editor’s letter

Many shows can be considered fan favorites; only the most beloved create a “family” of fans. That otherworldly claim belongs to Supernatural. The SPN Family devoted to the demon-hunting drama is among the most attentive in TV history—for good reason. And it’s why we’re excited to celebrate the series’ legacy in this special issue. That dedication was present many times over the last 16 years: when Supernatural was voted in as TV GUIDE MAGAZINE’s first “Fan Favorites” cover in 2010, during countless conventions and panels and every time the online community banded together with series stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins to raise money for everything from hurricane relief to children’s hospitals. The love goes both ways. Throughout a historic run (it’s one of the 20 longest-running primetime dramas in…

every picture tells a story

Supernatural is the little horror show that beat the odds. It started on The WB in September 2005, successfully moved to The CW after its first season, survived the cancellation bubble more than once, outlasted its original creator, maintained an extremely active fanbase and finally wrapped in November 2020 in the middle of a pandemic after an extraordinary lifespan of 327 episodes. Brimming with family bonds and metaphysical exploration, the fantasy drama tracked the give-’em-hell exploits of the demon-hunting Winchester brothers—research-minded Sam (Jared Padalecki) and his gruff, cheeseburger-loving older bro, Dean (Jensen Ackles)—and their various allies and enemies. Throughout this oral—and visual!—account, Ackles, Padalecki, Misha Collins and 15+ cast and crew members offer their memories of the long road. 2004–05 THE DREAM Since the ’90s, Supernatural creator Eric Kripke (currently heading up Prime…

super natural’s top 15 celestials!

15 LILITH KATHERINE BOECHER The world’s first demon (played most memorably by Boecher) was consistently one step ahead when she took control of Prince of Hell Azazel’s (Fredric Lehne) army in Season 3 and tasked them with breaking the 66 seals needed to free Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). That evil plan aside, our beef grew personal when she sent Dean (Jensen Ackles) to Hell to be tortured. And her signature move of possessing little girls? Extra creepy! 14 METATRON CURTIS ARMSTRONG When the Scribe of God, Metatron (above, with Amanda Tapping’s Naomi), arrived in Season 8, he seemed a modest fellow. We didn’t know how quickly the truly arrogant angel would screw everyone over! He wreaked chaos by tricking Castiel (Misha Collins) into helping him expel all the angels from heaven, and scheming to…

team winchester

Over 15 seasons, the Winchester family evolved into a core four: demon-hunting siblings Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) Winchester, angel Castiel (Misha Collins) and Jack (Alexander Calvert), the son of Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) and human Kelly Kline (Courtney Ford), making him a Nephilim (Jack later evolved into God). But as powerful as the quartet were, they couldn’t have vanquished rogue angels, demons and other monsters without allies willing to sacrifice everything for Team Winchester. Here is a dossier on a baker’s dozen of those who helped the show’s heroes in their fight for good. BOBBY SINGER Who is he? The longtime Winchester family friend (Jim Beaver, above center) was a hunter, keeper of supernatural lore, vengeful spirit and, most of all, father figure to Sam and Dean. How he helped Telling…

supernatural behind the scenes

supernatural meets the scooby gang

We’ve always known Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) would crush it as cartoon characters. With Sam’s height and goofiness and Dean’s square jaw and silly quips, you might say they were born to be animated. And who better for the brothers and buddy Castiel (Misha Collins) to hang with than the icons from Scooby-Doo? After all, the Mystery Machine gang—smart girl Velma, slacker Shaggy, danger-prone Daphne, group leader Fred and wisecracking dog Scooby—also root out bad guys. In Supernatural’s March 29 [2018] episode, a haunted television sucked Sam, Dean and Castiel into their own installment of classic cartoon Scooby-Doo, where they helped stop a malevolent ghost. We got the scoop on how the episode, titled “Scooby natural,” came to be. Here’s how the ultimate mystery-solving crossover was…