Yesterday, on Film & TV Friday, I wrote about the cancellation of Brooklyn Nine Nine by Fox TV. At the time, Lin-Manuel Miranda was waging a campaign to save the show, but I wasn't optimistic. Campaigns of that nature have been known to help while shows are on the bubble, but they rarely help once the decision is made.
However, this was the exception. I don't know if the social media campaign helped, but I'm sure it didn't hurt! Brooklyn Nine Nine found a new home on NBC, which means it is now aired by the same company that produces it. It also slots into a lineup that already has a super smart ensemble comedy in The Good Place, and I think pairing the two shows can be great for both.
Image credit: Fox PR
While B99 fans rejoiced, fans of SyFy's The Expanse lamented that show's cancellation by SyFy. This was a surprising decision by SyFy, as The Expanse was their best reviewed show, and gave the channel the kind of prestige programming they only had during Battlestar Galactica's run.
The producers of the show are reportedly shopping it around to other venues. Netflix seems like a natural pick, as the streaming service already streams the show, and this would make it a Netflix original.
Netflix currently has Altered Carbon in a similar niche, but The Expanse is more beloved, better reviewed, and doesn't have the same mysogyny issues. We don't know how many viewers each show has on Netflix, but I would guess that if service had first run episodes of The Expanse, it would do better. Hulu and Amazon are also possible destinations.
But right now, The Expanse is cancelled, and that's sad news. It's a shame Lin-Manuel Miranda doesn't watch it, or it may have been saved already.