While I’m not ready to quite say goodbye yet, I will say see you later. TVLine announced this morning that Walker‘s prequel, Walker: Independence, failed to find a new home following the cancellation of the series after 1 season on The CW.
The CW was purchased by Nexstar last year, throwing the network in a different direction as they looked to scale back their original scripted series and move more towards unscripted programming and acquired series. In fact, Walker and All American were the only two series to be renewed from the original slate so far (while Superman & Lois, Gotham Knights, and All American: Homecoming are yet to learn of their fates).
While Independence had good ratings and a passionate fanbase behind it, it just wasn’t enough to save the series on the network. With the battle in the entertainment industry going on now and with networks still going through their streaming models, Independence also failed to find another home after the cancelation.
And so while we say “See you later,” to these characters, I wanted to pen a thank you. A thank you to all of the cast and crew who put so much dedication and hard work into these characters, the story, and the sets. I’ve been writing about television shows for years, and I’ve never quite seen a fanbase rally around a show only after 1 season – 13 episodes. The stories were crafted so carefully to tell the tale of a Western different than we’ve ever seen it – one that was inclusive, diverse, and showcased a true native language in a way that made the language’s native speakers proud. You made your audience feel like they belonged, and they saw themselves in the show. You made people connect over your show and form new friendships, and I know that I, personally, made friends through this show that will last beyond its run.
And, while I could sit here all day and write about the show and what it means to so many people (in fact, you can read about it here, where 80+ fans responded), I will just simply reiterate: thank you.
You’ve changed so many lives, including mine. For it to mean this much to so many people after 1 season, you know you made an incredible show.
