Streaming platforms have become bastions for shows that never quite made it on the air. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt found itself picked up by Netflix when traditional broadcast networks turned it down. Then there's The Mindy Project, which was saved by Hulu and picked up for a fourth season after its cancellation by FOX. In a rather bizarre turn of events, it now seems that The Mindy Project will once again make its way to network television in the form of reruns.
According to a brand new report from Variety, reruns of The Mindy Project will soon become available on VH1 and Freeform. While Hulu will remain the sole provider of first-run episodes of the series, the streaming platform recently struck a rather unorthodox syndication deal with the two broadcast networks that will bring the series back to traditional television. This marks a significant change for The Mindy Project; prior to this agreement, reruns of the series' previous three seasons were only available to stream on Hulu. The inking of this deal marks The Mindy Project's return to traditionally scheduled television.
With the fifth season of The Mindy Project on the way, this means that fans of the show will still have to go to Hulu in order to see brand new episodes. Under this syndication deal, VH1 and Freeform must wait one full year from a given episode's initial release date in order to air a rerun. This effectively bolsters the lineups for VH1 and Freeform, while still giving Hulu the exclusive ability to release new content for fans.
For those of you that have kept up with The Mindy Project since it made its transition to Hulu, the fifth season will be somewhat abbreviated compared to the fourth. The streaming platform will release the first seven episodes of the 14-episode season (compared to the 26-episode fourth season) on a weekly basis during the fall season, and the latter seven will be released in the same format during the spring after a winter hiatus.
It makes sense that a deal of this nature would eventually come together for a show like The Mindy Project. Despite the fact that FOX cancelled the show after three seasons on the air, it developed a very strong cult following with men and women alike. With The Office alum Mindy Kaling at the helm, the series found a new home on Hulu, and experienced a major resurgence in popularity. The show is more than worthy of the newfound adulation that it has received, so we're glad to see that it will once again make its way to the traditional small screen.
CinemaBlend will bring you all of the latest and greatest news related to this deal as more information becomes available to us. The fifth season of The Mindy Project will debut on October 4 on Hulu. For now, make sure to check out our comprehensive fall TV premiere schedule and fill out your television viewing schedules accordingly.
