Filming locations

Though the pilot was filmed in Los Angeles, principal filming takes place
in Vancouver, British Columbia.[27] Thus, on-location filming usually takes place in the
area. "Dead in the Water" was filmed at Buntzen Lake[47] and the final scenes of
"Simon Said" were filmed at Cleveland Dam.[48] Other locations used on the show are
often reused two or three times, with the art department making variations to conceal
this.[49] Heritage Park in Burnaby has been used as a cemetery in "Red Sky at
Morning", and as the location of the gingerbread-house cottage in "Bedtime Stories".
[50]
Also, Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam has served many functions for the series,
including an asylum in "Asylum",[51] a hospital in "In My Time of Dying"[52] and a prison
in "Folsom Prison Blues".[52] The episode "Houses of the Holy" was filmed on location
in Vancouver at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church. Because episodes usually take
place in the middle of nowhere, filming often takes place at an old military base.
Having been shut down for years, the buildings have been removed, leaving just
roads on which sets are erected, such as for crossroads scenes.[53]

Online distribution
Rather than having the series debut on television, The WB instead made the pilot
episode available for online streaming through Yahoo! a week before it was set to
premiere on the network as part of a promotional scheme.[54] Following the transition
to The CW, Supernatural episodes were added to Apple's iTunes Store starting in
December 2006, being one of the first CW series to be made available for sale
online.[55] The following month, the network began streaming episodes of the series on
its website with limited commercial interruption, available for up to four weeks after
the initial airings.[56] Beginning January 11, 2007, Australia's Network Ten also began
offering full episodes for download via their website, through a deal with Warner
Bros. Television. To combat piracy, Ten debuted the second-season premiere five
days before its initial broadcast in the country, making Supernatural the first major
network show available for free download in Australia before being aired.
Subsequent episodes became available online just hours after being televised.
[57]
Around the same time, episodes were also made available for download on
Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace.[58] In September 2008, Amazon.com launched its
new on-demand TV service, with Supernatural being one of the many television
shows available for sale.[59]

Home media
Main article: List of Supernatural episodes § Home video releases

Cast and characters

Main article: List of Supernatural and The Winchesters characters
 Jensen Ackles (left) and Jared Padalecki (right)
portray the series' main characters.

The series focuses on the brothers Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester, played
by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, as they travel throughout the country hunting
down evil supernatural creatures. Padalecki became interested in the role because
he liked horror series, including both The X-Files and The Twilight Zone, which he
found similar to the proposed plot of Supernatural. He was also excited to play "the
reluctant hero", comparing Sam to The Matrix's Neo and Luke Skywalker of Star
Wars. Padalecki had previous experience working with executive producers McG and
David Nutter,[60] the former convincing him to audition for the role.[61] Ackles was
originally asked by Nutter to audition for the role of Sam[62] but preferred the character
of Dean after reading the script.[63] At the time of his audition, he was already a series
regular on fellow WB series Smallville. After landing the part of Dean,
his Smallville role was cut short.[64]

When I read the script, Dean just jumped out at me. With that character there was
always a bit more comedy, and a bit more recklessness, and it just appealed to me
more. So when I asked to read for that, they were like, "That's what we're looking
for." So it was great. I found a character that I really enjoy playing.

— Jensen Ackles on what drew him to the character of Dean Winchester[63]

While the series does not have many lead characters, there are many recurring
characters. Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays John Winchester, father of Sam and Dean.
Making an appearance in the pilot episode, John does not return until nearly halfway
through the first season, after which he becomes a recurring character until his
eventual death in the second season's premiere episode, though his spirit returns to
help his sons in the season finale. Later in the series, it is announced that John
Winchester fathered a third son with another woman; a half-brother to Sam and
Dean. According to writer John Shiban, it was decided early on that John would die.
The writers found that having the brothers being separated from their father "split the
show". Shiban noted that "... the boys were looking for Dad, and they were looking for
a monster of the week, whatever that is, whatever case crosses their path. It became
difficult, because we thought it was like – 'what is Dad doing? Is he doing more
interesting things than the boys are doing, or what?'"[65] They believed Morgan was
initially reluctant about returning to Supernatural for the second season because of
his recurring role on the series Grey's Anatomy.[66] Future appearances of the
character have been hindered by Morgan's busy schedule.[67]
Also introduced in the first season are the demon Azazel and his unnamed daughter.
While Azazel mainly appears merely as shadows or silhouettes in the first season,
taking physical form only when he possesses John Winchester, Azazel's daughter
uses a girl named Meg Masters—portrayed by Nicki Lynn Aycox—as a host.[68] In the
second-season premiere, Azazel's host is portrayed by Fredric Lehne; originally
brought on for only one episode, Lehne impressed the showrunners so much that he
was asked to return for the season's two-part finale.[69] Even after the character's
death, Azazel makes appearances in subsequent seasons, being portrayed by
different actors. Lehne also reprises the role in the first episode of season six when
Dean is poisoned and begins to see Azazel again. Likewise, after Azazel's daughter
is exorcised from Meg towards the end of the first season, the demon and her host
continued to appear in the series, although now as two separate characters. Aycox
continued her role in the fourth season when the angry spirit of Meg tries to kill the
Winchesters. The demon returns for an episode in the second season played by
Padalecki, temporarily taking Sam as a host. She appears once again in the fifth
season, her newest host being portrayed by Rachel Miner, in a recurring role.

Actor Jim Beaver never expected his character's longevity, believing his initial guest appearance
would be a "one-shot deal".[70]
 Actor Misha Collins believed he would be another recurring guest star who would fade away
quickly. For the fifth season, Collins was promoted to a series regular.

Actor Mark Sheppard was also not expecting the popularity of his character. In the tenth season,
Crowley became a series regular, which would last for another two seasons before his departure.

The writers eventually wanted to flesh out the concept of hunters, resulting in the
introduction of many new characters.[71] Actor Jim Beaver makes his first appearance
as Bobby Singer, an old family friend of the Winchesters, at the end of the first
season. Becoming a sort of surrogate father to Sam and Dean after their father's
death,[34] the character acts as their mentor and foremost point of contact before his
departure in the seventh season. Other hunters appear in the second season with
the introduction of Harvelle's Roadhouse, a saloon frequented by hunters. It is owned
by Ellen Harvelle (played by Samantha Ferris), whose late husband was a friend of
John Winchester. Working alongside her mother is Jo Harvelle (played by Alona Tal).
Also present is the computer guy Ash (played by Chad Lindberg), who uses his vast
computer skills to track the paranormal. Tal was eventually written out of the series,
and believes the reason to be that the producers felt she looked like Sam and Dean's
"14-year-old sister".[72] Kripke claims the character was incorrectly conceived, and
also cites poor fan reaction for her removal.[73] Also, the character of Ash is killed off in
the second-season finale with the destruction of the Roadhouse. Ellen was meant to
return in the third season, but the episode had to be scrapped due to the writer's
strike.[74] The writers intended for her to be featured in the third-season finale,[75] but
Ferris declined because the deal offered to her was not acceptable, as "It could cost
[her] money and work".[76] However, both actresses returned as Jo and Ellen in the
fifth season.

For the third season, the writers decided to introduce Ruby, a demonic former witch
who claims to be an ally to the Winchesters. However, The CW requested that
another female be added, so the character Bela Talbot, a self-centered thief who
sells occult objects to wealthy clients and who was already intended to appear in
multiple episodes, was upgraded to a series regular.[77] Katie Cassidy and Lauren
Cohan were eventually cast as Ruby and Bela, respectively, though they originally
auditioned for the others' role.[78] Though making only six appearances each in the
third season, both actresses were credited as co-stars for their episodes. At the end
of the season, Bela was killed off,[79] and Cassidy was let go for budgetary reasons.
[80]
The role of Ruby was recast for the fourth season, auditions describing the
character only as "a love interest". Genevieve Cortese (who later married Padalecki)
took over the role until the character's death at the end of the season.[81]

Wanting to bring in Christian mythology to the series, the writers created the
angel Castiel.[82] With Kripke wanting to keep the introduction of an angel a secret, the
character was instead described as a demon during auditions.[83] Misha Collins was
cast as the character. Making his debut in the fourth-season premiere, Castiel
resurrects Dean from hell after his death in the third season and comes to be an ally
of the Winchesters. The character was originally intended for only a six-episode story
arc, but the role was later expanded.[84] Collins was promoted to a series regular for
the fifth and sixth season, something Collins believes to be mainly due to fan support.
[85]
Collins was downgraded to recurring status for the seventh and eighth seasons,
but returned to series regular status for seasons nine and ten.[86]

Along with Castiel came other angelic characters, with Robert Wisdom portraying the
"militant" and "dogmatic"[87] Uriel, who secretly supports Lucifer; Julie McNiven playing
the fallen angel Anna Milton, who eventually regains her angelic form but remains an
outcast of Heaven; and Kurt Fuller as Castiel's boss Zachariah, who wishes to start
the apocalypse in order to bring Paradise to Earth. Though Wisdom's character is
eventually killed, McNiven and Fuller continue their roles into the fifth season and are
joined by Mark Pellegrino as the recently released but fallen archangel Lucifer.
Pellegrino also appears as Lucifer as a hallucination in Sam's head in season 7.
Pellegrino had been the second choice for the role of Castiel[88] and was offered the
role of Lucifer without an audition.[89] Further on, Fuller's and McNiven's characters
were also killed along with both Harvelle characters.

Season 5 introduces the demon Crowley, played by Mark Sheppard, who would
become the Winchester's longest-recurring antagonist and occasional anti-hero in the
series. Crowley appears in three episodes of season 5 to help the Winchesters seal
Lucifer back in the Cage, believing that once he destroys humanity he will target all
demonkind next. In season 6, Crowley becomes the King of Hell and one of the main
antagonists working with Castiel to stop Archangel Raphael, the other main
antagonist of season 6, from restarting the apocalypse, by harnessing the souls of
purgatory and splitting the power with Castiel. In season 7, Crowley becomes an
antihero who helps the Winchesters against the threat of Leviathans led by Dick
Roman after they are released from purgatory by Castiel. Crowley becomes the main
antagonist of season 8, attempting to harness the Words of God and their powers
and stop the Winchesters from sealing hell forever. In season 9, Crowley becomes
an unwilling prisoner of the Winchesters but is forced to deal with Abaddon trying to
steal his position as King of Hell. Sheppard was promoted to series regular status for
season 10.[90]

Season 7 introduces Kevin Tran the prophet (played by Osric Chau), who translates
the word of God to help the Winchesters stop the Leviathans, which leads to their
destruction. In season 8, Kevin works to translate another word of God to find the
means of sealing hell forever. In season 9, Kevin instead tries to find the means of
returning the fallen angels to Heaven but is killed by a Gadreel-possessed Sam.
Also introduced in Season 7 is Charlie Bradbury, a tech-savvy geek (played
by Felicia Day) who works at Richard Roman Enterprises. After hacking into Frank's
hard drive and learning about the existence of monsters, Charlie becomes an ally of
the Winchesters and occasionally helps them out with technical problems and hunts.

Season 9 introduces the angel Gadreel, who originally poses as Ezekiel, played
by Tahmoh Penikett and Padalecki. After Sam is seriously injured when he decides
not to seal Hell, Gadreel comes to Dean in response to his prayer for help,
possesses Sam to heal him, and becomes Dean's ally. However, Gadreel's true
identity is later revealed by Metatron to be the guardian who had allowed Lucifer into
the Garden of Eden and was imprisoned until the fall. Gadreel then allies with
Metatron in an attempt to redeem himself and lead the angels back to Heaven. He
kills Kevin Tran and is later expelled from Sam and possesses his original vessel
again. However, after Metatron begins sacrificing angels for his plans, Gadreel
becomes regretful and joins Sam, Dean, and Castiel.

Season 4 introduces Chuck Shurley as one of God's prophets portrayed by Rob

Benedict. Later in season 11, it is revealed that Chuck is God masquerading under
the guise of a human to allow angels and mankind free will. In season 15, it is
revealed that Chuck is manipulating events in the lives of the Winchesters and their
allies for his own perverse amusement and entertainment.

Season 10 introduces the antagonistic witch Rowena MacLeod (portrayed by Ruth

Connell), who is later revealed to be the mother of Crowley, who was previously
named Fergus. Rowena returns as a sometime ally of the Winchesters throughout
seasons 11 to 15, making her one of the long-standing female characters to exist on
the show. Rowena's antagonistic and unpredictable nature is redeemable by her
sacrifice in season 15 to close hell's portal opened by Chuck.

Season 11 introduces Amara / The Darkness, portrayed by Emily Swallow. The

Darkness would later on go on to become an antagonist after being released from
imprisonment once the Mark of Cain is broken. The Mark was a seal that kept the
Darkness imprisoned in order for God's creation and humanity to survive. Later, it is
revealed that the Darkness is a sibling of God.

Season 13 introduces a Nephilim, Jack Kline portrayed by Alexander Calvert as the

son of Lucifer. Jack would later on become a member of the Winchester family and
an important ally in rescuing the people of Apocalypse World (a world without
Winchesters to prevent the endtimes) and defeating that world's version of archangel
Michael. Jack would go on to be killed by God as part of Chuck's plan only to be
resurrected by Billie, a reaper who is a newly turned replacement for Death.

Because the show focuses mainly on the two Winchester brothers, the writers
realized that viewers would know that the characters are not in danger of being
permanently killed. To fix this, the staff often writes in guest characters to give
tension to the episode, occasionally having them die.[91]