Netflix is bringing back 'Designated Survivor' for another season after ABC canceled it in May
- Political thriller "Designated Survivor" will return for a third season on Netflix in 2019.
- The Kiefer Sutherland series was canceled by ABC in May after two seasons.
- Netflix said that its international audience on streaming is a huge reason why it decided to save the show.
Netflix is reviving "Designated Survivor" as a Netflix original after it was canceled by ABC in May. And it's all thanks to the show's international audience.
The Keifer Sutherland political thriller, which premiered on ABC in 2016, will return for a third season on Netflix in 2019. Neal Baer ("Under the Dome") will come in as the new showrunner. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the third season will contain 10 episodes.
In the show, Sutherland stars as Thomas Kirkman, who becomes president in the first episode after an explosion during the State of the Union address at the United States Capitol killed everyone in the line of succession. Sutherland will return to star in season three for Netflix.
"I believe this format will allow us to continue to delve deeply into storylines and issues concerning the American electorate that were not previously possible," Sutherland said.
"Timely and gripping, 'Designated Survivor' has quickened the pulses of our Netflix members outside the US and Canada in its first two seasons," Netflix content VP Bela Bajaria said in a statement. "The international audience for the show drove our interest to bring the show to the world as a Netflix original for its third season and we are excited to bring the first two seasons to our US and Canadian members as well."
"Designated Survivor's" first two seasons average a 72% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This revival is the second network series canceled in 2018 that Netflix is bringing back. In June, it saved Fox's "Lucifer" from the same fate.