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Supernatural: The Cast and Creators Looks Back on Making 200 Episodes and Ponder the Future
As Supernatural reaches its 200th episode, the cast and creators reflect on the show's success and how much longer it could go.
7 NOV 2014 BY ERIC GOLDMAN
It’s incredibly rare for a TV series to last ten seasons, but Supernatural has done just that and is now set to air its milestone 200th episode this coming Tuesday.
Many of Supernatural’s cast and creators, past and present, recently gathered in Vancouver, where the show films, to celebrate the 200th episode. At the event, I spoke to them about the show’s success, its fans and more, including just how much longer the show could go past Season 10.
Reflecting on Reaching Episode 200
Eric Kripke (Series Creator/Executive Producer/Showrunner - Season 1-5): I was shocked that we got to 22 episodes, so never could I have dreamt that we got to 200. Early in the show, we were fighting every season to stay on the air. Every single season, I started in the writers’ room saying, "Guys, this is the last season. Let’s smoke 'em if we got ‘em!" Eventually they started to call bulls**t on me. I was so sure we were going to get cancelled. Maybe, in my wildest dreams, I thought we would get to the fifth season, but to get to double that and to still be going strong and to be one of the biggest performers on the network, I can’t get my head around that. I’m just proud of it and humbled by it. It’s amazing to me. I’m proud of Sera [Gamble] and I’m proud of Jeremy [Carver] because each one took the format of the show and then made it their own.
Jared Padalecki (“Sam Winchester”): It’s really f**king bizarre. It’s cool. It’s a really rad situation. As you remember, our early years were rocky. We were on the WB and then WB got kind of disbanded into CW and there was a new boss and there was a new channel and there were different actors and actresses and there were different kind of chefs in the kitchen. We were like, “Oh s**t…” We were afraid we’d get lost in the shuffle. But we made it past that and we were like, “Oh, thank God” But then there were road bumps at the beginning of the journey. And now, here we are where I feel like we’re stronger than ever. I really do. And I hate when people say that – “Hey, this is better than ever!” -- that kind of wink-wink, one eyebrow douche stuff, but I just truly feel like Mark Sheppard as Crowley and Misha Collins as Castiel and Felicia Day as Charlie and Jensen Ackles as Dean and [Laughs] Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester really understand their characters and the writers really understand the characters. It’s this weird kind of symbiotic relationships between the writers and actors and the writers and actors and fans where we all get each other and now it’s not the first 15 minutes of a school dance anymore. It’s the end fun part where we’re all just having a fun time; where it’s like, “Hey, this is that song we’ll all get along to.” Not like, “Hey, what do you like?” “I don’t know, what do you like? Well, what does she like?” We’re all on this journey together.
Jensen Ackles (“Dean Winchester”): I still don’t even know what’s happening. Everybody’s like “200!” and I’m like, “Is it? Oh yeah, we did do 200. Gosh, I felt like we were just at 100!” Jared and I have this saying… We didn’t come up with it, but it’s, “Success is what happens when you’re too busy working to pay attention.” I feel like he and I have been too busy, just head down, cranking out the episodes, working with our crew, taking the material the writers give us, making it come to life. Then all of a sudden it’s like, oh, we’re at episode 209! It’s like, “What happened? Well listen, we can’t stop and smell the roses because episode 210, episode 211, episode 212 are on deck, so keep moving, pal.” We ain’t got time. We can smell the roses when the show’s done.
Jeremy Carver (Writer – Season 3-5/Showrunner – Season 8-Present): I think we’re all sort of… Our heads are down trying to tell the best episodes we can and now we’ve looked up 200 episodes later and it’s sort of ridiculous but earned I think and I don’t think it’s been a lot of padding. It’s consistently good, which I think we’re all very proud of.
Misha Collins (“Castiel” – Season 4-Present): When I joined the show, I thought I was going to get three episodes out of it and then when it evolved into six and then nine and a season and two seasons and every iteration of that was astonishing to me. When we were at the 100 episode party, I thought, “Wow, it’s amazing to be a part of something that’s lasted this long” And when we were at the 100 episode party, I’m sure someone on the red carpet said, “Maybe we’ll see you at the 200!” And I’m sure at the time we were like, “Whatever, f**k head. We’ll be gone long before we get to 200!” And lo and behold, here we are. So I don’t think any of us expected this but I think we’re all very happy to be here.
The Secret to Supernatural's Longevity
Eric Kripke: The durability that the concept has, that it can support these different incarnations of it… I think are one of the secrets to its longevity because we don’t get repetitive. It’s a show that’s always been able to reinvent itself. I [also] think it’s the support of the CW. I think it’s also Netflix and new generations are finding the show. Kids who were 3 and 4 when the show premiered are finding it now and able to watch all of it on Netflix. It’s amazing to me. I think they connect with it and I think it’s because it’s about family. It’s not a science fiction show. It’s not really a show about monsters and demons and angels. It’s a show about brothers and it’s a show about a family that fights each other and fights for each other and I think because of that people really connect with it and that’s all Jared and Jensen and I think that’s the secret to the show’s success.
Adam Glass (Writer - Season 5-Present): It starts with our two leads. Here you have Jared and Jensen. They’re unbelievable actors. They’re playing two amazing characters. It’s about family. It’s about the family that they are together as brothers. How many people say, “Dude, I’d go to hell and back for you”? Well, these guys actually do and they do it constantly. And then it’s the friends that they make throughout the rest of it. It’s the Castiels of the world and Bobby, who is one of my favorite characters. Jim Beaver, the amazing Jim Beaver. It’s also the people who you turn around and you make your family. It’s so relatable. Anytime I think when you look at any kind of great science fiction or art, you get really fortunate. You can turn around in genre and you can make a comment about social commentary. I always look at someone like Cas, what a great character. He really is a great reflection. You turn around you're able to look at humanity through this character, who’s an angel, who is learning about humans. There’s something for everybody.
Felicia Day (“Charlie” – Season 7-Present): I think it’s a combination of chemistry between the actors and really great world building. They always say when you’re developing a television show, “What’s episode 200?” And It’s really tough. That’s why a lot of shows are not good or never make it to the air, never get bought. This is one that the minute you see the pilot, you’re like, “I want to be here forever.” The great thing is that it is the kind of show that attracts fans in a way that feel incredibly invested and probably passionate about the world and despite everything, this show keeps going and I can see it going for another ten seasons. It’s kind of crazy.
Genevieve Padalecki (“Ruby” – Season 4): I like to attribute that to Jensen and Jared. I think they have such a beautiful relationship for Sam and Dean and what they’ve created. You can pick up any episode from any season and watch it and love it and watch it individually. You don’t have to watch a season through to understand what’s going on. You can see any of those episodes and you can understand that brotherly love. You can love it as a female going, “Oh my gosh, that reminds me of my family or, “Oh, that’s a friend,” and you can fall in love with those characters and feel empathetic for those characters and with those characters. I think that’s what makes it so wonderful and that to me is the success. Not just that, but there’s so many other components and the people who write it and produce it and get it going… I love that you can watch and witness that love between the two of them.
Mark Pellegrino (“Lucifer” – Season 5, Season 7): I think it’s the family. I think it’s the boys. I think it’s the relationship and the heroism of their relationship and their loyalty to each other. I think it kind of permeates the fanbase because they’re very much the same way.
Mark Sheppard (“Crowley” – Season 5-Present): It’s down to whether you care about the Winchester brothers or not and that’s it. The testament is to Jared and Jensen and great writers and great showrunners and great production and great directors, great people and you say it and everyone says it about their show - but not everyone has ten seasons. We can prove it. I came in as a guest star, as I often do, and I was welcomed from day one. Warmest, nicest group of people I’ve probably ever worked with. I’ve worked with some really good people in my time but they’re gentlemen and they’re fantastic at what they do and they just get better year after year.
Philip Sgriccia (Director - Season 1-Present) This show lives and dies on the backs of Jared and Jensen and then it’s their interaction with the audience that has kept us going. We’ve had really strong writing, really strong guest cast that came in. Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard, Mark Pellegrino… You can keep rattling on. I think it’s all Emmy-worthy but genre shows don’t get the Emmys. It’s all really been on the backs of Jared and Jensen.
Misha Collins: The story has this very relatable family dynamic between brothers and this huge mythology storyline that it marries really successfully. So that works. The show takes risks. It does weird episodes and a lot of breaking the fourth wall and whatever that a lot of shows would never dare to do.
"
To Be continued in the next post....
Supernatural: The Cast and Creators Looks Back on Making 200 Episodes and Ponder the Future
As Supernatural reaches its 200th episode, the cast and creators reflect on the show's success and how much longer it could go.
7 NOV 2014 BY ERIC GOLDMAN
It’s incredibly rare for a TV series to last ten seasons, but Supernatural has done just that and is now set to air its milestone 200th episode this coming Tuesday.
Many of Supernatural’s cast and creators, past and present, recently gathered in Vancouver, where the show films, to celebrate the 200th episode. At the event, I spoke to them about the show’s success, its fans and more, including just how much longer the show could go past Season 10.
Reflecting on Reaching Episode 200
Eric Kripke (Series Creator/Executive Producer/Showrunner - Season 1-5): I was shocked that we got to 22 episodes, so never could I have dreamt that we got to 200. Early in the show, we were fighting every season to stay on the air. Every single season, I started in the writers’ room saying, "Guys, this is the last season. Let’s smoke 'em if we got ‘em!" Eventually they started to call bulls**t on me. I was so sure we were going to get cancelled. Maybe, in my wildest dreams, I thought we would get to the fifth season, but to get to double that and to still be going strong and to be one of the biggest performers on the network, I can’t get my head around that. I’m just proud of it and humbled by it. It’s amazing to me. I’m proud of Sera [Gamble] and I’m proud of Jeremy [Carver] because each one took the format of the show and then made it their own.
Jared Padalecki (“Sam Winchester”): It’s really f**king bizarre. It’s cool. It’s a really rad situation. As you remember, our early years were rocky. We were on the WB and then WB got kind of disbanded into CW and there was a new boss and there was a new channel and there were different actors and actresses and there were different kind of chefs in the kitchen. We were like, “Oh s**t…” We were afraid we’d get lost in the shuffle. But we made it past that and we were like, “Oh, thank God” But then there were road bumps at the beginning of the journey. And now, here we are where I feel like we’re stronger than ever. I really do. And I hate when people say that – “Hey, this is better than ever!” -- that kind of wink-wink, one eyebrow douche stuff, but I just truly feel like Mark Sheppard as Crowley and Misha Collins as Castiel and Felicia Day as Charlie and Jensen Ackles as Dean and [Laughs] Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester really understand their characters and the writers really understand the characters. It’s this weird kind of symbiotic relationships between the writers and actors and the writers and actors and fans where we all get each other and now it’s not the first 15 minutes of a school dance anymore. It’s the end fun part where we’re all just having a fun time; where it’s like, “Hey, this is that song we’ll all get along to.” Not like, “Hey, what do you like?” “I don’t know, what do you like? Well, what does she like?” We’re all on this journey together.
Jensen Ackles (“Dean Winchester”): I still don’t even know what’s happening. Everybody’s like “200!” and I’m like, “Is it? Oh yeah, we did do 200. Gosh, I felt like we were just at 100!” Jared and I have this saying… We didn’t come up with it, but it’s, “Success is what happens when you’re too busy working to pay attention.” I feel like he and I have been too busy, just head down, cranking out the episodes, working with our crew, taking the material the writers give us, making it come to life. Then all of a sudden it’s like, oh, we’re at episode 209! It’s like, “What happened? Well listen, we can’t stop and smell the roses because episode 210, episode 211, episode 212 are on deck, so keep moving, pal.” We ain’t got time. We can smell the roses when the show’s done.
Jeremy Carver (Writer – Season 3-5/Showrunner – Season 8-Present): I think we’re all sort of… Our heads are down trying to tell the best episodes we can and now we’ve looked up 200 episodes later and it’s sort of ridiculous but earned I think and I don’t think it’s been a lot of padding. It’s consistently good, which I think we’re all very proud of.
Misha Collins (“Castiel” – Season 4-Present): When I joined the show, I thought I was going to get three episodes out of it and then when it evolved into six and then nine and a season and two seasons and every iteration of that was astonishing to me. When we were at the 100 episode party, I thought, “Wow, it’s amazing to be a part of something that’s lasted this long” And when we were at the 100 episode party, I’m sure someone on the red carpet said, “Maybe we’ll see you at the 200!” And I’m sure at the time we were like, “Whatever, f**k head. We’ll be gone long before we get to 200!” And lo and behold, here we are. So I don’t think any of us expected this but I think we’re all very happy to be here.
The Secret to Supernatural's Longevity
Eric Kripke: The durability that the concept has, that it can support these different incarnations of it… I think are one of the secrets to its longevity because we don’t get repetitive. It’s a show that’s always been able to reinvent itself. I [also] think it’s the support of the CW. I think it’s also Netflix and new generations are finding the show. Kids who were 3 and 4 when the show premiered are finding it now and able to watch all of it on Netflix. It’s amazing to me. I think they connect with it and I think it’s because it’s about family. It’s not a science fiction show. It’s not really a show about monsters and demons and angels. It’s a show about brothers and it’s a show about a family that fights each other and fights for each other and I think because of that people really connect with it and that’s all Jared and Jensen and I think that’s the secret to the show’s success.
Adam Glass (Writer - Season 5-Present): It starts with our two leads. Here you have Jared and Jensen. They’re unbelievable actors. They’re playing two amazing characters. It’s about family. It’s about the family that they are together as brothers. How many people say, “Dude, I’d go to hell and back for you”? Well, these guys actually do and they do it constantly. And then it’s the friends that they make throughout the rest of it. It’s the Castiels of the world and Bobby, who is one of my favorite characters. Jim Beaver, the amazing Jim Beaver. It’s also the people who you turn around and you make your family. It’s so relatable. Anytime I think when you look at any kind of great science fiction or art, you get really fortunate. You can turn around in genre and you can make a comment about social commentary. I always look at someone like Cas, what a great character. He really is a great reflection. You turn around you're able to look at humanity through this character, who’s an angel, who is learning about humans. There’s something for everybody.
Felicia Day (“Charlie” – Season 7-Present): I think it’s a combination of chemistry between the actors and really great world building. They always say when you’re developing a television show, “What’s episode 200?” And It’s really tough. That’s why a lot of shows are not good or never make it to the air, never get bought. This is one that the minute you see the pilot, you’re like, “I want to be here forever.” The great thing is that it is the kind of show that attracts fans in a way that feel incredibly invested and probably passionate about the world and despite everything, this show keeps going and I can see it going for another ten seasons. It’s kind of crazy.
Genevieve Padalecki (“Ruby” – Season 4): I like to attribute that to Jensen and Jared. I think they have such a beautiful relationship for Sam and Dean and what they’ve created. You can pick up any episode from any season and watch it and love it and watch it individually. You don’t have to watch a season through to understand what’s going on. You can see any of those episodes and you can understand that brotherly love. You can love it as a female going, “Oh my gosh, that reminds me of my family or, “Oh, that’s a friend,” and you can fall in love with those characters and feel empathetic for those characters and with those characters. I think that’s what makes it so wonderful and that to me is the success. Not just that, but there’s so many other components and the people who write it and produce it and get it going… I love that you can watch and witness that love between the two of them.
Mark Pellegrino (“Lucifer” – Season 5, Season 7): I think it’s the family. I think it’s the boys. I think it’s the relationship and the heroism of their relationship and their loyalty to each other. I think it kind of permeates the fanbase because they’re very much the same way.
Mark Sheppard (“Crowley” – Season 5-Present): It’s down to whether you care about the Winchester brothers or not and that’s it. The testament is to Jared and Jensen and great writers and great showrunners and great production and great directors, great people and you say it and everyone says it about their show - but not everyone has ten seasons. We can prove it. I came in as a guest star, as I often do, and I was welcomed from day one. Warmest, nicest group of people I’ve probably ever worked with. I’ve worked with some really good people in my time but they’re gentlemen and they’re fantastic at what they do and they just get better year after year.
Philip Sgriccia (Director - Season 1-Present) This show lives and dies on the backs of Jared and Jensen and then it’s their interaction with the audience that has kept us going. We’ve had really strong writing, really strong guest cast that came in. Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard, Mark Pellegrino… You can keep rattling on. I think it’s all Emmy-worthy but genre shows don’t get the Emmys. It’s all really been on the backs of Jared and Jensen.
Misha Collins: The story has this very relatable family dynamic between brothers and this huge mythology storyline that it marries really successfully. So that works. The show takes risks. It does weird episodes and a lot of breaking the fourth wall and whatever that a lot of shows would never dare to do.
"
To Be continued in the next post....
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