TV network renewals and cancellations feel particularly dramatic this year. This tension could be observed after CBS’ decision to cancel NCIS: Hawai’i after a cliffhanger season finale. Fans of NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime also seemed frustrated with the delay in renewing the Elliot Stabler-focused series, which eventually surfaced as a Peacock-exclusive renewal with Mariska Hargitay vowing for Stabler to make another SVU crossover for Olivia Benson’s sake. However, answers are still lacking for a CW series that has regularly nabbed the network’s highest viewership but somehow did not appear on their Fall 2024-25 list of shows as announced.
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva now has an update on Walker (starring Jared Padalecki), for which the publication received word from the Austin, Texas sets, which are being broken down to save money while awaiting an official verdict. “The dismantling is already in full force, with crew members taking other jobs,” Andreeva has written. “While the move is not permanent — If a renewal ultimately comes, the sets can be put up, with producer CBS Studios saving money on stage rental in the interim — it illustrates how close to a cancellation Walker is.” Here’s more from Deadline:
Under normal circumstances, a Season 5 renewal for Walker should be a no-brainer — it is the CW’s most watched series. Yet, a pickup — even if it comes — will also have to come at the right price for the show to come back. As Deadline reported last month, Walker cannot continue without a significant increase in its license fee, believed to be currently at $500k-$550k an episode …The target is to get the fee close to the $1M an episode mark, which would make it financially feasible for CBS Studios to continue.
The show’s fourth season is still running, even as this drama continues to unfold. Either way (renewal or cancellation), a decision could take until July 31 (after which the cast’s options will expire) to come together, so the wait might soon grow even more uncomfortable. Previously, prequel spin off Walker: Independence was cancelled in 2023 after a single season.
(Via Deadline)