Manifest is coming back, but it isn’t thanks to the #SaveManifest hashtag.
When Manifest was cancelled by NBC back in June, the series ended up being shopped around to networks in hopes of securing a fourth season. There was a point when both Netflix and NBC, the series’ former home, sought to bring the series back, but Netflix ultimately declined. Fans refused to give up, and the #SaveManifest movement quickly began to take over the internet. However, rather than the fan dedication resulting in Netflix’s change of heart, the renewal of Manifest for a fourth and final season was due to its numbers, Netflix head of global TV Bela Bajaria said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Like many shows before it, Manifest found a new wave of popularity when it landed on Netflix. Despite the show’s cancellation, Manifest continued to dominate Netflix’s Top 10 list for weeks. Netflix has confirmed that the show was watched by 25 million viewers within the United States and Canada in the show’s first 28 days of viewing, and was also the top-streamed show for 19 days. It managed to stay in Netflix’s Top 10 for 71 days.
“Fan enthusiasm is always great to see, but it really isn’t the emails or tweets — it was all about the viewing,” Bajaria explained. “To save a show in this way, it has to have that fan viewing. I appreciate their passion and being connected to the characters, but the viewing is the thing that saved the show.”
Netflix officially announced the show’s return in August, with showrunner Jeff Rake getting his wish for a full season. The cast had been released from their contracts already, so not all cast members have signed back on as of yet, although it appears deals are still being worked out. Once more, there are some issues with foreign rights, meaning new episodes will not debut globally all at once.
Manifest originally debuted on NBC in 2018, with Rake having laid out a 6-season ARC previously. Thanks to fans and their continued support, Rake will now get to tell the story as he has always meant to tell it, albeit in a shorter manner. “Fundamentally. I’m going to be able to continue telling the story that I was always going to tell,” he said.
Season 4 of Manifest does not currently have a release date.
Source: THR
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