Claim: Supernatural is the longest-running American fantasy series.

Supernatural is an American fantasy horror television series created by Eric Kripke . It was first broadcast on September 13 , 2005 , on The WB , and subsequently became part of successor The CW 's lineup . Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester , the series follows the two brothers as they hunt demons , ghosts , monsters , and other supernatural beings . The series is produced by Warner Bros. . Television , in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision . Along with Kripke , executive producers have been McG , Robert Singer , Phil Sgriccia , Sera Gamble , Jeremy Carver , John Shiban , Ben Edlund and Adam Glass . Former executive producer and director Kim Manners died of lung cancer during production of the fourth season .   The series is filmed in Vancouver , British Columbia and surrounding areas and was in development for nearly ten years , as creator Kripke spent several years unsuccessfully pitching it . The pilot was viewed by an estimated 5.69 million viewers , and the ratings of the first four episodes prompted The WB to pick up the series for a full season . Originally , Kripke planned the series for three seasons but later expanded it to five . The fifth season concluded the series ' main storyline , and Kripke departed the series as showrunner . The series has continued on for several more seasons with new showrunners , including Sera Gamble , Jeremy Carver , Robert Singer and Andrew Dabb . With its eleventh season , Supernatural became the longest-running American fantasy series . The series was renewed for a twelfth season , which aired from October 13 , 2016 , to May 18 , 2017 . On January 8 , 2017 , The CW renewed the show for a thirteenth season .