“We remain hopeful that Fringe will be able to continue,” executive producer and co-creator J.J. Abrams told TVLine about extending the life of the mind bending sci-fi show.
The cult FOX series is currently in its fourth season with a loyal but small audience tuning in on Friday nights. However ratings have not been nearly strong enough to guarantee a renewal for next year.
“I share the passion for the show that the fans have,” FOX president Kevin Reilly said at the FOX TCA earlier this month.
“We lose a lot of money on the show. At that rating, on that night, it’s almost impossible for us to make money on it. That’s been the case now, over the last season. We’re not in the business of losing money. So, we really do have to sit down with that entity as well, and figure out if there is a number at which it makes sense, or will this be it?” Reilly said about the deciding factors involved in the show’s renewal or cancellation.
Executive Producer Jeff Pickner does have some plans laid out for the show’s next step, some of which do not rely solely on FOX’s final decision to continue forward.
“Worst case scenario, if this were the last aired season of Fringe — and as we’ve said before, there are other outlets where we could continue our stories, be they graphic novels or webisodes — we know what the end of this season is going to be, and it can function as a series finale,” he told TV Line.
The good news for fans is that the writers have an end all set to roll. This season’s complicated multi-dimensional storyline has core Fringe fans hooked in, but does prevent any new viewers to jump in at any given point. But these days there are other places cult shows can find a new lease on life beyond network television.
If Warner Bros Television, who produces Fringe, can lower the fees it charges to license the show to FOX, the likelihood of renewal looks better. A budget cut on Joss Whedon’s cult FOX show Dollhouse was instrumental in that series coming back for a second season in 2010. Additionally, extending Fringe to season five is also in the best interest for all parties involved so it can reach 100 episodes, and secure the necessary number of shows for syndication where the show can live on in reruns for years to come.
SOURCE: TVLine
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