Jared Padalecki could be doing double duty as two first responders for CBS. Deadline announced on January 14 that the Supernatural alum is in talks to lead an untitled one-hour medical drama on CBS set in Padalecki’s home state of Texas.
The series — which will be executive produced and show run by Anna Fricke, who worked with Padalecki on The CW’s Walker before its cancellation in 2024 — follows a country doctor, played by Padalecki, who practices a unique style of improvisational medicine at his mobile clinic in an underserved community of rural Texas.
News of Padalecki’s new show comes after reports that he’ll also be leading a Fire Country spinoff, titled Fire Country: Surfside, for CBS after the mother show’s first spinoff, Sheriff Country, premieres in fall 2025. Padalecki made his Fire Country debut as Camden Casey — a SoCal firefighter and training captain who arrives in Edgewater for cadet training — in a three-episode arc in Fire Country Season 3. According to Deadline, Padalecki’s upcoming medical drama doesn’t affect Fire Country: Surfside, which is still in its early stages of development.
Both Fire Country: Surfside and Padalecki’s medical drama are a part of his first-look deal with CBS Studios. Walker, as well as its prequel series, Walker: Independence, which Padalecki served as an executive producer for, were also under the same deal. “Anna Fricke is a fantastic producer, and Jared is a great producer and lead; he was a really good number one,” CBS Studios President David Stapf told Deadline of the duo after Walker‘s cancellation following four seasons.
In an interview with TV Insider in December 2024, showrunner Nia Napolitano confirmed that Padalecki won’t be in any more episodes in Fire Country Season 3 but that the door wasn’t closed on his character.
“We won’t see him this season, but the door’s definitely not closed,” Napolitano said. “He was just a delight of a human, just a wonderful person and a wonderful actor. And that character was so fun. I thought he really brought something special to the show.”
Max Thieriot, who plays Fire Country protagonist Bode Donovan, also explained how Camden’s brief time on the series will have a long-lasting effect on his character. “Camden is able to take away a lot personally from Bode and Bode is able to take away professionally and personally things from Camden,” Thieriot said. “So they both certainly leave an impact on each other.”
