Almost exactly a year ago, on March 24, 2011, Fox announced the renewal of Fringe for a full fourth season of 22 episodes. Now, with the pilot season in full swing and the May deadline approaching ominously, there is no such news, but executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman have a plan B in case the ax of cancellation hits home.
The two men have promised that in the event of cancellation, the story would continue as a comic book.
Speaking at Wondercon 2012, held about ten days ago in Anaheim, CA, Pinkner described the comic, "It would be really elaborate and we would go to town on it and make sure that everything you needed to understand about the show would be in that and pay off that way. That's our backup plan."
The minds behind Fringe have every reason to be worried, considering the steady decrease in ratings since the fourth season premiere in the fall. The show's return last Friday, after a full-month break, posted a rating of 0.9 for adults aged 18-49 (2.88 total viewers), a resounding new series low.
Fringe airs on Fridays, 9 p.m. EST on Fox.
