Amazon Will Keep ‘The Expanse’ Alive For Fourth Season After Syfy Cancellation
The past few weeks in television have truly been something else. Different networks have been dropping shows left and right without mercy. Some programs like Brooklyn Nine-Nine have gotten the rare experience of getting canceled by their network and then getting revived by another almost right after. Streaming has been increasing as the method of choice for viewing content for the past couple of years. It seems like whenever a television network cancels a well-received show, the show’s fans immediately reach out to Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon to save it. This was the case when Syfy recently cancelled their critically acclaimed show, The Expanse, leaving it at only three seasons. Deadline is reporting that The Expanse has now received the rare quick revival treatment and fans can thank the chief executive officer of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.
The Expanse was already getting great critical acclaim and a following, but Syfy had to cancel due to the limitations of their agreement for the show. Syfy only had first-run linear rights in the U.S. When programs draw most of their crowds from other sources, this can be difficult for a network regardless of how popular the show is. Fans soon after started a #SaveTheExpanse campaign that would collect 138,000 signatures and target Amazon as the new home for the show. They even raised enough money to fly a banner reading #SaveTheExpanse over Amazon HQ. Two weeks later after the show’s cancellation, Amazon Bozz Jeff Bezos announced the revival during a Q&A at the National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles. There just so happened to be a panel on The Expanse earlier in the day and showrunner Naren Shankar was present with some of the cast. Cast member Cas Anvar got to film the magical moment when the show was revived for a fourth season.
I'll just let him say it…#TheExpanse#RocinanteIsSafe#BreakingNews
Thank you @JeffBezos pic.twitter.com/wxHN31zgJs
— Cas Anvar (@Casanvar) May 26, 2018
Alcon Television group, the company that fully finances and produces the show, released a statement in which they proclaimed their excitement for the new partnership with Amazon. They added, “We are fully aware that this wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the staggering outpouring of support from the most creative, hardest working sci-fi fans around the world. From Reddit campaigns to airplanes, we say thank you. It worked”. It seems like fans got exactly what they wanted in this scenario.
Based in the future when humans have colonized other planets in the solar system, The Expanse explores the dangerous possibilities of humans having too much of this advanced power. The final episodes of season three are expected to air on Syfy in July. Watching the show’s fourth season on Amazon Prime is the only way to let the distributors know that you want to see more in the future. This goes for all of television programming- you cannot illegally stream a show and then get upset when it gets canceled for low ratings. How excited are you for the return of The Expanse? Let us know on social media and make sure to watch the finale Syfy episodes to continue on when the show streams on prime!
Source: Deadline
