Bad news for the #RenewTimeless campaign: Timeless has been canceled by NBC.
Update (July 31, 2018): Timeless renewed! Kind of! NBC and Sony have announced that a farewell movie is officially happening.
Series stars Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, and Malcolm Barrett are returning alongside executive producers Shawn Ryan and Eric Kripke. In a statement, the two EPs said:
“While we wish we could’ve made another dozen seasons of Timeless, this is the next best thing. 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?”
The movie will reportedly air at the end of the year.
Update (July 2, 2018): Executive Producer Shawn Ryan has revealed via Twitter that attempts to shop the series around to other networks have failed, and a movie presents “considerable economic obstacles that make it an uncertainty”:
1. @SPTV has notified @TheRealKripke and me that efforts to land #Timeless at another network have sadly failed. While Sony will continue to look at any and all options, actor deals have expired and it appears there will be no Season 3 or beyond.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) July 2, 2018
2. Discussions still take place between @SPTV and @NBC about a possible 2 hour movie to conclude the #Timeless story, but there are considerable economic obstacles that make it an uncertainty. We will update you when we know more.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) July 2, 2018
3. @TheRealKripke, me, the cast, writers & crew of #Timeless want to send our immense thanks and gratitude to all the #ClockBlockers who fought so hard for this show. You made a second season possible and gave us hope for a Season 3. We wish the news was better. We love you all.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) July 2, 2018
Original story (June 22, 2018): Sony and NBC have decided not to renew the series. It ran for two seasons, and notably, was temporarily canceled after season 1. Fan support brought the show back to life for a second season, which just finished airing.
Deadline reports that the casts’ contracts expire at the end of June, so a decision needed to come down beforehand. Still, the network is “interested” in putting together a 2-hour movie to wrap up the series. It left fans on a massive cliffhanger at the end of season 2.
Timeless executive producer Shawn Ryan confirmed the news on Friday. “This is a sad day for the writers, actors, crew and especially the viewers of Timeless,” he wrote on Twitter.
“We are all extremely proud of what we made and know that it was more than just a show for so many of our fans. It became a passion and a cause for many of them. We’re proud of the impact @NBCTImeless had on so many people – the students who embraced history as a result of our show, the people who were inspired by our stories of inclusion and acceptance. We saw your tweets and were inspired by you.”
He added, “If NBC is sincere in wanting a 2 hour movie to give much needed closure to our amazing @NBCTimeless fans, we are ready to make it. We don’t want the journeys of Lucy, Wyatt, Rufus and the others to end yet. #Clockbusters”
Exclusive Interview: Timeless EP Shawn Ryan discusses the season 2 finale, potential season 3
The issue now is creating new contracts and getting a crew back together to shoot a movie — a timely and costly matter. And it’d only be for television, making it difficult to monetize.
In the weeks since season 2 wrapped, the series’ fans have been pushing a big #RenewTimeless campaign to show their serious love for the show. Even the Timeless writers got in on the movement, tweeting deleted scenes (in script form).
We suspect the #RenewTimeless campaign won’t be ending anytime soon, especially since the network is showing interest in a farewell movie. It reminds me of Netflix’s decision to do a Sense8 movie.