Before ‘Supernatural‘ became the beloved story of two brothers driving across America to fight monsters, its earliest version looked nothing like the series fans later followed for 15 seasons.
‘Supernatural‘ actually began as a copy of a classic horror show from decades earlier, and that version could have taken the Winchester world in a completely different direction. But one unexpected twist changed everything.
The Classic Show That Became The Foundation Of ‘Supernatural’
Long before Sam and Dean entered the picture, Eric Kripke started developing a series heavily inspired by ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker‘, the 1970s show about a reporter investigating creepy cases around Chicago. Kripke admired that format so much that he built his first Supernatural concept almost entirely around it, hoping to bring the same eerie, case-by-case storytelling to modern TV.
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Kripke spent years pitching different versions of this idea. In fact, one of his earliest attempts felt like a Scooby-Doo twist with kids traveling in a van to explore urban legends. When he eventually partnered with Warner Bros., he reworked it again, replacing the kids with a reporter. He admitted that this version closely resembled The Night Stalker, though he added mythology in hopes of giving it more depth.
Of course, the series that eventually aired moved far away from this early imitation. While it kept the monster-of-the-week rhythm, it developed its own voice, its own heart, and its own characters. Later down the line, the 2018 Scooby-Doo crossover felt like those fun ideas were coming to life.
The Pitch Room Twist That Completely Changed The ‘Supernatural’ Storyline
Kripke’s reporter concept might have stayed on that path forever if not for one pivotal meeting. When executives didn’t respond well to the idea, he said he did what many writers do in that moment. He began improvising. He suddenly recalled suggesting they forget the reporter plan and instead picture something like Route 66: two guys on the road in a classic car, traveling from town to town to investigate urban legends.
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Kripke said the thought that they should be brothers came to him instantly, along with the idea that their family conflicts and emotional history could drive the entire story. And that spontaneous pitch landed immediately. The executives loved the brother dynamic, and they approved the new version right away.
Once the show moved forward with Sam and Dean at the center, it ran an incredible 15 seasons, built a massive global fanbase, and even expanded into a prequel series, The Winchesters. Not bad for an idea that started as a near-copy of a forgotten cult classic, right?
