Remember when Montego Air Flight 828 disappeared, only to re-appear years later? Well, sometimes art imitates life, but hopefully it doesn't take as long this time. Long story short to start, NBC has decided to cancel Manifest after three seasons and a massive finale cliffhanger. Obviously, fans are upset, but not as upset as series creator and executive producer, Jeff Rake.
My dear Manifesters,
— Jeff Rake (@jeff_rake) June 15, 2021
I’m devastated by NBC’s decision to cancel us. That we’ve been shut down in the middle is a gut punch to say the least. Hoping to find a new home. You the fans deserve an ending to your story. Thanks for the love shown to me, cast, and crew. #savemanifest
As you can see, Rake is far from giving up on the show. The implication is, Warner Bros. TV is already looking for a new home for Manifest. Something that the sci-fi mystery has going for it is a very timely release on Netflix. The first two seasons are on the streamer now, and very quickly rose to the #1 spot on the Netflix Top 10 list in the U.S.
Does that mean Netflix could save the show, like it did for Warner Bros. TV's Lucifer years ago? Possibly, but things are a bit different now. The pandemic has no doubt had an affect on budgets, so that has to be considered. On the flip side of that, HBO Max did not exist when Lucifer needed saving either. It's very possible that Warner takes this Netflix success as a sign that it needs to keep the series in house. It likely wouldn't be for too long either. Let me explain that.
When I spoke to Matt Long, who plays Zeke on the series, he talked about how long the series may last. He spoke about the fact that there was a five season plan that Jeff Rake was looking to complete. So, whoever might save Manifest, might only have to commit to running two seasons. You could even make the argument that the series could be wrapped up in one extended season, depending on how it is constructed. This would give the fans the conclusion they are seeking, and make someone look like a hero.
While it's hard to speculate at this point, my gut tells me that Manifest could take flight again at some point. A couple of the factors that I mentioned, and the already stout support from Manifesters, seem to bode well for finding a new home.
If you want to support the cause, you can watch Manifest on Netflix here. I'll be keeping a close eye on this one, so check back for updates. Can we all #SaveManifest?
Photo Credit: Peter Kramer/NBC