Following the show’s cancellation after its Season 3 finale airing on May 18 on Fox, producers of the American thriller drama TV series “The Following” starring veteran actor Kevin Bacon attempted to find a network or streaming service to save the fourth season of the show.
Unfortunately, there was just no takers at that point so the fans decided to initiate a petition to make Fox realized that it was making a wrong decision not to renew the show for a fourth season.
Most of the fans felt that “The Following” Season 3 finale left a huge cliffhanger that only a Season 4 would provide the show the conclusion and closure that it so deserves.
Unfortunately too, the petition fell short in terms of number of signatures. The goal was to generate at least 25,000 signatures for Fox to even consider it, but the campaign only generated 13,000 which ultimately closed the book on whatever revival hopes others are pinning for Season 4 of “The Following.”
As of late, however, rumors started swirling around that popular streaming service Netflix will be airing all the episodes of Season 3 of “The Following,” but since no official confirmation has been made, it came out more as speculations rather than news.
Coming to Netflix
Now, it’s official. All 15 episodes of Season 3 of “The Following” will air on Netflix beginning on December 30, 2015, reports What’s on Netflix.
“The Following” appears to be a last-minute arrangement between Fox and Netflix. The TV series could have aired on Netflix earlier but because the show won’t be showing a Season 4 next year, the release date was pushed further back.
Apparently, the strategy of networks and content providers in having their shows aired on Netflix is to be able to promote the shows’ next seasons. Since “The Following” Season 3 will not be promoting a fourth season, it was not obliged to come out and follow a certain schedule.
However, the airing of Season 3 of “The Following” could be an opportunity for the producers of the show to make one final push to have other networks or Netflix itself to seriously look into the potentials of “The Following” for a fourth and final season.
Lacks commercial value
“The Following” is one of the most watched shows on TV and Netflix but for some reason, it still got cancelled by Fox because it lacks commercial value to the network, depicted by its low-air ratings.
“The Following” details the story of ex-FBI agent Ryan Hardy and a serial killer Joe Carroll, who escapes death row years after being apprehended.
Carroll is an English professor who mutilated and killed 14 women before being apprehended and sent to jail by Hardy. After his escape, his objective was to exact revenge on Hardy and his loved ones, details Netflix Update.
While Season 4 of “The Following” was already cancelled, executive producer Alexi Hawley disclosed that the next chapter or the plotlines for the supposed to be upcoming season have already been drafted.
Hawley, who is also one of the showrunners to the TV series “Castle” on ABC, says that in theory, the supposed Season 4 of “The Following” would be about Ryan Hardy trying to get back and take out every single person that was a threat and get back home again.
The show creator said that had Season 4 was greenlit, viewers would see Ryan Hardy being a vigilante and lone wolf.
“The Following” follows the story of Ryan Hardy as he pursues numerous psychopaths including Michael Ealy’s Theo, Sam Underwoods’ Luke and Mark, and James Purefoy’s Joe Caroll.
It was actually Hulu who first turned down the offer to rescue “The Following” before Netflix did the same.