Defying the odds once again, Fox's sci-fi drama Fringe has been renewed for a fifth and final season of 13 episodes. The news broke on Thursday after long and painstaking negotiations between the network and the production companies Warner Bros TV and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot.
Back in January at the Television Critics Association press tour, Fox's president of entertainment, Kevin Reilly, shared his passion for Fringe, but also said, “We lose a lot of money on the show,” and he later added, “We are not in the business of losing money, so we’re trying to figure out if there is a number at which we can continue with the series.”
The number has been apparently reached for Fox, and even if it might mean a little bit of a loss for Warner Bros, the studio is undoubtedly eyeing the 100-episode threshold which makes a show more viable for stripped syndication.
Beyond those cynical financial considerations, there is the fact that the network kept Fringe on the air with its abysmal ratings, and the three parties took time to try and figure out a way to make things work last year and again now. That does not happen as often as fans of endangered TV series would like, and it shows that Fringe somehow brought to the table something many other shows in dire circumstances might not have. But, it also means Fox really deserves some kudos in this instance.
With the news came the first of what will be hopefully the many trailers for season 5:
