The CW has officially ordered to series the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot entitled, Walker. The show will star Jared Padalecki, fresh off of his 15-year run as Sam Winchester. One of the CW's most popular shows, Supernatural will air the last episode of its 15th and final season May 18, having premiered on the WB back in 2005.
The series follows Sam and Dean Winchester, portrayed by Padalecki and Jensen Ackles; Padalecki has been with the CW since it was the WB, starring on Gilmore Girls and then Supernatural. Padalecki hails from the state of Texas but spends a lot of time in Vancouver, British Columbia where principal filming for Supernatural takes place. With the show ending, and Padalecki looking to work closer to home, the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot appears to be an appropriate next step for the actor.
According to Deadline, the CW has already ordered to series two of its most talked-about pilot orders: Superman & Lois and Walker. The latter is assumed to be a re-imagining of the original Walker, Texas Ranger that aired on CBS from 1993 to 2001; that show famously starred martial artist Chuck Norris as Texas Ranger Cordell Walker. Norris also reprised his role in the 2005 TV movie, Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire. Padalecki will star as Walker in the upcoming series, presumably without the plethora of slow-motion kicks. You can read Walker’s official synopsis below.
A widower and father of two with his own moral code who returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. He’ll attempt to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family, and find unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history) while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
Walker will begin filming its first episode in spring of this year. The show is written by Anna Fricke and produced by Padalecki himself, Dan Lin, and Lindsay Liberatore. Padalecki’s attachment to the project has generated a lot of buzz at the CW where Supernatural has been a cornerstone for over a decade. Supernatural stars, Padalecki and Ackles have enjoyed the support of a very passionate fan base and, in turn, the network where their show continues be to be solid performer.
CW president, Mark Pedowitz said at the Television Critics Association tour last August that the team behind Supernatural would “always have a home here.” That said, it comes as no surprise that the network has decided to invest in Padalecki and Walker. The CW has rebooted quite a few shows in the past such as Charmed and Roswell. They’ve also attempted to birth various Supernatural spinoffs, none of which caught on without Padalecki or Ackles. Hopefully, Padalecki’s appeal will survive his Supernatural departure and be up to the task of filling Norris’s legendary boots. A contemporary, serious take on the unintentionally campy and humorous Walker, Texas Ranger could end up being another ill-conceived reboot.
Source: Deadline