This study is about how a TV show is built, character and story development, and so on. I envision it taking about 12 months, using Supernatural as our study base, with us looking at different aspects every fortnight.

A Quick Overview

We have already examined  Eric Kripke, the creator of Supernatural. The Pilot was filmed in California, and then the show was moved to Vancouver, B.C. One key reason for moving it to Vancouver was the show’s colour palette, which consisted of dark hues, blues, and grays. 

The Pilot was directed by David Nutter, with him having a significant creative role in the first two episodes. We see the themes unfold in the Pilot. The music that would shape the show, some back story, using a timeless wardrobe, the weekly ghost story (which became known as the monster of the week), the car and many other features. 

When we look at the first five minutes, up to the title card, they could be a stand-alone short film. They are excellent in quality and detail and give us the backstory of Sam and Dean’s lives. 

The Title Card

Every season had its own unique title card, complete with sound effects and a colour palette. The title card was kept for the entire season and then renewed for episode one of the next season.
Interestingly, even the title card became a big deal within the Supernatural fandom, with fans getting excited about its release and what it meant to that season. Another TV example that had a similar outcome with its own fandom was the Doctor Who Opening Title Sequence. I’ve added an example of the Doctor Who opening below for comparison with the Supernatural title card for an overview of the importance of the opening. 

Real Actors

From day one, the studio used real actors who were vetted and had a history in this kind of genre, which they continued to do throughout the show’s life. This paid off, making the show solid and not filled with random extras. The detail and work that went into the pilot were huge. 
Steve Railsback is a good example of these choices. A veteran actor who also appeared in a few episodes of The X-Files, he was trained in method acting by Lee Strasberg. The picture of Steve below is courtesy of Wikipedia. The other advantage to using experienced actors is that you know what you are getting, as well as a solid performance.

The Ghost Story

The ghost story in this episode, or as it became known as “the monster of the week,” is a classic lore story, one that would classically be told around a campfire as a form of entertainment. This was a backbone to the show, introducing something new each week, which kept the arch story moving alone while keeping it fresh. This method worked for not just Supernatural but other shows, too. 

Ghosts and other bump-in-the-night creatures or beings were used in Supernatural. If you want a more significant look, this fandom page does a deeper dive into what is happening. 

The Colour Palette

When Jensen Ackles and his wife, Danneel, started production on The Winchesters he mentioned to SyFy that he wanted it to have an amber feel (very reflective of 70s retro ) compared to Supernatural which had been dark colours, blues and grays. 

Filming for The Winchesters took place in New Orleans, while Supernatural was filmed in Vancouver, B.C. Both cities worked well with the desired palettes.

Moving into costume and hair/makeup areas, the Supernatural colour palettes carried over to these, too. It gave the show a uniform look, flowing very well for continuity. 

David Nutter

With an eye for detail, Warner Bros bought in David Nutter, who had a lot of success and experience with other projects, to move the pilot along. The detail of a new show and a pilot is enormous, the story has to keep moving along with the details of the story that need to be added, along with some heart. I know people worry about AI, but it isn’t there yet. Humans are quirky and unpredictable boredom can be a real killer to a story.

The Main Characters, Music and other dynamics

Sam and Dean’s chemistry lit up the screen from the beginning; we will dive into that soon. Along with his vision for the show, Kripke put music up there, and there were some smaller details that grew with fandom over the years.
We must not forget that despite all these details, Supernatural, other TV shows, and movies, always start with an idea.