Spring TV Preview: The Scoop on 26 Returning Shows

Image credit: Sergei Bachlakov

SUPERNATURAL Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles

SUPERNATURAL
APRIL 24 · 9 PM · THE CW
EPISODES LEFT: 4

WHERE WE LEFT OFF: After being arrested by Special Agent Henricksen (Charles Malik Whitfield), Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) helped defend the jail from a mass demon attack. The Winchester brothers managed to escape shortly before demon Lilith (Rachel Pattee) killed Henricksen.

UP NEXT: The Supernatural boys are venturing into reality...television. ''We're coming back with a reality show version of Supernatural,'' says creator Eric Kripke. ''It's sort of our loving tribute to Ghost Hunters. People will either congratulate us or think we're totally effing insane.'' The second episode will return to normal — at least as normal as Supernatural gets — with Sam and Dean visiting a town haunted by phone calls from dead loved ones. Due to the strike, though, Kripke had to jettison some plots in order to focus on Dean's ongoing entanglement with Satan. ''We put almost every other story line on hold until next season,'' Kripke explains. ''We're gonna charge full-steam into Dean's deal with the devil, because his soul is coming up due.'' Adds Padalecki: ''Sam is trying new and different methods to try and save Dean. In the third episode I think we have a week left of Dean's life, and we're sprinting to the finish line to beat this deal that's closing in.'' Seeing as Supernatural was recently picked up for season 4, we're guessing that race is won. —Tim Stack