Fox Renews Fringe For ‘Exciting and Climactic’ Fifth and Final Season
This is good news no matter what universe or timeline you live in: Fox has renewed Fringe for a fifth and final 13-episode season.
Back in January, Fox president Kevin Reilly conceded that Fringe‘s low ratings were negatively impacting the network’s bottom line. ”We lose a lot of money on the show,” he said. “At that rating, on [Friday] night, its impossible to make money. We’re not in the business of losing money.”
Season Finale Guide: 54 Big Finishes Spoiled — Fringe Included!
But Fringe remains a passion project for Reilly. And Warner Bros. — eager for the J.J. Abrams thriller to reach that magic, syndication-enhancing 100 episode threshold — agreed to reduce the show’s license fee (i.e. the amount the studio charges the network for each episode).
“Fringe is a remarkably creative series that has set the bar as one of television’s most imaginative dramas,” Reilly said in a statement Thursday. “Bringing it back for a final 13 allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve. The amazing work the producers, writers and the incredibly talented cast and crew have delivered the last four seasons has literally been out of this world. Although the end is bittersweet, it’s going to be a very exciting final chapter.”
Producers were prepared for either outcome. John Noble (Walter) recently told TVLine that the May 11 finale could serve as a season or series finale. “We’ve shot two [endings],” he said.
Joshua Jackson, meanwhile, hinted that “the door to the fifth season” was opened in last Friday’s episode, which took place in the year 2036 and featured a “game-changing battle” between the Fringe team and the Observers. “If you watch that, you’ll have an understanding of where they want to take the series.”
You may also find a clue or two in the following Season 5 trailer, which accompanied Thursday’s announcement.
TVLine’s 2012 Renewal Scorecard has been updated with the news!
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13 or 22 episodes?????????? Either way great news!
Now can The CW renew Nikita & Supernatural? And also Cougar Town on ABC would be nice too
Hey ABC, some food for thought.
Tuesdays: CougarTown, Happy Endings, DTTBIA23
Wednesday: The Middle, Last Man Standing, Modern Family
THEY’RE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER!
Dear ABC
Don’t trust a man who actually thinks ‘Last Man’ us actually funny
Dear ABC,
Don’t trust a troll who attacks a person because that person likes a show the troll does not.
And Finder; which deserves a second season.
Amen, Nikita and SPN are both the best shows on the network so far, and it’d be very upsetting to see either go.
SPN isn’t going anywhere. It’s the #2 show on the network, they just made a big deal about Jeremy Carver becoming the new head writer and co-showrunner with Robert Singer. It’s coming back. Ringer is probably dead and Nikita is on the bubble, but SPN will be fine.
Why isn’t supernatural upgraded to ‘A sure thing” on Renewal score card?
It’s not my scorecard. Why are you asking me?
Best shows? What are you, like a 14 year old girl? That is the target demo for the CW, right?
…Key words ON THE NETWORK. There are much better shows on other networks.
I’m a married 42 year old woman and Supernatural is the only show I watch on CW. To each their own.
The CW is famous for renewing shows for years past the point that they should have ended(Supernatural being a perfect example, Smallville also). I’m sure that they will continue to do so, sadly.
Whats your problem if they renew the shows? If you don’t like the shows, just switch to other channels.
Be glad that, Fringe is renewed.
Supernatural has been renewed yet for an eigth season!
Yes, please! How many episodes in that final season!? We know these 4 seasons have had 87 episodes, so with a 13-episode order, it’d reach 100 exactly, but… Can we wish for a longer season? Even a normal 20-22 episode one? Pretty please, with sugar coating on top? :S
Indeed, very interesting to see this not part of the release. As a commercial negotiation lawyer, I have suspected that there has been a deal for sometime for a minimum of 13 episodes, and that renewal hasn’t really been in doubt – however my guess is that there have been (and potentially, still are now) ongoing negotiations about exactly how many episodes there will be. I can’t complain with 13, I’d love to see 22, but maybe episode 19 would be the right place to end it (at least, I’d love for season 5 to get an episode 19…) If negotiations are ongoing, it could yet be a while before they tell us the number of episodes.
Looks like its just 13 as per update. I still suspect that agreeing the exact number of episodes has been the main point of negotiations for a while now.
13 episodes… So happy that it will get a proper closure… This and Chuck were my fave bubble shows :-)
I’m overjoyed and extremely sad at the same time, but I am happiest about the fact that there will be closure whatever that may bring.
Agreed. However…there’s always the potential for…Fringe the movie – it’s always filmed like it deserves to be on the big screen anyways…
Thank you so much FOX!!! I take everything I said since Dark Angel was cancelled: You Rock! You AWESOME!!!
wow. that’s a long grudge.
LOL
Bring back Dark Angel
Best show ever! :-)
Now that we know it’s coming back and we will get a satisfying ending people will start tuning back in.
13 episodes.
What would make me happy is Peter for once and may onward calling Walter “Dad” He is his fathers son. They compliment each other. And Peter is so protective of Walter and we know he would give his life for him just a much as for Olivia I would love to see Walters face when he hears Peter call him dad for the first time in all the seasons. Walter call Peter his son and his son calls his Dad Walter. Isnt it about time for a more intimate loving reference when speaking to Walter after all that has happened? Im just a softie I guess.
YESSSSSS BEST NEWS EVER!
So everyone wants to see 2036 without Anna Torv, and may be no one of the main cast???
Anna Torv has been treated disgustingly with replacing her with a lookalike who exactly copies her scenes as Olivia Dunham, an Olivia she worked on for 4 years.
Critics and fans fell for it, they prefer playback and fake.
This is the most insulting way to treat an actor.
I predict a lot of upset Fringe fans”
From the cast we know that 4.21 and 4.22 close the door on all the storylines, except one . Both episodes have been described as the pilot for season 5, episode 419 will be the end of season 5, and season 5 will be all about Etta, the copyOlivia, only she will have to act herself, no longer copy the work of Anna.
I always respected the showrunners, but not after that disgusting stunt.
Anyone wonder why we did not hear the socalled actress, nor was said anything about her by her co actors on the episode??
So that was unintelligible. If you don`t wanna watch, then don`t watch….but let the rest of us rejoice!
I WANT to watch The Finder, just as I WANTED to watch Human Target, Lie To Me and Chicago Code. Looks like my Fox exposure will be limited to Bones.
So you’re bitter, don’t take it out on us
No offense to you, but I think you’re being paranoid. There’s no chance they’ll do Season 5 of Fringe without Olivia Dunham.
Nothing you’ve said makes any sense. Anna Torv was never replaced with a lookalike. It’s just her pulling double duty by essentially playing an alternate version of the same character. The showrunners never said that season 5 was taking place entirely in 2036. They said that 4.19 was a hint at what was to come in season 5, which I’m assuming is more Observers-centric than previous years. And no one said anything about her absence in the last episode because it’s not a big deal. Cast members have been missing from episodes before.
There is no way in any universe or timeline they will spend the final season without Anna Torv as some incarnation of Olivia Dunham. If you thought that, just because she was missing/presumed dead in 4.19, I am impressed you are perceptive enough to enjoy Fringe. Then again, judging from that long and convoluted comment, it seems that you don’t.
Uhh… wat?
Given it’s Olivia and Peter’s daughter, not a replacement as such, it opens up a huge opportunity – it doesn’t mean Olivia isn’t around, she might be in amber, she might be anywhere.
And even better, we didn’t see the alt-universe in that future, god knows what it’s like!
Even if she was dead in the future, it doesn’t mean they’d be spending all their time there, it might be a lot of set up in the present, and very little shown in the future.
And even if she were to be replaced, there’s nothing saying it wouldn’t be her choice – I mean, I can’t see the show runners not wanting Anna Torv to continue, especially for a half season, it’d be madness.
I’m not going to be negative about a show that has taken so many awesome risks, shown us so much that no other show on the television landscape currently show (and only great shows like X-Files have in the past).
The Observer future is inspired, and although we had the renegade September, I had no idea at all they were headed in that direction – it’s an amazing story that’s unfolding and I am just grateful I get to see it.
Come on. Do you care about the storyline at all, or is it all about Olivia? There is obviously a reason she wasn’t in the episode, she wasn’t ‘replaced’ she wasn’t there for a valid reason. September has said that Olivia is supposed to die, and they are raising the stake for that and given a mystery as to where Olivia is? Did you freak out this much when Peter disappeared? No one is going anywhere. Olivia is obviously going to be in season five, go take a chill pill.
Calm down. My guess is the Fringe team will rescue Olivia and we’ll see her most of S5. The show isnt Fringe without Olivia
So you’re completely disregarding the fact that Etta is Peter and Olivia’s daughter and not a replacement for Olivia?
I don’t have the time, energy, or words to argue against your delusional beliefs, so….carry on.
ugh. you are the same person that posted on ew that the actress that played Olivia’s DAUGHTER should be sued because she imitated Anna Tov, aren’t you? Etta is Olivia’s DAUGHTER and shares some of her mannerisms because this is how the writers SCRIPTED it. This is FICTION. Get a grip!
I saw that EW post too -_____-
Oh dear Egnirf. We meet again. What do I hv to do to visit a fringe page without seeing the crap you fart out of your mind. Can’t you just go to an alternate universe or something?
My fellow Fringies,have you not learn by now that “Egnirf” who as posted on every site, is a Anna Torv obsessive nut job.By responding to her,you only feed into her deranged mind.
Now we know the dangerous origin of stalkers.
All Joshua said was ep. 19 shows what they want to do in season 5, and after the preview it anything we will see the war between fringe and the observers, not the show jump to 2036.
My prediction, Peter uses the machine again, sees the future and knows what they have to do to fight the war and win. Thus making ep. 19 invalid since they prevent it all from happening, which is what September was trying to accomplish all along.
I trust in the creative team, they will do it justice.
Calm down. She’s their daughter. P.S. – Many shows on a tight budget pull one of the main characters from an entire episode to save money. As the Fox guy said, they lose money with Fringe.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome!
Best news of the day! Awesome! Can’t wait to see how they wrap things up :D
Best news of the YEAR! That’s what you meant. :)
OMG so happy! This news brought such a smile to my face :D
So, is it renewed for a full season or 13 episodes???
Best news all week!
Do we know an episode count?
13. Bringing it to 100.
Go Fringe!!! 100 episodes yay!
This is the best news ever!!!
YES!!!!!!!!!!! This just made my day!!!!
Yay!
YAYYYYYYYY
This is the best news of the year.
So so so so excited! I ran around to all the girls on my hall and yelled the news at them. Needless to say, they were elated as well.
THANK YOU
Great news! Most of this has to be because of the strong fan base Fringe provides. How many episodes will we see I wonder… I’m going with 13-15.
Fringe website listed as 13 episode pickup.
Best news ever today! Go #FRINGE!! I am beyond happy. Easily one of the greatest shows on television and I’m glad we will get a finale season!
thank you, fox! yes!
It seems like a lot of ratings-challenged dramas have been getting fifth and final seasons. First, Friday Night Lights, then Chuck, and now Fringe.
and Gossip Girl hopefully with a sixth and final season :)
Awesome!
Doesn’t matter whether or not it’s coming back for 13 or 22 episodes. Either way, we’re in for one hell of a ride
I’ve never watched Fringe, but i kept my finger crossed, because it would be stupid and unfair if they would cancel it before final season. So I’m glad they didn’t :).
I like people like you. Frankly, whatever the show (particularly the serialised ones, but really any show) I have a lot of respect for executives that allow shows to wrap up on their own terms. With recent examples sucj as Lost, Chuck, FNL, House, and today Fringe, we have seen this attitude become more common, and I think it makes for a better TV watching experience generally for all of us. I like to cross my fingers for this kind of announcement too, it really is the best kind of news.
I agree, it allows the writers to put out one hell of a final season for the fans and it’s almost like a final “thanks for sticking with us all this time” to the fans :) So excited for season 5, I agree with an earlier comment it would have been EPIC if the season had 19 episodes, but i’ll take what I can get!!
13 episodes, the producers confirmed on Twitter
The greatest news ever. Thank You Fox and WB for thinking about the fans and thank you Ausiello for giving this news.
WOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Wonderful news! Any word on whether it is a full season, or a 13-episode order?
Yay!