It’s been nearly a year since Netflix saved the cancelled-by-NBC missing plane drama Manifest, and I'm hoping it'll soon be time to get reacquainted with the passengers of Flight 828 when the fourth and final season premieres on the streamer. Despite Netflix initially deciding not to pick up the series after the cancellation, the powers that be changed their minds thanks to Manifest’s stellar viewership numbers on the platform. Now, exec Jinny Howe is explaining why the drama is such a good fit for the streaming service.
Jinny Howe, Netflix’s Head of Drama Development, spoke to Deadline about several of the platform's most popular dramas, including fan-favorite Manifest. Howe admitted that while the series may not automatically seem like a surefire fit for their library of Originals, there are multiple aspects that prove the twisty mystery is the right fit for the streamer. In her words:
I think Manifest is a really fun show that has so many different entry points and such a great ensemble of characters. It might be a show that you wouldn’t have normally expected from Netflix drama, but for us, it just feels like a best-in-class, hybrid, character-driven-procedural show. For me, the thing that I really love is watching how many different conversations, fans spending all the time talking about how the show’s going to end, and how people go back and re-watch for clues; all of that is really a lot of fun, and I think really drives more and more people to watch the show.
Manifest being saved from cancellation by Netflix was definitely a highlight for TV fans in 2021, and it definitely helped that the first three seasons seemed to spark as much attention on the streaming service as they did on NBC. Premature cancellations are always hard, though it does make any eventual revivals feel that much more celebratory, and with so many fans watching Manifest and keeping the theories and conversations going, that puts it in the same space as other Netflix hits like Stranger Things and The Umbrella Academy. It will also be nice to not have to wait a full week between each new episode, not counting the hiatus between each part.
It's also interesting to hear how Jinny Howe speak about her and others' love for Manifest at the company, considering creator Jeff Rake confessed he mainly knew things were going south at NBC simply from network colleagues not saying anything about it from a creative standpoint, with only financial details coming up. For now, it doesn't seem that was the case with Netflix.
No much information has surfaced regarding the upcoming fourth and final season, which will be split into two parts. Netflix did release a special sneak of Manifest Season 4 during Geeked Week earlier this summer, and there will also reportedly be a couple of big announcements this weekend for 828 Day, named after the flight in Manifest. But without anything being confirmed by the streaming service, it's just a rumor for now.
Meanwhile, filming for Season 4 of Manifest has been going on for quite some time. Jeff Rake warned fans to brace themselves as he shared a picture from the set of a funeral. Of course, he never revealed whose funeral it was or when it would take place, so viewers should probably have tissues on hand.
All three seasons of Manifest are streaming on Netflix with a subscription. Check out CinemaBlend’s Netflix TV schedule to see what else will find its way to the streamer in the coming months.
