Netflix turned canceled TV show into its most-watched series across the globe

A show which was canceled by NBC after just three seasons went on to find its home on Netflix - and became one of the streamer's biggest hits.

In June 2021, NBC canceled Manifest after just three seasons - but fortunately for the beloved drama series, Netflix picked up the rights to the show's reruns and scheduled a release date for the fourth and final season.

The first 10 episodes of the final installment dropped on Netflix last November, and Manifest's official Twitter page revealed that the show racked up about 57 million viewing hours in its first three days on the platform.

In addition to this, the drama's first season also made its way to number 10 on the streamer's most-watched shows, with 20.3 million hours viewed by global audiences, per Deadline.

The much-loved series Manifest first launched in 2018 on NBC and tells the story of a group of passengers on a flight from Jamaica to New York, who grapple with a disconcerting reality of five years having mysteriously elapsed while they were on the plane.

As if the time difference could not be more extreme already, the passengers are also all presumed dead (which, to be fair, is probably what would happen if the plane hadn't been heard from in five years).

As the characters all try to move on from what happened and integrate themselves back into society, they start to experience visions of events yet to occur and hear voices.

Check out the trailer for the show below:

The ensemble cast features Melissa Roxburgh from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Once Upon A Time's Josh Dallas, J.R. Ramirez of Jessica Jones, and Luna Blaise from Fresh Off The Boat.

The fandom took its unwavering enthusiasm for the show to social media, with users sharing their delight and extending their gratitude to Netflix for resurrecting the phenomenal series.

"So proud of this show! I bet NBC is kicking themselves right now. #Manifest," wrote a jubilant fan, while another expressed: "Proud of them for making this incredible series."

A third added: "Thank you for saving this wonderful show @netflix imagine if we had to live with just the s3 finale #Manifest."

The cast and crew of Manifest was also overjoyed at its return to finish the story. Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Melissa Roxburgh, who plays Michaela Stone in the series, resonated with the collective elation during her conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing both she and showrunner Jeff Rake were in disbelief. “We were both like, where did this come from? We just couldn’t believe it," she conveyed, expressing her joy over Netflix's trust in the creative trajectory of the series.

Reflecting on the challenging wrap of the third season amidst the peak of the pandemic, Roxburgh highlighted the collective sense of relief stemming from Netflix’s decision to revive the series, allowing a fulfilling culmination to the intricate tale. "I’m happy that Netflix brought us back, not only to finish the story but to give everyone a proper goodbye," she concluded.

Featured image credit: Getty Images