There’s no way that anyone hears the name Walker and doesn’t think of Chuck Norris and his classic TV show, Walker, Texas Ranger that aired in the 90’s! The superhit show helped cement Chuck Norris’s status as Hollywood’s bad guy and a martial arts prodigy! So, here’s some good news for all Chuck Norris and Supernatural fans! Our very own Sam Winchester returns to the tube as the new and reimagined Cordell Walker!
And this time, Jared Padalecki is not just the main lead but is also an executive producer of the series, actively involved in the making – from the scripts to the shoot schedule to casting.
But how similar are these shows? Here’s a breakdown for you –
Walker, Texas Ranger that aired from 1993-2001 and the subsequent movie Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire were martial arts extravaganzas! Chuck Norris played Cordell Walker, a no holds barred Texas Ranger and Vietnam veteran who relied more on his punches and kicks than dialogue. He punched first and talked later plus the show was violent.
Walker on the other hand is an emotional family drama. The new Cordell Walker is also a Texas Ranger, but he’s also a family man, a widower and father who returns home to Austin after the unfortunate death of his wife to reconnect with his estranged family.
“The arc of this first season is about a man not just coming home and healing and dealing with his own grief, but also realizing what it is to be the parent and to have to hold up an emotional end of the bargain with his kids that he didn’t have to before,” as told by writer and executive producer Anna Fricke.
The Partner in crime then had more brawn, larence Gilyard (Matlock) played Jimmy Trivette, a former Dallas Cowboys star who becomes Cordell’s partner. He got the part because of his physicality. Jared Padalecki’s partner this time is the game changing Lindsey Morgan described as the rare female Latina Texas Ranger. She’s a focused and observant Army veteran who has years of experience with gender discrimination.
Mitch Pileggi, most famous for playing Skinner on The X-Files, guest-starred in a 1998 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. But now he’s a star of Walker, playing Cordell’s “traditional rancher father,”. Meanwhile, Molly Hagan plays Cordell’s “perceptive” mother, Violet Brinson and Kale Culley play his kids, Keegan Allen stars as Cordell A.D.A. brother, and Coby Bell plays his partner-turned-captain.
While the current outing focuses more on the emotional side of Cordell Walker, the predecessor was more of an act more, talk less proposition.
Watch NEW episodes of Walker, same time as the U.S. – Only on STARZPLAY