Syfy’s Wynonna Earp is currently airing its fourth season and at one point a fifth season of the show seemed to be assured. Back when the fourth season renewal announcement was made in Summer 2018, a fifth season was mentioned as well. But the road has been rough for the show since then, with the fourth season put in doubt last year due to the financial struggles of its production company IDW Entertainment. In Spring 2019, it was announced that production had halted due to money issues, but that was eventually worked out and shooting on the season began. It pushed the premiere of the fourth season by a year (further complicated by the Coronavirus-related shutdowns), and I have seen no confirmation that the fifth year is still a go. But fan efforts can help in that direction.
The fourth year finally had its premiere on Syfy at the end of July and the initial ratings looked pretty good, pulling a 0.11 score based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic. Those are decent numbers for Syfy these days and better ratings than Van Helsing averaged in Fall before getting a fifth season renewal. But the numbers for Wynonna Earp have since dropped as the show posted a 0.06 rating followed by a 0.07 score the last two weeks. Those are not disastrous for a Syfy series, but definitely somewhat concerning at this point.
Wynonna Earp is an acquisition for Syfy and the network has little to no financial stake in the show. So the only way that it makes money is from advertising revenue which is driven by the same-day ratings. At the current ratings levels, the network cannot ask too much for the ad spots that run during the live broadcasts. But the show comes to Syfy with a relatively inexpensive price tag, so it may still be doing well enough for the network. At this point, I’m guessing that a fifth and final season is still a decent possibility (those wanting more should know that no scripted original has ever lasted more than five seasons on Syfy). And the fans can definitely help that happen.
Wynonna Earp has a very loyal fanbase that is very active on the social networks. And they need to mobilize now. Watching the show during the live broadcast does nothing to help its numbers unless you are a Nielsen family. But live-tweeting during the broadcast does (as well as immediately before and after). That gets the show trending which gets its more attention and proves that it has an engaged audience during the broadcasts. Watching the episodes after the fact on Syfy’s website and/or app help as well because those numbers are counted without the filter of Nielsen sampling, and the network gets ad revenue for those viewings. Watch parties are a good idea as well, and I know those have been a regular event with the fans (follow the hashtag #WynonnaWatchParty on Twitter for announcements). Watching past seasons on Netflix could give it a boost as well, because if Syfy cancels it, the streamer may have an interest in picking it up. There is also an online petition lobbying for a fifth season that fans should sign. (You can read about more fan initiatives at this link.)
I realize that I am preaching to the choir for many Earpers because they are already doing all of this. But the more that join in, the better chance the show has of sticking around for a fifth season. Wynonna Earp is a ton of fun and a great little series that not many have discovered yet. And it definitely deserves to get a final season to wrap up all its storylines. The same-day Nielsen numbers do not look great for the show at the moment, but then they never have. The show has been a survivor, struggling past poor ratings and production challenges. And with strong support from its loyal and determined fanbase (plus some new converts), it can get that fifth season renewal.
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