Netflix was a big part of breaking the mold when it comes to resurrecting other networks' cancelled shows, as it did with Arrested Development and Longmire, among others. Now, in a tide-turning move, it looks like one of the streaming giant's cancelled Originals has the left field potential to get resurrected, with the popular porn website xHamster laying out an offer to Sense8 co-creator Lana Wachowski saying the company is willing to completely fund Season 3 of the interconnecting sci-fi drama. What the what?
Netflix brought the axe down on Sense8 back in June, with the viewership not high enough to justify the globe-spanning series' budget, and it resulted in a user backlash that likely wasn't expected by Netflix's execs. Taking all of that into account, Netflix agreed to a conclusion special to close things out properly, and it seemed like that would mark the end of the Sense8 conversation, at least as far as its future was concerned. But just a few days ago, Lana Wachowski revealed that because the fans have been so gracious, she's moving forward in writing Season 3, regardless of Netflix's probably lack of interest in ordering it. Which is where xHamster comes in. (Pun acknowledged.)
Via an open letter to Lana and Lilly Wachowski, xHamster's team made an impassioned plea that the website is a more than suitable home for Sense8 Season 3, and the proposal is clear about not wanting to make a parody series or anything less than the season that the creators have in mind. The in-site fandom and legitimate dedication to making such a project work is apparent, and admittedly, xHamster's two biggest selling points -- money and open-mindedness -- are exactly what a show like Sense8 needs. Here's an excerpt from the letter.
xHamster is currently one of the most trafficked websites on the Internet. We get more visitors daily than the New York Times, ESPN or the Daily Mail. In short, we have the eyeballs, and the revenue. Unlike with Netflix, you wouldn't be competing for a part of our production budget -- it would be yours.We also have the disposition. We know that a series about polymorphous perversity is a hard sell for a mainstream network like Netflix. We have no such limitations, and also understand implicitly the interconnectedness of sexualities across boundaries. In short, we are a we.
Further, xHamster went into the many ways it has used its influence to take a stance in issues tethered to the characters in Sense8, such as speaking out against regressive LGBTQ law policies and other forms of negative treatment for non-traditional sexualities. Many might not automatically consider a porn site the most fitting home for a general TV show of any kind, the puzzle pieces do seem to match up well here. And it also begs the question: "Why aren't more revenue-oozing adult sites getting into original series on a regular basis?"
No release date has been set just yet for Netflix's official Sense8 conclusion, but it will arrive at some point in 2018. Hopefully more will come from this most recent update, with xHamster's request one of the more interesting scenarios to hit the world of Cancelled TV Shows. While waiting for more news, check out our 2017 Netflix schedule for your streaming needs, and then hit up our summer TV schedule and our fall premiere schedule for everything else hitting TV soon.
