Netflix turned a canceled TV series into the most-watched show in the world
Topics: Netflix, Film and TV
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, Film and TV
Netflix has built up quite the reputation as the go-to streaming platform, but they've also become known for cancelling beloved shows, much to the frustration of fans.
However, on the flipside of things, they have also breathed new life into shows that were shown death's door on other networks.
So swings and roundabouts I guess, you take the good with the bad.
But one example of them reviving a cancelled show mustn't be forgotten due to just how much the streaming platform turned things around.
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Arguably the greatest example of Netflix doing this is with the show Manifest, a series about the passengers and crew who were onboard a commercial flight that suddenly reappeared after five years.
"When a commercial airliner suddenly reappears after being missing for five years, those aboard must reintegrate into society," an official synopsis for the TV show reads.
In the series, Montego Air Flight 828 from Montego Bay, Jamaica to John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York took off in April 2013.
It was not seen again until November 2018.
After landing in New York, all passengers and crew were met by government officials who told them they had been missing for five and a half years and been presumed dead.
Manifest originally aired on NBC in 2018, though the distributor announced it would be shelving the series after three season despite a fourth being proposed.
But in August 2021, just a few months after NBC canned Manifest in June 2021, Netflix picked up the rights and green-lit a fourth season.
Since moving to the streaming service, Manifest has been a huge hit, even becoming one of the most-watched shows on the popular streaming platform.
According to a 2022 report by Variety, the opening episodes of season four had 57.1 million hours viewed in its first three days of availability.
The season ended in June this year which is meant to signify the conclusion of the drama.
But with some fans describing it as the 'best' Netflix show, anything really is possible.
Manifest season four sits at an impressive 88 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, marking big success for the show's first season on Netflix.
Nicole Gallucci, from the Decider, said: "Trust us. Manifest pulls out all the stops in its final batch of episodes to prove itself worthy of surviving its own Death Date back in 2021."
Meanwhile, Collider's Jay Snow penned: "Manifest is back and better than ever, fully taking advantage of its new life on Netflix to keep everyone on the edge of their seats until the final moment of this flight."
While Lauren Piester, from The Wrap, remarked: "Manifest Season 4 will not disappoint fans of the show, though it is likely to break their hearts and/or get those hearts racing."