‘Timeless’ Lands 2-Part Series Finale to Air During Holidays
Co-creators Eric Kripke and Shawn Ryan thank fans for “passion, support and helicopters” one month after second NBC cancellation
Jennifer Maas | July 31, 2018 @ 9:30 AM
Last Updated: August 1, 2018 @ 11:38 AM
NBC
Congratulations Clockblockers, your helicopter-campaign money did not go to waste!
NBC and studio Sony Pictures Television have struck a deal to produce a two-hour “Timeless” series finale, set to air this holiday season. Yes, the broadcaster saw all the online backlash to the globetrotting drama’s axing and is looking to give you closure after canceling it (again) last month.
“While we wish we could’ve made another dozen seasons of ‘Timeless,’ this is the next best thing,” co-creators Shawn Ryan and Eric Kripke said Tuesday. “We’re thrilled to take the Lifeboat out for one last spin and bring closure to our story. The studio, network, cast and crew are all doing this for one reason only: the fans. Because they deserve it. Because the fans made this happen and we thank them for their passion, support and helicopters. So? You guys want to get Rufus back or what?”
Ryan and Kripke say audiences can expect to see the “Timeless” they know and love on the two-part episode — which will air over the course of one night — along with a focus on the unsung and underrepresented people of history, and, most importantly, one final emotional story for the Time Team aka Rufus (Malcolm Barrett), Wyatt (Matt Lanter), and Lucy (Abigail Spencer). There’s no word yet on exactly when during the holidays the series finale will land.
“Timeless” — which had been in limbo while awaiting a renewal decision for months after wrapping Season 2 — was canceled for the second time by NBC in June. Self-professed “Clockblockers” suffered through the series getting the axe for the first time last spring after just one season, though that decision was quickly reversed by NBC after a huge wave of support from viewers via social media.
“We’re excited to tell one final chapter to this incredible story,” said Lisa Katz, co-president, Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “A huge thank you to all – our cast, crew, producers and partners at Sony – who have worked so very hard, and to the fans who kept us on our toes and made sure we did our very best week after week.”
The series stars Spencer, Lanter, Barrett, Goran Višnjić, Paterson Joseph, Sakina Jaffrey and Claudia Doumit.
Ryan and Kripke are the creators, writers and executive produce alongside co-showrunners Tom Smuts and Arika Lisanne Mittman. Don Kurt, Greg Beeman, John Davis, John Fox and Marney Hochman also executive produce.
“Timeless” is a production of Sony Pictures Television, Davis Entertainment, MiddKid Productions and Kripke Enterprises.
21 TV Shows That Found New Homes After Cancellation, From 'Gilmore Girls' to 'One Day at a Time' (Photos)
One man's trash is another man's treasure. OK, no show wants to be called "trash," but if it means you're getting picked up by another network or platform after cancellation at your original home, you probably won't mind it too much.
"One Day at a Time" -- The sitcom revival ran for three seasons on Netflix from 2017 to 2019 before being canceled in March 2019. Pop TV then picked up "One Day at a Time" for a fourth season, which began airing earlier this year. The cable channel canceled the series in November.
Netflix
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" -- The Andy Samberg comedy ran from 2013 to 2018 on Fox and was picked up for a sixth season by NBC one day after being canceled by its original network. The show's seventh season aired earlier this year and the eighth season is expected in 2021.
Universal
"Designated Survivor" -- The Kiefer Sutherland drama ran for two seasons from 2016 to 2018 on ABC. The series was picked up by Netflix for a third season, which ran in 2019. The show then got canceled again.
ABC
"Lucifer" -- The drama ran for three seasons on Fox, from 2015 to 2018, and was picked up by Netflix for a fourth season in June 2018. Season 4 launched on the streaming service in 2019, and the first half of its fifth season premiered in August. Netflix still has the second half of Season 5 to launch before "Lucifer" goes into its sixth and final season, which is expected to debut in 2021.
Fox
"Nashville" -- The country-music-world drama aired from 2012 to 2016 on ABC, then got picked up by CMT for two more seasons from 2016 to 2018.
CMT
"Cougar Town" -- Ran on ABC from 2009 to 2012, then on TBS from 2013 to 2015.
TBS
"Arrested Development" -- The comedy aired on Fox from 2003 to 2006 and then moved to Netflix in 2013 for a fourth season. A fifth season rolled out in 2019.
Netflix
"The Expanse" -- The sci-fi series aired from 2015 to 2018 on Syfy and was canceled before being picked up by Amazon Prime Video for two more seasons. Ahead of the fifth season's December 2020 premiere, the streaming service ordered a sixth and final season.
Syfy
"Futurama" -- The animated comedy ran on Fox from 1999 to 2003, then moved to Comedy Central from 2008 to 2013.
Fox
"Gilmore Girls" -- The dramedy aired from 2000 to 2007 on The WB, which became The CW in the show's final season. It was revived by Netflix in 2016 for a special four-episode miniseries, "Year in the Life."
Warner Bros
"Community" -- The sitcom ran on NBC from 2009 to 2014 and aired its sixth and final season on Yahoo! Screen in 2015.
Sony
"Scrubs" -- The hospital-set sitcom aired seven seasons on NBC from 2001 to 2008, then moved to ABC for two more seasons.
ABC
"The Mindy Project" -- Mindy Kaling's comedy ran on Fox from 2012 to 2015, then moved to Hulu from 2015 to 2017.
Hulu
"Diff'rent Strokes" -- The classic comedy started its long run on NBC from 1978 to 1985, then moved to ABC from 1985 to 1986.
NBC
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" -- The cult classic aired from 1997 to 2001 on The WB before moving to UPN for its final two seasons, which aired from 2001 to 2003.
20th Century Fox
"Roswell" -- The sci-fi teen drama first ran on the WB from 1999 to 2001, then moved to UPN from 2001 to 2002. (A reboot, titled "Roswell, New Mexico," premiered on The CW in 2018.)
20th Century Fox
"Veronica Mars" -- The Kristen Bell show ran on UPN from 2004 to 2006, then moved to The CW for a final season from 2006 to 2007. And then Hulu released a revival in 2019.
Warner Bros
“Stargate SG-1” -- The sci-fi series started on Showtime from 1997 to 2002, then moved to Sci Fi (later Syfy) from 2002 to 2007.
Showtime
"Project Runway" -- The fashion competition series first ran on Bravo from 2004 to 2008, then moved to Lifetime from 2009 to 2018, and then came back to Bravo in 2019 for a new season with Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn replaced by Karlie Kloss and Christian Siriano.
Lifetime
"JAG" -- The procedural ran for one season from 1995 to 1996 on NBC, before CBS picked it up from 1997 to 2005.
CBS
"Last Man Standing" -- The Tim Allen sitcom ran for six seasons from 2011-2017 on ABC, then got picked up by Fox in 2018 and aired Seasons 7 and 8 on its new network. The show's ninth and final season is scheduled to premiere in January on Fox.
Fox
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One man's trash is another man's treasure. OK, no show wants to be called "trash," but if it means you're getting picked up by another network or platform after cancellation at your original home, you probably won't mind it too much.