‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ Reboot Coming Soon

Walker, Texas Ranger is officially getting a reboot from CBS TV Studios, set to star Supernatural alum Jared Padalecki, Deadline reports. The long-running action and crime series will be written and executive produced by Anna Fricke (Valor) and executive produced by Dan Lin (Lethal Weapon) and is being shopped by CBS TV Studios. Padalecki will also executive produce.

The CW, which is where Supernatural has aired its 15 seasons, has reportedly “emerged as a leading contender for the new show,” while CBS, which aired the Chuck Norris-starring Walker, Texas Ranger, is also “considered a possibility,” writes Deadline‘s Nellie Andreeva.

The reboot will reportedly be a straightforward one, similar to CBS’ Magnum P.I. and MacGyver, with a new incarnation of the beloved titular character, rather than a sequel where the new lead is a descendant of the protagonist in the original series.

In the reboot, Walker gets a female partner and will explore morality, family and rediscovering lost common ground, like in the original series. At the center is Cordell Walker (Padalecki), who finds his way back to his family while investigating crime in an elite unit. The widower and dad of two returns home to Austin after spending two years undercover for a high profile case.

Together with his new partner, Walker is a hero fit for the modern day world.

As Supernatural heads into its 15th and final season at The CW, the network’s president Mark Pedowitz made it clear that the network is open to having the creative team and talent of the show return at any time. “You will always have a home here, and you will always have a personal fan in me,” he said at the network’s TCA last month.

Meanwhile, CBS has found success with reboots of classic procedurals like Hawaii Five-O, MacGyver and Magnum P.I. The original Walker, Texas Ranger has a legacy on the network, where it aired for eight seasons and even spawned a rollup TV movie, 2005’s Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire.

This story is developing.