The CW opted to cancel Walker Independence after one season. Why did this decision happen?
We knew there was a strong chance that Walker Independence Season 2 wouldn’t happen. That didn’t mean we had to like it. There is a fight to save the series, but it looks like that may be a losing battle.
Instead of looking at that, we’re looking at why The CW canceled the show in the first place. Was it the quality of the series, or was something else behind it all?
Why The CW canceled Walker Independence
The decision came due to financial reasons, according to Deadline. When Nexstar took over the ownership of the network, it made things clear about the financial state. Nexstar wanted to make the network profitable, and that would mean changing the way things were run.
In the past, shows would get away with lower linear ratings. The shows would be renewed to get to the point of syndication, which was the plan to make the network money. That wasn’t what happened, and Nexstar needed to make changes to make the network profitable.
Now, Nexstar wants lower-cost shows. Walker Independence is not one of them. Period dramas cost a lot to create due to sets and costumes. There is also greenscreening needed to turn the modern world into a period setting.
On top of that, while the ratings were good for The CW’s standards, they weren’t good enough. Plus, it’s not like Nexstar owns the production of the series. It doesn’t stream the show on its own streaming platform for long. The content heads to Max, and that’s something else Nexstar had to keep in mind when it came to renewing shows.
So yes, it all came down to money. Walker Independence was too expensive for The CW.
Walker Independence is available to stream on Max.