Revolution was cut short by NBC, but fan efforts could convince Warner Bros. TV to bring it back for a third season, perhaps on HBO Max or Peacock.
What Is It?
This series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where fifteen years prior “The Blackout” caused everything run by electricity to be completely disabled. The catastrophe caused the government to collapse and several small “republics” arise across the country, largely run by their militia. One man holds the answer for how to restore the power, but he is killed and his son is kidnapped. His family then goes on the run from the militia of Monroe Republic who are searching for the secret to bring back the power and control the country. The show was created by Supernatural‘s Eric Kripke and executive produced by John Favreau and J.J. Abrams.
Aired: NBC, 2012-14, 2 Seasons Totaling 44 Episodes
Starring: Billy Burke, Tracy Spiridakos, Giancarlo Esposito, Zak Orth, David Lyons, Elizabeth Mitchell
Created By: Eric Kripke
Why Was It Cancelled?
This show started out as a ratings hit, airing on Mondays in the 10 PM EST timeslot with ratings-powerhouse The Voice as its lead-in. Its numbers started to slip notably by mid-season, but NBC still brought it back for a second year. However, they moved it to the Wednesday 8 PM EST timeslot at the same time that the tone of the show took a darker turn. It proved a poor fit for that family-friendly hour and the audience attrition continued. It had developed a very vocal fanbase, though, and they were active online trying to bring attention to Revolution. But the ratings had sunk low enough by the end of its second season that NBC pulled the plug on the show.
Eric Krikpe gave the following description of how the third season would have progressed if the show was picked up:
It was gonna be this kind of treasure story where they were going to hear a legend of a very mythic treasure. It wasn’t gonna be gold, it was gonna be supplies. It was gonna be this incredible stockpile of supplies. All the good guys and all the bad guys in the show were going to fight for this gold mine of material and supplies. It was going to be fun. It wasn’t going to be a war season. It was going to be a treasure hunt season, which would have been fun and mixed up the show in a really interesting way.
How Did Fans Respond?
As mentioned above, the fans were already active before the show was cancelled and they ramped up their efforts afterward trying to convince NBC execs to change their minds or Netflix to pick the show up. Twitter was not as strong of a platform at the time for Save-My-Show efforts, but fans used that and other social media sites to get the word out. They also had an online petition which garnered more than 100K signatures. The show was on the high side of Netflix’s price range at the time, but that streamer had indicated a willingness to pick up cancelled network shows and would later start throwing stupid money at its productions. But ultimately, neither Netflix nor NBC could be convinced to bring the show back for a third season.
Fans continued their efforts, though, and eventually the decision was made to put out a four-part digital comic to give the show some sort of resolution. It did at least wrap up some of the story arcs, but fans would have much preferred at least a final season. (The comic is still available on the show’s Facebook page: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4.)
Can It Be Revived?
It has been quite a number of years since Revolution last aired (May 2014 was the final episode), and I dont know if a full-on revival is possible (and the fans would certainly shun a reboot). But in the current Streaming Wars environment, this show might represent an opportunity. It is owned by Warner Bros. TV, and The WB is doing everything it can to push its HBO Max streaming service. Based on the following that Revolution proved it had, a mini-series revival would certainly be a strong subscription draw for the streamer. It could take place a few years after the Season 2 finale to explain why the characters have aged, and perhaps pick up on the storylines left hanging. I know that several of the principles are otherwise engaged at the moment, but they might be able to work a six-episode third season into their schedules. That could provide a better resolution than the rather short digital comic, and it could be left open for continuation if it proves popular (just no cliffhanger endings please).
Revolution is currently available for streaming on Tubi TV, so a watch party there could potentially bring it some attention. I know that fans are passionate about the show, and they could also certainly stage something on the social networks to rival what fans of Lucifer, The Expanse, and Manifest did (all of which led to those shows getting saved). They could also start buying the series VOD or on DVD/Blu-ray which would certainly get the attention of WB execs because it impacts the bottom line. Another online petition might help as well. There is a slight possibility Peacock might have an interest in picking it up, but I don’t know if that would involve re-acquiring the rights to the property.
A revival of this show is right at the edge of feasibility because of the time that has passed, but it is not out of reach just yet. The fanbase is there and they may just have enough will to make one more shot at a Call to Action to get a third season (and possibly more) of Revolution. It could be an uphill battle, but there is also a very real possibility that The WB could see this as a way to boost subscriptions for HBO Max (or NBC for Peacock). Creator Eric Kripke and executive producer John Favreau were supportive of fan efforts in the past, and just may step up again. And it would not have to have the mega-budget that we see from many streaming productions these days. Time is critical on this, but if the fans were to get something going now, a third season could become a reality.
Did you watch Revolution and would you support fan efforts to bring it back? Chime in below in the comments.
More from CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Sci Fi TV Update posts on Fridays. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.