Walker will walk no further at the CW

The Western reboot of the long-running Chuck Norris series will hand in its gun and badge after four seasons

By Matt Schimkowitz | May 22, 2024 | 12:39am

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Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker
Photo: Rebecca Brenneman (The CW)

Shut the door, Walker. Have a seat. The CW wants “to thank the entire cast, crew, writers, directors, and producers of Walker for their hard work and dedication over four incredible seasons,” but your services and roundhouse kicks are no longer required. According to an Instagram post by star Jared Padalecki, The CW has canceled the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot, Walker, after four seasons.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share this news with you,” wrote Padalecki. “Walker will not be airing on CW for a fifth season. It’s a tough piece of news to be sure, but we are SO thankful for the Walker Family that has been built, both on set and off.”

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The CW show thanked team Walker, who they are firing effective immediately. Padalecki, who previously starred on CW (née WB) hits Gilmore Girls and Supernatural, received a special shout-out from the network for being a “member of the CW family for over 20 years and was integral to some of the biggest hits on the network.” That said, please have your locker cleaned out by the end of the day, Padalecki.

Walker was a reboot of the long-running ‘90s drama Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Chuck Norris. That show lasted some 200 episodes, an episode order The CW wasn’t interested in attempting. In 2022, the network launched Walker: Independence, a prequel series that lasted one season.

Per Variety, despite being one of the highest-rated shows on the network, Walker was yet another victim of CW owner Nexstar Media Group’s cost-cutting measures. No longer a bastion of scripted primetime television, the CW is pivoting to cheap reality shows, religious soap operas, and clip shows from within the Totally universe, including Totally Weird And Funny, Totally Funny Kids, and Totally Funny Animals. They’ve also got reality shows Police 24/7, Hostage Rescue, and Loves And Liars. Yeah, it’s looking pretty bleak over there.

Walker was among the last of the network’s dramas. Gone are the days of Arrow and Riverdale, which helped create a solid following of TV viewers that powered the network for the last decade and a half. Superman & Lois ends its run later this year, while the sports dramas All American and All American: Homecoming continue unabated. Which of those shows will survive, and what will be left of them?