NBC And Netflix Trying To Save A Canceled Hit Show
Netflix and NBC want to save a canceled show that fans love.
This article is more than 2 years old
After NBC canceled the fan-favorite supernatural series, Manifest, and Netflix refused to make room for the future seasons of the show, the future looked rather bleak for the Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas drama. But apparently, not all hope is lost for the show as reportedly both NBC and Netflix are rethinking their decision after the massive fan campaign to save Manifest.
More than a month ago, NBC took the decision to bring the ax down on its missing plane drama series, Manifest. NBC canceled the show, from Warner Bros. TV and Universal TV, despite its consistently high ratings, glowing reviews from critics, and the fact that the series was conceived as a six-season drama by creator Jeff Rake. Rake had expressed how “devasted” he was by the decision but he remained hopeful that Manifest would soon find a new home. Given Netflix’s penchant for saving fan-favorite series (eg. Lucifer) and the fact that the show was toping the streamer’s US Rankings, it was hoped that show would continue.
But merely a week after NBC canceled the show, Netflix made it clear that it has no plans of ordering the fourth season of Manifest. That was the end of all efforts Warner Bros. Television was making to ensure that the show survived. But now, more than a month after these decisions, Deadline has reported that not only is NBC discussing the possibility of renewing the show for a fourth season but also Netflix has restarted its earlier chats with Warner Bros TV to get Manifest Season 4 on its platform.
Reportedly, the reason for the change in Netflix’s perception towards the canceled show is the continued surge in the U.S. viewership of Manifest Season 1 and Season 2, which are available on the streamer, as well as the steadily growing numbers of the #SaveManifest fan campaign.
As for NBC, the network recently canceled two shows- the eight-episode Season 5 plans for Good Girls and the upcoming spinoff series Law & Order: For the Defense. Deadline reports that these removals alleviated the budget and scheduling stress of the network and hence it has now resumed talks to get it renewed.
Jeff Rake has also vaguely confirmed these new developments in a tweet where he shared that “lots of speculation” is currently taking place about the fourth season of Manifest. While he didn’t share whether the series will be getting a new home or if it will continue on NBC, he assured that in case “the dead rise again,” the credit would go to the show’s loyal fan base.
NBC’s Manifest chronicles the story of a lost plane, Montego Air Flight 828 from Jamaica to New York City. The day the flight takes off, it experiences severe turbulence but manages to land at Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, with its 191 passengers and crew safe. But then they learn a shocking truth- more than five years have passed since they took off. Since they were missing for so long, they had been presumed dead and their loved ones have moved on. Just as these passengers barely begin to navigate this emotional minefield, some of them start experiencing visions i.e., “callings” that make them realize that whatever they went through was to get them ready for something bigger.
Season 3 of Manifest ended on many cliffhangers and in case the NBC series remains canceled, the mysteries that enfolded in the two-hour finale will never be solved. But hopefully, with the renewed talks between NBC, Netflix, and Warner Bros TV, the show will get a second chance.
