CW’s ‘Supernatural’ Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Saving People and Hunting Things

Grab your salt, iron, and your favorite flannel shirt, because CW’s Supernatural just celebrated its twentieth anniversary. Yes, two decades. That’s longer than some marriages and most Netflix shows.   

When Supernatural first aired in 2005, no one thought a monster-of-the-week series about two brothers chasing demons would last longer (after all, the series was only supposed to run for five seasons). But fast-forward through 15 seasons, countless Comic-Con appearances, and more apocalypses than anyone can count, and the show developed a cult following.   

For fans, Supernatural wasn’t just about vampires, demons, monsters, or other creatures that you typically see in a fantasy-horror show. It was about family, and, of course, let’s not overlook the fact that Sam and Dean Winchester, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, are pretty easy on the eyes (and yes, sometimes shirtless too!). 

The show’s supporting cast includes Misha Collins, who played fan favorite angel Castiel, Jim Beaver, whose role is that of Bobby, the brothers' father figure, and a couple of angels, hunters, and other supernatural creatures that made every episode entertaining to watch.   

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, stars Padalecki, Ackles, and Collins shared some of their best experiences working on the show, including the worst episode to shoot, which included 70,000 bees, where they got stung. They also talked about Season 7 with all the phallic jokes and memes about the main villain’s name, the scenes they are most proud of, and the scenes they want to erase.   

Aside from the binge-worthy episodes and the fan conventions that have continued long after the show ended, the fandom still thrives. In celebration of the anniversary, fans donated to Random Acts Org to help the organization fund their projects and acts of kindness for the next 20 years.  

Collins posted an update on his Instagram account that the funds raised already surpassed the goal of $202, 020.20. He captioned the post with, “In case you missed it: In the last 24 hours, in celebration of #SPN’s 20th anniversary, thousands of people have donated more than $220k to @randomactsorg to show that the #SPNFamily continues to be a force for good in the world. (Holy s—t thank you, guys!) Fight on!"

If you haven’t gotten the chance to watch the show, Supernatural is available for streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime.