Supernatural Fun Facts: Season One
This is a new feature Iโll be running for next several weeks, or maybe this is a one time deal if no one likes it. ๐ I call it Supernatural Fun Facts by Season. You all know how the stories go, but how much do you really know about all the behind the scenes and other useless but fun facts about each season? Or how many did you know once and forgot? Either way letโs take a look at some random info about Supernatural Season One because it’s a long Hellatus.
Total running time of the pilot was 57 minutes. Thatโs about fifteen minutes over the average Supernatural running time of 42 minutes.
The show aired on the now defunct WB network in the first season. For the first half of the season, it was actually paired with โThe Gilmore Girls,โ the show that Jared Padalecki left so he could be on โSupernatural.โ In March, the show was moved to Thursdays, where it was paired with โSmallville,โ the show that Jensen Ackles left so he could be on โSupernatural.โ I think The WB was just having fun with us.
According to Eric Kripke, Supernatural was supposed to just be a delivery system to get into urban legends, but it evolved beyond that once they dug into the characters. That and once the network saw Jared and Jensen together, rumor has it there were standing ovations.
A lot of the footage for the Wendigo in the episode of the same name ended up on the cutting room floor. Eric Kripke wasnโt happy with the way it looked.
Writer Richard Hatem wrote the episode โPhantom Travelerโ as a way to deal with his own fear of flying.
Star Trek: Voyager alum Robert Duncan McNeill directed the episode โSkin.โ He didnโt come back to direct another โSupernaturalโ episode until season eightโs โThe Great Escapist.โ
โHookmanโ aired as episode 7, but was originally supposed to be episode 3. There were some challenges with making the story look scary and Kim Manners was brought in to help the director, David Jackson. Many scenes were re-shot, but ultimately it didnโt turn out as hoped.
The story of the making of โBugsโ is just too legendary, I cannot do it justice is one โfun factsโ session. So go to the โBugsโ page of Supernatural Wiki and read all the stories. Make sure youโre somewhere where you can laugh out loud.
Hereโs a mid-season promotional poster that went out around the episode โHome.โ Donโt they look like babies? Also, that home in the poster was not their home in Kansas. Great job promo monkeys.
Hereโs another, for Asylum. Blue Steel babies!
In the scene in โAsylumโ when Sam and Dean pull up to the Roosevelt institution in the Impala, โSmallvilleโsโ Tom Welling was hiding in the back seat! He was nearby filming for his show and decided to tag along. He got a huge laugh from the crew when he stepped out of the car.
The apple trees in โScarecrowโ were really hazelnut trees. The scarecrow was real though! Scared the crap out of everyone. BTW, here’s a great Jared impression of the Scarecrow (Photo sent to us by WB after Kim Manner’s passing in S4).
โThe ghost truck wasnโt as scary as weโd hoped itโd be,โ said Eric Kripke. No kidding. Hereโs another promo poster. Not only is the truck not scary, but even Samโs hoodie looks a little off.
Originally the scene with Max telekinetically holding the knife at his motherโs eye had the knife going through her eyeball. Phil Sgriccia and editor David Ekstrom decided it would be better to cut that and show the knife with the teardrop instead. They correctly figured knife through the eyeball was just a bit too graphic.
The girl that played Missy Bender, Alexia Fast, played Deanโs amazon daughter in season sevenโs โThe Slice Girls.โ
The warehouse loft in โShadowโ was recycled from another Vancouver based show, โTru Calling.โ That show starred Eliza Dushku, who very strangely has never guest starred on โSupernatural.โ Her โDollhouseโ co-star Tahmoh Penikett has!
Hereโs the caption from Samโs โOfficial Bikini Inspectorโ badge. โThis agent is authorized to operate at any beach, park, backyard pool party or warm climate locale in the world. No restrictions or limitations are to be placed on their visual or physical inspections; violators will be subject to tickling and spanking.โ Yep, this is the type of giggly fun we’ve been missing out on in later seasons.
The disco motel room in โProvenanceโ is the only motel room thatโs gotten a reaction from Sam and Dean. The verdict? โHuh.โ
This picture was taken on the set of โDead Manโs Blood.โ It was media day on the set. This picture has been shared with Jared a few times, but he still claims he has no idea why his hair was in pigtails. Yeah, likely story.
โCarry On Wayward Sonโ made itโs first appearance in โSalvation,โ which was not the season finale. It has appeared in every single season finale since then, but it was never in season oneโs.
Originally in the car crash scene in โDevilโs Trap,โ the Impala was supposed to do a barrel roll. The truck would then drive off and then the driver would be shown with the black eyes. The car didnโt flip though because it was stuck to the bumper of the truck and then the truck went out of control. The truck started to jackknife and the stuntman saved it.
Another tidbit, John Winchester was supposed to die after that car crash, in Sam and Deanโs arms. They knew John had to die in order to bring Sam and Dean into the front lines of the fight, but the decision was made to wait until the next episode, realizing that killing John after all that would be a big downer to end the season considering they spent all season looking for him. So they changed the end to be a cliff hanger with the accident.
Thereโs some fun season one info! You got any to share? Feel free in the comments. Coming up next week, season two!
Sources for this set of fun facts were Supernatural: The Official Companion, Season One, Supernatural Wiki, and various reports from cons and interviews Iโve done through the years.
I love this, Alice! I’m almost through with my annual rewatch of Season 1 and all of this is perfectly timed! Many of these stories I knew, but there are some gems in here that I had no idea about — this is great! I’ll be looking forward to future articles. A great addition to the annual hellatus scene.:)
Hah, no wonder I recognized some of them since I do have all the Kripke era companions. You’re going to make me dig those out again, Alice. ๐
I just got done with S1 (now on to S2). I’ll have to say I like Sam’s hair better in the posters. No wonder this show has lasted as long as it has. I had heard about the standing ovation from Jensen in an interview, these guys had chemistry from the first scene. What a great season! And I’m glad that the season finale ended the way it did. I wasn’t a fan then so I can’t imagine how horrible that first hellatus was. Yes please do more of these! This was fun.
‘
That was great. Please continue?
I just started watching last September so this is my first hellatus. It’s great to read articles, reviews, and listen to podcasts from previous seasons; compare fandom’s reaction to my own as I watched eight seasons alone.
Nice information. It is good to laugh once in a while so keep these coming. Oh, and a new season 1 tidbit.
In Netflix they have removed all the “previously” parts from the episodes and because copyright to some of the music has expired the musics has been changed. I don’t know if it is a “fun” fact but yeah… It seems the Netflix viewers will never hear “Carry on” or understand it’s meaning. And thinking of the music copyright anyway makes my head hurt. (Charmed opening music is a good example)
– Lilah
I know, the first time I watched an episode on Netflix, it really freaked me out. It takes away from the episode. I pity the ones that have only seen the รฉpisodes on Netflix, then again, I guess you don’t miss what you’ve never heard! ๐
It’s not so much that the copyrights expired, but it’s more a weird rights issue. The reruns on TNT keep all the original music, so it’s a rights issue regarding streaming.
Thanks so much for this article. Season 1 is still my favorite, since it is when I fell in love with the show, and all this info was great! Also – the photos are just beautiful! I would also love to know who was making the music choices that year- the rock was truly classic rock, and really added to the whole experience!
I just wanted to say that I adore the picture at the very top of the article. Beautiful babies! Enjoyed reading all this fun info, too.
Alice, this was wonderful. Loved all the fun facts; please continue!!! The postors are like a walk down memory lane. In that very first picture…Sams hair is devine. perfect legnth and not at all little boyish. And to this day i still wish show had let Sam use the curved scythe-like knife. He tucked it into his bag in the pilot and it hasn’t been seen since.
Amyh, the scythe looked nice but my guess is it was a really serious safety hazard. I mean look at that thing!
But still, maybe a slightly safer version could have stayed. It would have been a cool weapon. ๐
– Lilah
It was a pretty cool looking weapon! I honestly doubt that they would let them handle a ‘real’ weapon that is that wicked, especially since Jared wasn’t allowed to handle sharp things after he cut the hell out of himself while shooting Phantom Traveler.:D
Well, if you see how accident prone he is everywhere I think they didn’t even take that chance. ๐
But who knows… Maybe they just decided to go to more earthly and rugged weapons. That seems more possible as the scythe looks like a decoration weapon more than something used in battle. Too clean? ๐
– Lilah
Bless him, he does seem to get boo boo’s a lot. ๐ Jensen’s had a few himself, but poor Jared ends up in casts and slings. That thing looks more like something a Klingon would carry.
Sam:
[img]https://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/images/MysterySpot/vlcsnap-00187.jpg[/img]
Jared:
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xe7kQJr9qY[/video]
๐
hey, that worked!
LOL thanks eilf!
This is why he shouldn’t have anything but rubber weapons: [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FN9iLrHij4[/video]
I mean, they were just trying to have some “fun”. ๐
– Lilah
Thanks a tonne Alice- i am not aware of the single fact so i am glad you started this series. this is really fun and made me wish the time shud go back to 2005.
Can you pls continue and one more thing what you mean by standing ovation there–who did that?
Sam and Dean are so young in these posters, love Sam’s short hair
[quote]one more thing what you mean by standing ovation there[/quote]
I think Alice means that Jared and Jensen have chemistry (and an instant friendship) that bounces off the screen and everyone could see it straight away. It is why there were only two of them at the end when J2 expected there to be a lot more contenders. It is fairly hard to impress studio execs (and chemistry can’t be manufactured, it just happens, or doesn’t) so it would be a pretty big deal in that case.
Apologies for sticking my oar in here but honestly it is the single coolest thing about the show and I just wanted to comment on it ๐
Thanks eilf- so that was about selection of J2 in front of Studio executives (channel reps?- big shots)
You’re welcome! There is probably more to it than that, I just know of that one from the stories J2 tell at cons.
agree on that-J2 are gem together. Makes me happy every time i see them on screen no matter how bad my day is.
I dont know any of these facts hence enjoying re-watch S1 even more
To clarify on the standing ovation, here’s the entry from the season one companion: When Ackles and Padalecki network tested together, “The whole network stood up and clapped, and said congratulations. It was nice knowing he and I were everybody’s first choice,” Ackles reminisces.
So, during their screen test, they made a huge impression!
Thanks Alice for explaining further- its really awesome knowing these facts.
Knowing J2 prowess its even increased my respect for them. My only wish is to keep having J2 on SPN as long as i am alive.wishful thinking
I really love this Alice. More please! So many facts I knew nothing about, a few I did. And you have my very favourite:
[quote]The disco motel room in โProvenanceโ is the only motel room thatโs gotten a reaction from Sam and Dean. The verdict? โHuh.โ [/quote]I laugh out loud every freaking time I see it! ๐ This will definitely make the hellatus more bearable.
Yay! Factoids, I love factoids! And a lot of these I didn’t know, so thanks Alice!
Yep Alice I agree, that was fun! I had heard a few of those before but I enjoyed the reading the ones I hadn’t heard. I love all that BTS stuff. That is why I got all the SPN magazines and I usually hit the gag reel and “Extras” first on the box sets. I know you don’t have much idle time on your hands but more of these would be great.
I’m also enjoying this, but it also makes me realize that it was a simpler time-no baggage yet. Did they add more color to the show? I didn’t just notice this, but it seems like it started after season 5.
The first three seasons were shot on 35mm film. So it had a grittier look because film is grainier. Season four they switched to digital cameras, but the cameras they used first (they were leased) weren’t very good in low light, so it seemed really dark still. You could see the difference in the location shots though and overall the look was clearer. In season six, they got the cameras they use today, Arriflexes. Those work great in all sorts of light and add a lot of clarity to the scenes, so that’s likely the difference you’ve been seeing. They could use editing to make it look darker like in the early seasons, but it still wouldn’t quite look the same.
Alice, to tell ya truth i liked the lighting and direction of first three years much better- made the show more grittier and real. Not to mention S&D dynamics in those years was what i like them to be.
Thanks for the info though
Thanks for this Alice… LOVE this fun fact project! I only knew a couple of these episode tidbits so appreciate you sharing. Always fun to hear about the behind the scenes stuff and Jared in the pigtails…. hahahahahahaha. ๐
Looking forward to the future installments.
Alice, Please keep adding this information, I like hearing about all the behind the scenes information, some I have heard before and some not I haven’t.
I just think it adds to the show to know some of what happened during filming.
That was cool. I don’t get the companion guides, so a lot of this was new. Gosh, they do like two hot babies! For the record, leaving the Impala crash as a cliffhanger was a great season finale. Looking forward to more.
What a great idea for a feature! More please!!
[quote]The girl that played Missy Bender, Alexia Fast, played Deanโs amazon daughter in season sevenโs โThe Slice Girls.โ[/quote]
I didn’t recognize her all grown up! Like others here, I’m in the midst of a Season 1 rewatch. Yesterday, I watched [i]The Benders[/i] and was thinking they really should bring back a grown-up Missy to wreak a little havoc on the Winchester Bros. I guess they already did, just in a roundabout way. ๐
One of my favourite bits of trivia from Season 1 is from [i]Provenance[/i], when Jensen calls Jared “Jared” instead of “Sam” in a scene where they’re studying the creepy painting. It happens so fast , it made it into the final cut. It always makes me smile when I hear it.
Dean has crazy eyes in posters 3 and 6, just saying. ๐
This is fun.Thank you Alice.
I loved this Alice! And I love love love season one. Just finished rewatching it and am halfway through season two.
These articles will really help with the hellatus. The one fact I never knew was the ‘standing ovation’ and that just warms my heart. The chemistry of those two from the getgo is just beautiful. Love them so much.
Never got Netflix after I heard the way they changed the show and the music. Boo to them!
Netflix was indeed a shocker and too bad. Good thing there is still good ways to see it like you should. ๐
– Lilah
They tried to make their monsters look more monstery in s1, then, because of low budget or some other reason, their monsters have become human-looking with one distinguishing feature (like black eyes and such). I like it better – looks less fairytalish and more metaphoric to me.
But I absolutely adore the photography of s1 and its washed-out colors. Epic. And the fighting was more diverse. Now the boys mostly get pinned to some walls, the Fighting Department (if they have one;)) should try to be more creative.
The posters are wonderful-they look like they were done on an episode to episode basis. Could you tell us where you got the images and more about them.
I’m so sorry for the slow reply. It does take me sometimes a long time to get back to things. I have a large archive on my computer of images from all seasons that I’ve accumulated through the years but have done a crappy job of putting them all together. These posters were released by WB PR way back when and have circulated in the fandom. When I was going through my material for these fun facts Supernatural Wiki (which has these on their season one episode descriptions) reminded me I had them. I have them now loaded in our Season One Photo Gallery, under S1 Promo (which is S1 misc).
https://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/season-one-gallery?AG_MK=0&AG_form_paginInitPages_1=1&AG_form_albumInitFolders_1=SeasonOne/S1Promo&AG_form_scrollTop=1218&AG_form_scrollLeft=0&AG_MK=0
My favourite seasons are 1, 2 and 3.
Could it be because besides Shiban, Kripke, Edlund and Carver we had 3 wonderful women writers. Cathryn Humphries, Raelle Tucker and Sera Gamble. Those ladies wrote some of the most emotional and deep episodes. How I wish they were still there, along with Edlund.