Canceled NBC Series Falls Short of Breaking Impressive Netflix Record

Manifest has had a wild ride on Netflix since NBC canceled the series. The supernatural series [...]

By Andrew Roberts

Manifest has had a wild ride on Netflix since NBC canceled the series. The supernatural series dropped on Netflix almost simultaneously with the network's decision to cancel the series after three seasons. Shortly after its premiere on the streamer, Manifest was flung into the top 10 and quickly raised questions about Netflix picking the show up for another season.

The series landed in the streamer's top 10 and debuted in the second spot, soon taking the top and holding it for 27 days. It is still in the top 10 but has been knocked out by Netflix favorite Virgin River following its season three debut.

Netflix's top 10 debuted in February 2020, right on the cusp of the global pandemic that would benefit the streamer more than expected. Manifest currently holds the record for second place along with Tiger King, the major hit of those early days in quarantine. The top show is Netflix's Ginny and Georgia, holding the top spot at 29 straight days.

Still, despite this success, it has not saved Manifest from cancellation. Netflix passed on the chance to pick up the series, while a hashtag push by fans to save the show likely aided its ascent into the top 10. According to Forbes, some Manifest fans have been reportedly streaming the show non-stop to "game" the Netflix system.

That aside, the fate of Manifest at the moment is finished. Showrunner Jeff Rake hasn't given up hope on the revival, though. According to TV Line, Rake is pushing for resources to create a two-hour movie to close out the show's story. Initially Rake saw the series running six seasons to tell the full story.

The first two seasons of Manifest on Netflix also drew big for Nielsen ratings, pulling in 1.11 billion minutes viewed according to TV Line. This was only behind Netflix's original Sweet Tooth, which is impressive.

Fans of Manifest likely see the success of other revived series like Lucifer and Designated Survivor, building hope that they could make the same happen with their series. Sadly, that was not the case.

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