NBC Cancels ‘Manifest’; Here’s Why Season 4 Could Continue on Another Network

After leaving fans in the lurch for nearly a week, NBC has made the decision to cancel Manifest. The missing plane drama ran for three seasons on the network and aired its season 3 finale on Thursday, June 10. Unfortunately, without a season 4, Manifest will leave many questions unanswered.

Manifest fans and the cast have expressed their disappointment over the cancelation, given the show’s popularity among NBC’s titles. Will their pleas for a return be enough to save the story of Montego Air Flight 828? Here’s why Manifest Season 4 may be a possibility on another network or streaming service.

Why did NBC cancel ‘Manifest’?

According to Deadline, Manifest ranked the highest among NBC’s bubble shows, which are shows without a definite renewal or cancelation. The network’s other bubble shows were Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Debris, and Good Girls. NBC already axed Zoey and Debris, while Good Girls still hangs in the balance.

If Manifest had a high ranking, then why did NBC cancel the series? The network didn’t provide a reason for the cancelation, but it may have something to do with viewership. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Manifest had 10 million viewers in its first season but dropped to a staggering three million viewers per episode by the third season. As The Hollywood Reporter described it, that difference is “the sort of steep ratings dive a show typically can’t pull out of.”

Creator Jeff Rake and the cast want to save the show

When news of the cancelation broke, “#SaveManifest” began trending on Twitter. Many cast members participated in the hashtag, including Luna Blaise, Josh Dallas, Parveen Kaur, and JR Ramirez.

“In my feels tonight from all the love and support. #savemanifest,” Blaise wrote.

“I have some thoughts but in the meantime… #SaveManifest,” Kaur added.

Show creator Jeff Rake also wrote a thank you message to fans and used the hashtag. He shared how disappointed he was to hear of NBC’s decision, but added that he hopes to see Manifest live on elsewhere.

“I’m devastated by NBC’s decision to cancel us. That we’ve been shut down in the middle is a gut punch, to say the least,” Rake wrote. “Hoping to find a new home. You the fans deserve an ending to your story. Thanks for the love shown to me, cast, and crew.”

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the showrunners are shopping around for other networks, but nothing has been confirmed at the time of this writing.

‘Manifest’ tops U.S. Netflix charts

Netflix may have a chance as the “new home” for Manifest Season 4. The first two seasons of the series dropped on the streaming service on June 10, 2021, and Manifest has already become the number one show on Netflix in the U.S. Rake has not said anything specific about talking to Netflix, but the high ranking does provide a glimmer of hope. After all, the creator envisioned six seasons of Manifest, and the series has far too many loose ends to be finished now.