'UnReal' 4th and Final Season Gets Surprise Release on Hulu

Bettina Strauss/Hulu

“UnReal” fans got a special treat on Monday when Hulu made the entire fourth and final season of the former Lifetime drama available to stream with no warning.

As TheWrap previously reported, Hulu made a deal with “UnReal” producers A+E Studios to be the new home for the show’s fourth outing, which has now officially been confirmed as the show’s last.

Season 4 follows Rachel (Shiri Appleby) and Quinn (Constance Zimmer) as they return to the set of the dating show-within-a-show “Everlasting” for an “All Stars” themed season. With former contestants, and a new format, it is poised to be even more dramatic than ever.

Also Read: 'unReal': How the Fourth (and Final) Season Ended Up at Hulu

Prior to the debut of season 3, Lifetime announced that the drama from co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro and showrunner Stacy Rukeyser had been picked up for a fourth edition. However, when season 3 premiered to weak and declining ratings, it opted to pass the already-produced fourth season to Hulu instead.

New cast members for the season include François Arnaud, Natalie Hall, Meagan Holder and Alejandro Muñoz. Zimmer and Appleby have both directed episodes this season, including the Appleby-helmed series finale.

Also Read: 'UnREAL' Star Adam Demos on That Awkward Finale and August's 'Everlasting' Return in Season 4

“‘UnReal’ has captivated audiences on Hulu since season one, so when this opportunity came to us, we knew we couldn’t miss out,” said Craig Erwich, Hulu senior vice president of content. “This is a unique way to both satisfy fans of the show, while also continuing to introduce it to new audiences.”

“We love season four of ‘UnReal’ and its visionary creativity in bringing back many favorite characters for an all-star competition. When the opportunity to partner with Hulu arose, we immediately saw the huge benefit to ‘UnReal’s’ loyal fans, as well as a unique way of recruiting first-time viewers to this ground-breaking series,” said A+E Studios’ Barry Jossen. “‘UnReal’ has been an incredible ride filled with awards, critical recognition, committed fans and, best of all, insightful cultural dialogue throughout its run.We expect season four to deliver another great round of cultural influence with its timely themes.”

Emmy Snubs and Surprises, From Alison Brie to 'Twin Peaks' (Photos)

The 2018 Emmy nominations were announced Thursday morning, and as always, there were snubs and surprises aplenty.
Snub: "Will & Grace" came roaring back this season with a well-received revival, but the NBC sitcom barely cracked the Emmy nominations with just one supporting actress nod for Megan Mullally.
NBC
Surprise: Ed Harris scored an unexpected nomination for his work as the Man in the Black Hat on "Westworld", sneaking past "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington and three-time nominee Liev Schreiber.
HBO
Snub: Showtime's "Twin Peaks: The Return" proved too divisive for Emmy voters, missing both the outstanding limited series category as well as the acting categories for stars Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern.
Showtime
Surprise: John Legend and Sara Bareilles both earned nominations in the crowded limited series/movie acting categories for "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert". Together they beat out the likes of Nicole Kidman, Angela Lansbury and Al Pacino.
NBC
Snub: "Transparent" has been an Emmy mainstay in recent years, but in the aftermath of sexual misconduct allegations against star Jeffrey Tambor, this year it was entirely shut out.
Amazon
Surprise: Tatiana Maslany already has one Emmy for "Orphan Black", but after sitting out a year, the actress returned with a nomination for the BBC America drama's final season.
BBC America
Snub: "This Is Us" scored two nods in the lead actor category for Sterling K. Brown and Milo Ventimiglia, but in supporting, Justin Hartley and Chrissy Metz were both shut out.
NBC
Surprise: Kenan Thompson received his first nomination for "Saturday Night Live" this year, meaning that for the first time since its premiere in 2009, "Modern Family" was completely locked out of the supporting actor in a comedy category.
NBC
Snub: Netflix's reboot of "One Day at a Time" got no love from the Emmys this year, save one single editing nod. Not even EGOT-winner Rita Moreno could break through in the supporting actress category.
Netflix
Surprise: "The Crown" over-performed expectations in this year's nominations, winning nods for drama series, star Claire Foy and even supporting players Matt Smith and Vanessa Kirby.
Netflix
Snub: With Julia Louis-Dreyfus out of the running, lead actress in a comedy is up for grabs this year, but "GLOW" star Alison Brie was overlooked in favor of fellow newcomer Issa Rae.
Netflix
Surprise: TNT's "The Alienist" managed to elbow its way into the packed limited series field, besting David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" revival, Hulu's "The Looming Tower" and Starz's new take on "Howards End."
TNT
Snub: "Game of Thrones" stars Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington both bumped themselves up to lead categories this year after having previously submitted as supporting, a decision that evidently did not go over well with Emmy voters.
HBO
Surprise: "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" earned its first nomination for variety talk series this year, slipping past "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," which missed the mark for a second year in a row.
Comedy Central
Snub: Al Pacino was considered a frontrunner for starring in HBO's "Paterno", but Emmy voters opted to instead recognize "Jesus Christ Superstar's" John Legend, and "Black Mirror: USS Callister" star Jesse Plemons.
HBO