watched show of the week on the CW. On February 21, 2008, a 2-hour full night event of the series, averaged 2.90 million viewers from 8-10 pm. The fresh episode aired at 9pm, scored 3.23 million viewers; Supernatural rose to its second largest audience of the season, and best among adults 18-34 (1.4/4 rating), women 18-34 (1.4/4) and men 18-34 (1.5/4). It was the third most watched show overall, and the most-watched scripted drama show on the CW that week. On April 24, 2008, after a long post-strike hiatus, Supernatural had its lowest ratings in three years with only 2.217.000 viewers and 0.9/2 in adults 18-34 and it was the eighth most-watched show on the CW after all drama shows and reality shows such as America's Next Top Model, Girlicious and WWE Friday Night SmackDown. The season finale on May 15, 2008 pulled 3 million viewers and it was the 2nd most popular script drama show of the network.
Season Four
The fourth season premiere aired on September 18, 2008, averaging its highest rating ever since its debut on The CW Network with 3.96 million viewers, a 33% surge over the season three premiere and a 1.7/5 in adults 18-49, up 42% from one year earlier. On October 16, 2008, the show was watched by 3.06 million viewers, making the lowest rating for the season. On October 30, 2008, the show climbed to its best performance in adults 18-34 (1.4/4), adults 18-49 (1.5/4) and total viewers (3.6mil) since its season premiere on September 18, 2008.
International
DVD releases
| Supernatural: The Complete Second Season | | Set Details | Special Features |
- 22 Episodes
- 6 Disc Set
- 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish
- English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
- Audio Commentaries (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
- "In My Time of Dying" - Director Kim Manners, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles
- "What is and What Should Never Be" - Creator Eric Kripke
- "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1" - Creator Eric Kripke, Director Robert Singer, and Writer Sera Gamble
| Cast/Crew Commentaries Deleted Scenes Gag Reel Jared Padalecki’s Original Screen Test The Devil's Road Map Featurettes- "Script to Screen" - "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2"
DVD-ROM Exclusive Web Site (Access to Online Content) | | Release Dates | | Region 1 | Region 4 | Region 2 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Complete | | September 11, 2007 | October 8, 2007 | May 14, 2007 | September 10, 2007 | September 20, 2007 |
| Supernatural: The Complete Third Season | | Set Details | Special Features |
- 16 Episodes
- 5 Disc Set
- 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French and Chinese
- English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
- Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
| Gag Reel Scene Specifics Featurettes- "From Legends to Reality"
- "Impala"
- "Ghostfacers"
Digital copy of the season | | Release Dates | | Region 1 | Region 4 | Region 2 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Complete | | September 2, 2008 | September 30, 2008 | N/A | N/A | August 25, 2008 |
| Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season | | Set Details | Special Features |
- 22 Episodes
- 6 Disc Set
- 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French and Chinese
- English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
- Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
| Gag Reel Scene Specifics Featurettes | | Release Dates | | Region 1 | Region 4 | Region 2 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Complete | | N/A | N/A | April 27, 2009 | N/A | N/A |
*Available on region 1 and region 4 Collectors Edition releases only.
The first season box set came out in the U.S. on September 5, 2006. It includes all 22 episodes, cast/crew commentaries, deleted scenes, a gag reel and several featurettes. There is also a DVD-ROM "sneak peek" of the second season. Best Buy bundled an exclusive DVD of the Museum of Television and Radio's 2006 William S. Paley Festival Panel interviewing Kripke, Ackles, Padalecki, and several other producers, writers, and directors from the show.
Although the Season One DVD was released almost simultaneously in Australia, all extras were removed, though there were still many references to their existence inside the case. On October 2, 2007, a "Special Collectors Edition" was released with all the special features listed above returned to the set.
In the UK, "Season One - Part One" was released on May 22, 2006, followed by the release of "Season One - Part Two" on August 21, 2006; "Season Two - Part One" was released May 14, 2007 and "Season Two - Part Two" was released September 10, 2007, a Complete Season 2 Boxset is due out October 29, 2007
A boxset of Seasons One and Two was released on September 11, 2007 in region 1 and October 29, 2007 in region 2.
Season Three was released September 2, 2008 in region 1. Best Buy carried a limited (to 26,500) box set that included a Greenlight Collectibles 1:26 scale replica of a black 1967 Chevy Impala, complete with tags and interior upholstering identical to the car on the show, however the replica is of a two-door model where the one used on the show is a four-door.
The United Kingdom, on September 2, also released a Season Trilogy box set.
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