The unthinkable has happened. Hollywood, in its infinite wisdom, has made the decision to reboot the cult classic TV series Walker: Texas Ranger — without the involvement of Chuck Norris.
Separating Chuck from Walker seems impossible, but that isn’t stopping CBS Studios from trying to do just that. The new Walker will be a reimagining of the series, according to Deadline, and will star Supernatural‘s Jared Padalecki in the title role. Padalecki will also executive produce the series, which according to Collider will air on The CW. As for just what about the series is being reimagined: Walker’s partner in the new series will be a woman — Clarence Gilyard portrayed Walker’s partner James Trivette in the original series — and Walker himself will have a darker personal origin story than previously. Here’s how Deadline sums up the new series’ premise:
At the center of the series is Cordell Walker (Padalecki), a man finding his way back to his family while investigating crime in the state’s most elite unit. Our broken widower and father of two returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years for a high profile case – only to discover that there’s even more work to be done at home. In a nod to the original series, Walker and his new partner — one of the only women in Texas Rangers’ history — are the modern-day heroes our world needs, following their own moral code to fight for what’s right, regardless of the rules.
While the background and personnel may have been modernized, it seems like the core of the series — officers following their own strict moral code while fighting bad guys — will be kept intact. The CW seems like an odd fit, though, as the network is mainly known for its teen melodramas, but we’re hoping this new Walker can avoid any sort of teen-focused storylines. What we do hope the series includes, however, is slow motion falling scenes, ultra cheesy dialogue, and loads of karate kicks.
If you’re not looking forward to this new Walker: Texas Ranger and prefer the old Walker, we have good news. You can still catch the classic Walker: Texas Ranger every weeknight on CHARGE! at 7/6C. And yes, there will be karate kicks.
