Disregard what you may believe happened over the last few days, as history has changed and NBC has not cancelled their freshmen time travel drama Timeless. As series co-creator Erik Kripke puts it:
The #TimeTeam went back 3 days, and changed history. @nbc picked us up for 10 episodes. Seriously. Airs next summer. #TimelessRenewed pic.twitter.com/SDkeShlByL
— Eric Kripke (@therealKripke) May 13, 2017
The network announced today that they have reconsidered their cancellation decision and will instead bring the show back for a ten episode second season that will air in either Spring or Summer 2018. The reasons for the change of heart by the network executives are all over the board, but I have to believe that the massive outpouring of support for the show by the fans played at least a part of their decision. Word is that Sony, which co-owns the show with NBC, was working hard to shop it around to other networks. And perhaps part of that involved some re-negotiations with NBC that made it more attractive to the network. And the fact is that the show’s numbers were not that bad when you factor in delayed-viewing, and allegedly NBC execs liked the show as well. But in any case, the show is coming back for at least ten more episodes, and if its fans remain diligent, perhaps more beyond that. CBS uncancelled Jericho back in 2007, but that show’s second season ended up being its last. Though that one never had the same level of support from its network, so perhaps Timeless can fare better.
The Timeless fans should definitely be commended for their tireless efforts and support, which for once was rewarded by a network making the decision. I personally believe that the networks need to see this level of fan support as an asset and that they should partner with those fans to assure that they stay active on the social networks to keep drawing attention to their shows. In the uber-competitive environment of Peak TV, I believe that the networks that move in that direction will have a better chance of surviving.
But for now, let’s just bask in this good news as well as the surprise renewal announcement for The Exorcist, and also appreciate the fact the we have many, many sci fi and fantasy shows to choose from across the broadcast nets, cable channels, streaming services.
