'Supernatural' Season 14 to Be Shorter Than Normal

The CW's longest-running series, Supernatural, may be returning for its 14th season this fall, but it isn't going to last quite as long as fans might like.

TV Line reports that the fan-favorite drama will air just 20 episodes next season, a number that is down from its traditional 23-episode season run. This three-episode reduction makes Season 14 the shortest for the long-running series in a decade and the second shortest in the show's history.

Since Season 6, Supernatural's seasons have been 23 episodes long. All other seasons -- except for Season 3 -- ran for 22 episodes. Season 3 was cut much shorter due to the 2008 writer's strike. While a 20-episode Season 14 is still a significant number of episodes, the reduction comes as a bit of a surprise and The CW hasn't commented on the change or the reasoning behind it.

While we can only speculate as to the reasons for the change, fans of Supernatural probably shouldn't get too concerned about the series' overall fate and longevity just yet. The CW is expanding its original programming from the five-day Monday through Friday model to a six-day Sunday through Friday model. They also announced a very full slate of programming for the network, including the return of all four Arrowverse shows, Black Lightning, Riverdale, as well as Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Dynasty along with several new series. With a wealth of programming and six full nights, the episode reduction is likely simply for scheduling reasons.

It's also possible that the shift in episode number is driven by request from the cast. Network president Mark Pedowitz said last summer that they would continue the show as long as series stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles wanted to continue. A reduced number of episodes would, in theory, be something that would allow the show to continue while also giving the stars a bit more time off as well keeping everyone happy. It's also worth remembering the old adage of quality not quantity and fans can likely look forward to some packed episodes.

Supernatural will return for Season 14 on Thursday, October 11 at 8/7c on The CW.

What do you think about the slightly shorter episode order for Supernatural? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.