This is a new feature I’ll be running for next several weeks, or maybe this is a one time deal if no one likes it.  :)  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 let’s 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.  That’s 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 “The Gilmore Girls,” the show that Jared Padalecki left so he could be on “Supernatural.”  In March, the show was moved to Thursdays, where it was paired with “Smallville,” the show that Jensen Ackles left so he could be on “Supernatural.”  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 wasn’t happy with the way it looked.  

Writer Richard Hatem wrote the episode “Phantom Traveler” as a way to deal with his own fear of flying.  

Star Trek: Voyager alum Robert Duncan McNeill directed the episode “Skin.”  He didn’t come back to direct another “Supernatural” episode until season eight’s “The Great Escapist.”  

“Hookman” 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 didn’t turn out as hoped.  



The story of the making of “Bugs” is just too legendary, I cannot do it justice is one “fun facts” session.  So go to the “Bugs” page of Supernatural Wiki and read all the stories.  Make sure you’re somewhere where you can laugh out loud.  

Here’s a mid-season promotional poster that went out around the episode “Home.”  Don’t they look like babies?  Also, that home in the poster was not their home in Kansas.  Great job promo monkeys.  



Here’s another, for Asylum.  Blue Steel babies!  



In the scene in “Asylum” when Sam and Dean pull up to the Roosevelt institution in the Impala, “Smallville’s” 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 “Scarecrow” 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).  

 

“The ghost truck wasn’t as scary as we’d hoped it’d be,” said Eric Kripke.  No kidding.  Here’s another promo poster.  Not only is the truck not scary, but even Sam’s hoodie looks a little off.  



Originally the scene with Max telekinetically holding the knife at his mother’s 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 Dean’s amazon daughter in season seven’s “The Slice Girls.” 



The warehouse loft in “Shadow” was recycled from another Vancouver based show, “Tru Calling.”  That show starred Eliza Dushku, who very strangely has never guest starred on “Supernatural.”  Her “Dollhouse” co-star Tahmoh Penikett has!    



Here’s the caption from Sam’s “Official Bikini Inspector” badge.  “This 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.”  Yep, this is the type of giggly fun we've been missing out on in later seasons.  

The disco motel room in “Provenance” is the only motel room that’s gotten a reaction from Sam and Dean.  The verdict?  “Huh.” 

This picture was taken on the set of “Dead Man’s Blood.”  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.  



“Carry On Wayward Son” made it’s first appearance in “Salvation,” which was not the season finale.  It has appeared in every single season finale since then, but it was never in season one’s.  

Originally in the car crash scene in “Devil’s Trap,” 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 didn’t 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 Dean’s 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.  

There’s 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 I’ve done through the years.