Supernatural is an American dark fantasy drama created by Eric Kripke, who spent over a decade nurturing the idea of this show before it was picked up by The WB. It stars the famous duo Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki.

Starting in September 2005 and ending in November 2020, it ran for more than 15 years. Over the course of those 15 years, it has become a household name, winning 38 awards and receiving 128 nominations. Besides being the longest-running fantasy show to have ever been broadcast in the US, Supernatural is also considered one of the greatest fantasy shows of all time. Here are our reasons why:

Plot That Kept Evolving

     Warner Bros. Television Distribution

The series started with two brothers, Sam and Dean, whose mother died in a fire when they were kids, on the road trying to find their father, a ghost/demon hunter who went missing. While on the road, they started saving innocent people by battling ghosts, demons, vampires, and other creatures following a “Monster of the Week” theme.

After they found their father, it was revealed to them that the creature which killed their mother was a demon named Azazel, and they were told how to kill that creature. The boys later go hunting for Azazel, whom they end up killing in the second season. That’s when the plot starts thickening up. Dean makes a deal with a demon to save Sam, and as part of the deal, he has only one year left on earth before he is sent to Hell. Initially, the series was more about the “Monster of the Week”, but as the series progressed, the storyline expanded by including elements from different mythologies, and the show became more than just about monsters.

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Production Value Was Consistent

Shot in Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia with a single-camera setup, Supernatural ran for 15 years, and there was not even a single episode where the quality of production felt compromised.

When the series made its debut on screens, the budget-per-episode was as low as a few thousand dollars, making Supernatural one of the most popular low-budget TV shows, but what we saw on screen were really high-quality produced episodes, with marvelous script-writing, and it never appeared to the audience that the show had such a low-budget.

When the series started, we saw Dean’s character as being more of a protective elder brother, an obedient son, and a highly reserved man, while Sam was more of an outgoing person who often took things lightly. After Dean returns from Hell, a noticeable change is seen in his character, giving us a clue that his experience there changed his behavior and himself as a person from that point on, until the series ends.

One interesting thing to notice in the series was how the writers tried to make the characters relatable. For instance, Sam’s character was carefully designed to exhibit a forgiving nature, which is often synonymous with an easy-going person, which his brother’s character at certain points did not have. Meanwhile, Dean was shown to have more of a helping nature, portraying him as someone who would be more likely to help someone in need, without them having to ask.

In the earlier episodes, the creatures that were introduced in the series were within the capabilities of Sam and Dean, but later on we see them encountering such creatures that were outside their capabilities and required extra help, which made way for new characters to be introduced, including the iconic characters Castiel, Crowley and Bobby Singer.

Castiel, an angel, and Crowley, a powerful demon, who initially appeared in a handful of scenes in the iconic series, were liked so much by the audience that the writers ended up writing them as regulars in the series.

Iconic & Nostalgic Soundtrack

     The CW

For any show to be truly successful it needs to have a soundtrack that matches with the vibe of the series, and is also able to induce the feeling of nostalgia for the listeners. So was the case with Supernatural, “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas was the show’s unofficial theme song, which was notably used in just about every season’s finale. The lyrics of the song included references to heaven and hell, which was largely the theme of the series, making it a perfect match for the show.

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Longevity & Fandom

     Warner Bros. 

Supernatural ran on TV for 15 years, releasing 320 episodes, with each having an average runtime of 40-45 minutes. This makes it a perfect binge-worthy show, especially if you haven’t seen it before. An interesting thing about the show, is that no matter which episode you start watching from, it will only take a little while for you to understand what is going on.

When it comes to any series, fandom plays an important part in its success. Supernatural’s fandom is an extremely active community, and has played a really crucial part in the success of the show. This point can easily be understood from the fact that even though the show ended in 2020, Supernatural is still trending regularly on Twitter.

Because of the show’s popularity, The CW ordered a prequel to this series, The Winchesters which is now expected to debut this fall.