Lucifer Resurrected! Netflix Picks Up Season 4 of Cancelled Fox Drama
Lucifer fans raised hell — and it paid off.
TVLine has learned that Netflix has closed a deal with Warner Bros. Television to resurrect the Tom Ellis-fronted drama, which was cancelled last month by Fox. Reps for Fox and Warner Bros. declined to comment on the length of the pickup, but sources confirm that the streaming giant ordered a 10-episode Season 4.
Lucifer marks the first freshly cancelled series that Netflix has “rescued” in more than three-and-a-half years, since Longmire circa November 2014.
Shortly after Fox pulled the plug last month, Ellis expressed cautious optimism about the series finding a new home, telling TVLine’s Matt Mitovich, “I don’t want to promise anything for anybody, because there are so many things that have to align for things to happen. But I didn’t have hope, and I do have hope now. And as long as there is hope, I will keep fighting. Because I think that’s what our fans want us to do.”
Ellis called the backlash to the cancellation — and subsequent #SaveLucifer campaign — “nothing short of ridiculously overwhelming,” adding, “Since doing Lucifer, I’ve done press in various parts of the world, and I’m fully aware that this show is much more popular than what it had seemed to be on Fox… So I’m not surprised about people being angry. I just wasn’t ready this tsunami of love that came with it.”
Watch a memorable scene from Lucifer‘s recent “bonus” episode:
Now, that’s some exciting Friday news!
I am legit screaming right now. This is incredible.
I literally shrieked in surprised delight when I saw the headline!
Me too. Seriously thought it would be Dc streaming even with the amazon news that broke the other day
Hope they focus more on the cool aspects of the show and less on cop cases now.
What Amazon news? It sucks that it’ll be less episodes, but at least I’ll get to binge watch all 10 episodes all at once. I prefer the Netflix way of airing shows, rather than the week to week method. In fact I just DVR my shows & wait until either the entire season is done for shorter shows & binge half seasons for longer ones like The CWverse show’s.
I was sitting at the parking lot at my son’s school trying not to burst into tears. Thank Lucifer for sunglasses! 😂
Yahoo,!! So happy
Yay!!
Don’t watch the show, hate that dude’s face but I’m happy for the fans! Nice work guys! :)
Thank you! Very kind
How can you hate Tom Ellis’ face? It’s pretty…..
I don’t know, something about it just annoys me to no end!
I feel the same way about Brad Pitt.
His pretty boy face or the demon one?
No problem at all with Tom Ellis, but I get what you mean. I can’t stand looking at Rob Lowe.
I know exactly what you mean, but I just don’t let it get to me because of how amazing the show is. I’m stoked for Season⁴ though.✌🏽😁
Yah, we were speaking up for your favs also. Fan Rights!
it’s wonderful that networks and companies will actually listen to fan outcry. I didn’t watch Timeless but I was elated for them too!
Timeless? What have you heard?
Nothing? I’m talking about last year.
Hallelujah!
Yay!
Well, that’s some fantastic news! Now with this scare in mind, maybe improve the show’s pacing over the 10-episode run.
Here here. They really wasted a significant proportion of the 22 episodes last season on things that weren’t particularly relevant or fun to watch. Hopefully the 10 episodes will help them focus properly on the storytelling and moving the plot along
Four of those episodes were left over from season 2 and were, basically, randomly aired out of production order throughout the first part of the season, which is why they may have seemed irrelevant or out of place.
Aye. So yes, going to Netflix should hypothetically help, because for all their flaws Netflix typically doesn’t pull a Cartoon Network and just randomly rearrange your production order up to and including mixing up seasons or redefining seasons altogether.
PS. Stop doing this, networks. The teams wrote the story in that order for a reason and you’re so rarely correct. Just leave it be, plz.
Except those four episodes didn’t really advance the plot either. They were filler episodes that were perfectly fine airing out of order. This past season really did a horrible job at advancing the plot though, so yeah hopefully 10 episodes instead of 22 will fix that.
Except the Ray Ray episode did further the plot with Ella and gave us Azrael.
I would think the Ray Ray episode, which I just saw tonight, gave them justification for Ella being on the show and how she got there. Unfortunately, I liked the seeing ghosts angle better. I kept waiting for a scene where Lucifer and Ella come together during work and Lucifer being able to see her, but instead, we get the Azrael bit.
I would’ve preferred at least 13 episodes like the Marvel Netflix shows get. BTW, I’m loving The Punisher Season², but I’m sure that’ll get cancelled too, just like the rest. I wish Disney would just purchase them from Netflix & continue the seasons. Except recast Iron Fist & Jessica Jones. I never thought they were good casting. Everybody else is spot on. Who knows, maybe Marvel Studios will come out with a Daredevil or Heroes For Hire movie in Phase⁴?(Fingers crossed)
Thought Netflix were looking at Designated Survivor? Or did they pass?
That would have made more sense for them tbh as they have the international rights for DS. Amazon holds the international rights for Lucifer in most countries and those contracts will still be in place I believe so Netflix will have to let their rival show the episodes first before they can show them in those countries
I doubt that very much. But we will see.
Aus Netflix has Lucifer. Maybe we were super big watchers of it like the UK were for amazon? I’ll be happy to be counted as a viewer now for renewal purposes.
Yeah, but we’re a season behind, like most shows with the initial rights elsewhere. DS was same-day (in effect, anyway).
In addition I have to also wonder how it’s working in the US as well. Hulu has the rights and again that contract is still in effect. Unless WB have bought the contract out for new episodes. If not Netflix are going to have a show they can only show in a handful of countries and countries where Netflix usage is low (The US, UK and Canada account for about 80% of the whole subscriber base with the other 20 coming from the other 186)
DS had already left the original premise of the show so far behind that they alienated most of the original viewers. It really should have been a one season and done thing.
They are still negotiating for DS from what I understand. I believe it’s some hold up with ABC and HULU having USA rights to DS.
I dont watch the show but am very happy for the fans!
Wow. TV Line was really shading people on the comment sections saying these times were gone and Lucifer got picked up by Netflix, Brooklyn Nine-Nine by NBC and last man Standing, a year after being cancelled, by Fox. Turns out people complaining and campaigning were not wasting their time, afterall…
I wouldn’t call it shading, as much as trying to manage people’s expectations. It wasn’t the most likely scenario.
+75 TVLine Power User points (no cash value) #MasterShader
But now, Matt, you can’t use that reasoning next year when more shows are cancelled. What will you do to manage our expectations at the end of next season?
Truth. This is the 3rd cancelled show from this season brought back off the top of my head. Still waiting for word on Timeless, NBC. What’s the hold up?
Better to have people pleasantly surprised, then screaming for your head when you stoked their fervor, and no good news came.
True, always true. And I know that’s exactly what Matt was doing. I just like to know what’s next for the inevitable future.
I think we have know for a few years now that in these times of changes, we can’t really doubt any scenarios. Clearly, they happen and if a fanbase is passionate enough, people will try to capitalise on that.
Could anyone have predicted Netflix would pick it up so long after cancellation?
It turns out a lot of people did. They pick up shows that are a lot older, even.
Even though it’s been 3 1/2 years since Longmire was picked up?
People said it could happen and bet it would happen. It happened. Factually, people predicted it and TV Line comment section has dozens of people predicting it. Therefore, lots of people predicted it. Myself included. Even though it’s been 3 1/2 years since Longmire was picked up.
Designated Survivor
Quantico
Scorpio
Code Black
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World
The Brave
etc.
And don’t get me started on fans of Forever and Firefly!
I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point. Three resurrections are great for the fans of those shows, but rescues like these are exceedingly rare.
If you can name three in the last 30 days, they aren’t “exceedingly rare”.
Twenty five shows cancelled on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and the CW.
Two shows from those networks saved. That’s less than 10%. (The third show, The Expanse, was on SyFy.)
Like it or not, resurrections are exceedingly rare, and it’s not wise to get your hopes up.
Exceedingly rare doesn’t mean what you think it means. 8% certainly isn’t. The whole “it won’t work” was proven wrong. Commenters were right. TV Line was wrong.
I am still waiting on Scorpion, The Brave and Kevin (Probably) Saves the World being saved! :(
Well, seeing as how the twins from K(P)StW have gone on to other projects, it is highly unlikely to happen, which is too bad as I really liked that show.
Forever fans have a stronger case for renewal than most of the shows cancelled this season AND the continuations or reboots of shows from the 1980s and 1990s. A one-season show that actually did well in the ratings–about the same as Fresh Off the Boat S1, Agents of SHIELD S2, Agent Carter S1, Lucifer S2, S1 of Designated Survivor, and the second half of Quantico S1. (I checked Wikipedia’s articles on all of the shows. The numbers cited in them check out.) International appeal. Improving ABC’s troubled Tuesday night 10 PM time slot during its run. A passionate fan base that is STILL asking Netflix to renew the show three years after cancellation. And cancellation because of ownership issues, not because the show had come to a natural end (e .g. Roseanne) or had truly low ratings (***cough, cough***For the People***cough, cough***).
(For the People’s ratings were truly low, but ABC renewed it anyway.)
Because Shonda.
I think TV Line has a decent share of the credit for this save. Yes, they didn’t want to get our hopes up, but they kept reporting on the efforts to save the show, and that helped keep the buzz going.
I totally agree, everyone has contributed. Awesome. :)
YES!!!
.
Best. Day. Ever!!!
Cool! When will It air? I guess not until the Fall?
Congratulations to Lucifer’s fans. I’m sure they are thrilled!
This kind of thing,the saving of Lucifer,of The Expanse,might put pressure on the networks to keep these shows going or risk someone else taking advantage.Also calls into question how much the ratings numbers really mean these days.
Awesome! Now just keeping fingers & toes crossed for Timeless
Wow. I may have to start watching this show. Always intended to, but I wanted to see if it would have legs. Is this the first major network series to get a Netflix save?
Indeed it is*!
*Freshly cancelled major network series, since someone will say “But Arrested Development“!
I also thought of the convoluted path of Kimmy Schmidt. Though that was less of a cancellation, (you’d have to air first), and more of an egregious error in NBC’s judgment.
Figured they might. Piracy numbers on Lucifer are really high and that correlates positively for streamers like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.
More and more folks are paying for Netflix because they actually know what they’re doing. They have so much original content as well as old stuff. You really get your money’s worth. I don’t think any ‘network’ can claim the value for money of their streaming service like Netflix can. Amazon has worked this out but is late to the party on original content. I cancelled it because nothing to watch. Had Netflix for years one way or the other.
WooHoo!
Hallelujah! Happy Friday!!!
AWESOME. When’s the parade?
I would LOVE a parade!!
OMG!!! Best news!! So excited!!! :):):)
OMG! OMG! I can’t believe my prayers have been answered! YAYYYYYY for Netflix. I can’t wait for this!
OMG!! I had heard rumors that Amazon was circling it, but this is great!
WONDERFUL NEWS!!! Congratulations Netflix, you now have the most loved show world wide. THANK YOU!!!
OMG I am in absolute tears, my boss thinks I am nuts but I as SO DARN HAPPY!!! Thank you NETFLIX, I will NEVER EVER EVER end my subscription with you.