Manifest Abruptly Canceled By NBC, But Netflix May Save It

Manifest, a hit NBC thriller about a plane that disappears for five-and-a-half years before suddenly reappearing, was abruptly canceled by NBC this week. The news that the network would end the show with its third season prompted an outcry from fans who have turned to Netflix as a potential savior. The timing is beneficial as Manifest recently arrived on Netflix, rapidly climbing its popularity charts.

The first two seasons of Manifest arrived on Netflix on June 10. The streaming service gave it a notable spot on the platform's home screen and only days later the show had climbed Netflix's popularity list to be the streaming service's #1 show in the US, an achievement it managed to hold for several days straight.

Many new people were introduced to the NBC series, which has a third season available to stream on Paramont+, making it an unfortunate time for NBC to cancel the series. However, it has dropped a prime opportunity in Netflix's lap — the streaming company has previously picked up canceled television shows to continue as originals and Manifest has proven highly successful among its subscribers.

Deadline claims that Netflix and Warner Bros TV are in talks about the possibility of moving Manifest to the streaming platform. This would, according to the report, depend on things like whether Netflix considers the show a viable option after evaluating how much such a move may cost it.

Even better, the show's creator Jeff Rake has plans to carry Manifest's story for six seasons, meaning Netflix would already have a storyline ready to produce. Fans have rallied behind the possibility of a move from traditional television to streaming, but it remains to be seen whether Manifest will join shows like Longmire and Lucifer to become a Netflix original.