The CW looks to have a hit on its hands with Walker.
the Jared Padalecki-starring reboot of Walker Texas Ranger rode off into the sunset Thursday night as the most watched series premiere in 5 years.
The show’s debut saw The CW best total viewer delivery in the Thursday 8:00-9:00pm time period since just over four years (since 12/01/2016), and the single most watched episode of any show on the network since 1/30/18.
Additionally, Walker not only saw its total audience grow at the 8:30pm half hour (2.444million v. 2.417million) but it retained 100% of its viewership in key demos from 8:00pm to 8:30pm.
Walker, a reimagining of the long-running series Walker, Texas Ranger, stars Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) as Cordell Walker, a widower and father with his own moral code, who returns home to Austin, Texas after being undercover for nearly a year, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home.
Walker will attempt to reconnect with his creative and thoughtful son, August (Kale Culley, Me, Myself and I) and his headstrong, somewhat rebellious teenaged daughter, Stella (Violet Brinson, Sharp Objects) and navigate changes with the rest of the family. His ADA brother, William “Liam” (Keegan Allen, Pretty Little Liars) returned home from New York and stepped in during Walker’s absence, making it all the more difficult for Walker to resume his place in the family. The perceptive matriarch of the Walker clan, Abeline (Molly Hagan, Herman’s Head) doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind to keep everyone in line and their traditional rancher father, Bonham (Mitch Pileggi, The X-Files) isn’t much for long winded, sentimental prattling, but voices his opinion when it counts most.
At work, Walker’s former colleague, Larry James, is now his Ranger Captain, (Coby Bell, The Game) and both men need time to adjust to their new dynamic. Walker finds unexpected common ground with his new partner, Micki Ramirez (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history) played by Lindsey Morgan (The 100). She knows there’s a lot at stake for her in this new job and is quick to school Walker on curbing his maverick ways. Walker’s not Micki’s only distraction, as her relationship with an old friend, Trey (played by Jeff Pierre, Once Upon a Time) becomes more serious. The series closely follows Walker as he tries to balance all the new details in his old life while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s (Genevieve Padalecki) death.
Walker stars Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker, Lindsey Morgan as Micki, Keegan Allen as Liam, Mitch Pileggi as Bohnam, Molly Hagan as Abeline, Violet Brinson as Robin, Kale Culley as Arlo, Coby Bell as Captain Larry James, and Jeff Pierre as Trey Barnett.
The series is written and executive produced by Anna Fricke (Being Human, Valor), and executive produced by Dan Lin and Lindsay Liberatore and Jared Padalecki. Walker is from CBS Television Studios in association with Rideback.
Every episode of Walker, like all of The CW’s new shows this season are available on The CW’s digital platforms the day after broadcast for free, without subscription or authentication required.
Walker continues Thursdays (8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET) on The CW.
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