Jared Padalecki's Walker is facing a delay before any decision on season 5 is made.
The Supernatural star's Western drama was missing when The CW unveiled its schedule for the autumn, drawing questions over whether its current fourth season would be its last.
Deadline spoke to The CW bosses Dennis Miller and Brad Schwartz about Walker's status and it was revealed the network is hoping to lower the licensing fee with the show's producers.
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As Walker is more expensive to produce than much of The CW's content, Miller and Schwartz have decided to wait for season four to conclude before renewing or cancelling the show.
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"Walker is about [seven] episodes in. We don’t need to make a decision on those anytime soon, unless except for some artificial Upfront deadline," Schwartz said. "I feel like we have really gotten to a 12-month-a-year development and greenlight cycle. You’ll hear some pickups in the next few weeks.”
The CW executive confirmed that negotiations are on-going between the two sides on whether a compromise can bring Walker back next season.
"On Walker, we’ve had many conversations, Dennis has had some conversations recently as well, many conversations with CBS [Studios] about continuing or not continuing that show," he said.
Another popular show missing from The CW's autumn schedule was sports drama All American, though Schwartz has promised an announcement on its future "soon".
Walker — which was adapted from the 90s series Walker, Texas Ranger — marked Jared Padalecki's return to TV following the end of Supernatural.
A prequel spinoff, Walker: Independence, followed with Katherine McNamara in the leading role but was cancelled last year after a single season.
Elsewhere, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki have both recently hinted at bringing back Supernatural, though it's not clear yet in what form.
Walker continues with new episodes on Wednesdays on The CW in the US. The show doesn't have a UK broadcaster.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
