Lucifer and the 3 best (and 2 worst) shows Netflix has saved from cancellation

It’s always so heartbreaking when a show you follow is canceled, especially if it’s one that ended with a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, this happens pretty often with broadcast shows every year, but it’s not exclusive to them. Netflix has a record at this point for canceling shows after just one or two seasons, which makes viewers extremely frustrated. The good news, however, is that the streamer has also saved several shows over the years. One of the latest instances of that would be Manifest, which is now billed as a Netflix Original. More recently, the streamer also saved Girls5Eva.

But not every show Netflix has saved was a success. Below we’re breaking down the best and worst shows the platform has brought back after cancellation, and whether or not that was a good decision.

Shows saved by Netflix

Manifest

Manifest first debuted back in 2018 on NBC and quickly gained a large following. Created by Jeff Rake, the sci-fi series follows a group of airplane travelers who show back up into the world after five and a half years. Their loved ones believed they were dead, while the passengers and crew feel like nearly no time has passed. NBC network canceled the show after three seasons in 2021, and fans begged for someone to save it.

In just about the best possible timing, Manifest was added to Netflix soon before NBC gave it the axe, and it became super popular with streamers. We at Netflix Life rallied around the addicting series, and along with fans helped to save Manifest! Netflix announced they would be bringing back the show for a fourth and final season, which is broken up into two parts.

Manifest season 4 part 1 debuted on Nov. 4, 2022 and was a hit. According to Variety, the new season saw 57.1 million hours viewed in just the first three days. Saving Manifest was a win for Netflix with the viewership numbers and fans are so happy they will be getting a proper ending to the story. Manifest season 4 part 2 is expected in 2023, though we don’t have a release date yet.

Lucifer

Another huge win for Netflix was when they decided to save Lucifer. The fantasy series first premiered in 2016 on FOX and it ran for three seasons before the network decided to cancel it because of low ratings. Netflix didn’t waste time before picking it up, announcing they would be saving the Tom Ellis-led series for a fourth season. The popular series ran for a total of six seasons, coming to an official end in Sept. 2021.

Not only was saving Lucifer awesome for the fans who were ecstatic to see their favorite show continue, but it proved very smart for Netflix in terms of viewership. Season 5 part 2 saw a whopping 1.284 billion minutes streamed during the opening week, and the sixth and final season saw 1,588 million minutes streamed in its first week.

Though it’s sad Lucifer is over now, fans will never forget what a fantastic run it had, and we have Netflix to thank for that!