Good news, sci-fi fans!The Expansemight survive the great TV culling of 2018 after all.THRreports that Amazon Studios is in talks to pick up the series for what would be its fourth season. The news comes 10 days after Syfy announced they would not pick up the series again after the third season, which is currently airing.
Alcon Television Group, who proved and fully financed the series immediately began shoppingThe Expanseto other networks for revival and the fandom launched a vocal online campaign, including apetition for Amazon to renew the series. The petition quickly passed it’s goal of 100,000 signatures (and you can watch the count climbing toward a new goal of 150k right now). Even celebrity fans likePatton OswaldandGeorge R.R. Martinjoined the call for renewal.
The ensemble series starsSteven Strait, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Dominique Tipper, Cas Anvar, Wes ChathamandFrankie Adams. Set 200 years in the future, across a colonized galaxy rife with political conflict,The Expanseslowly weaves an intergalactic conspiracy and a framework of complex narratives with some of the best-looking space opera on TV. It’s consistently one of the most impressive, challenging, and all around best science fiction series on TV, so the talk of new life at Amazon is certainly welcome news for a lot of folks (including yours truly).
According to THR, Amazon execJeff Bezoswas keen on the material for a long time. Syfy held the first-run linear rights forThe Expansein the U.S., but Amazon held streaming rights for the first three seasons of the show. Per the report, Bezos is a big fan of the book series byJames S.A. Coreyand wanted the rights to the show before they went to Syfy. ButThe Expansecame with a massive price tag for the NBC-Universal owned Network (just look at the production value and you’ll start to wonder about the exacts on the budget), and without the SVOD rights or international rights (which Netflix held).
“The Expanse transported us across the solar system for three brilliant seasons of television. Everyone at Syfy is a massive fan of the series, and this was an incredibly difficult decision,” Chris McCumber, president of entertainment networks at NBCU Cable Entertainment, said at the time. “We want to sincerely thank The Expanse’s amazing cast, crew and all the dedicated creatives who helped bring James S.A. Corey’s story to life. And to the series’ loyal fans, we thank you most of all.”
Expansefans, please joinBrooklyn Nine-Ninefans in the party zone. Looks like your fav is sticking around.
