Two of the fall season's biggest new shows, "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" and "House of the Dragon," have come with high expectations, and at times controversial responses, from viewers. But no new series may be more scrutinized than "The Winchesters," which premiered Tuesday under the watchful eye of "Supernatural's" #SPNFamily fan base.
Based on the lives of monster hunters John and Mary Winchester, the parents of "Supernatural" protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester, the CW show has already garnered some strong reactions, from a series announcement that caused cast drama to the first trailer. But though most of the advance chatter has been positive, that doesn't mean "Winchesters" executive producer Robbie Thompson wasn't nervous.
"My fear was, 'How the heck is this going to work?'" Thompson said of his reaction when "Supernatural" stars Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles presented him with the opportunity to do the show. "One of the things we had as a touchtone was the recent success of 'Better Call Saul.' I have a lot of friends who have only seen 'Better Call Saul' and haven't yet watched 'Breaking Bad' — which blows my mind — but they're out there. One of the many brilliant things that show did was it allowed itself to live in its own space."
