Timeless Lives! NBC Revives Cancelled Drama With 'Two-Part Finale'
Timeless has miraculously cheated death for a second time. One month after cancelling the cult drama (again), NBC announced Tuesday that it has ordered a two-part finale that will give “closure to the globetrotting series.” The Peacock net did not specify an air date beyond confirming that the two-hour event will premiere during the holidays.
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“While we wish we could’ve made another dozen seasons of Timeless, this is the next best thing,” said executive producers Shawn Ryan and Eric Kripke in a joint statement. “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?”
Per NBC, the entire cast — including Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett, Goran Višnjić, Paterson Joseph, Sakina Jaffrey and Claudia Doumit — are on board for the finale.
NBC floated the possibility of producing a wrap-up movie in late June when it announced that Timeless would not be returning for a third season, but the odds of the project snagging a green light — given the logistics and financial hurdles — were considered remote. Earlier this month, Ryan seemed to hammer the last nail in the series’ coffin when he tweeted that efforts to find Timeless a new home “have sadly failed,” adding that a finale movie was similarly looking unlikely, “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.”
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Timeless of course made headlines last year when it was axed after its freshman season — and then uncancelled just three days later by NBC. Following a year-long hiatus, the 10-episode second season premiered last March in its new Sundays-at-10 time slot to less-than-stellar ratings.
The Season 2 finale, which aired May 13, ended with a doozy of a cliffhanger: Future versions of Lucy and Wyatt arrived in the present-day bunker with a potential plan to save their dead teammate Rufus.
“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.”
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