NBC and Netflix may team to save Manifest

Deadline

As Manifest continues to get big viewership on Netflix, the streamer and NBC are in talks to share the cost of a fourth season. "A month after the missing plane drama was axed by NBC after three seasons and Netflix opted not to pick it up, NBC is in conversations with Manifest studio Warner Bros. TV about a possible renewal," reports Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, according to sources. "In an intriguing twist, I hear Netflix also has resumed talks with Warner Bros. TV about a fourth season on the streamer and they have been picking up momentum. The conversations are happening as Manifest Season 1 and 2 viewership continues to surge on Netflix in the U.S. and the #SaveManifest fan campaign remains strong. Reps for Warner Bros. TV, Netflix and NBC declined comment." Andreeva notes that since canceling Manifest on June 14, NBC canceled Good Girls and scrapped Law & Order: For the Defense. "The two moves freed up funds in NBC’s 2020-21 drama series budget and opened up holes on the schedule, which is believed to have helped reopen renewal talks with Warner Bros. TV on Manifest," says Andreeva. "Meanwhile, I hear Netflix has restarted talks after passing on the show in June as Manifest has been showing great resilience, remaining in the daily top 10 for more than a month after topping the Nielsen streaming ratings in its first week of release on the platform." Andreeva notes, a similar thing happened to sci-fi drama Timeless, another high-concept NBC drama with passionate fan base that started its run in the high-profile Monday 10 p.m. timeslot. NBC canceled Timeless after its first season in 2017 then reversed its decision three days later after fan outcry.