Saddle up your monkeys (no, don’t do that it’s cruel and monkeys cannot conceivably hold the weight of the average human) and get ready for another season of Syfy’s critically-acclaimed series 12 Monkeys. The network announced today that the series, developed by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett (Nikita) has been greenlit for a fourth and final season. This statement comes ahead of the season premiere of time-traveling thriller’s third season. On top of the season four renewal, Syfy will be trying something new with 12 Monkeys this year, with what they’re calling a “full season linear binge.”
Instead of 12 Monkeys airing every Friday for ten consecutive weeks, the show will air the entire third season over the course of three days. The first four episodes will be shown beginning Friday, May 19 at 8/7c and three episodes a piece will air on Saturday and Sunday in the same time slot.
From the official press release:
“12 Monkeys has a dedicated and enthusiastic fan-base thanks to the epic storytelling by Terry Matalas, and the stellar cast and crew,” said Jeff Wachtel, President, Chief Content Officer, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “We are thrilled to be able to offer fans an opportunity to binge the third season as a reward for their lasting support, and we couldn’t be more excited to see where Terry takes us with the final chapter of this fabulous story in the fourth season.”
There is no word yet if 12 Monkeys is merely testing the waters for future Syfy productions to follow suit, or a one-off experiment in merging cable television with modern day audience binge sensibilities.
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Along with the regular returning cast — Aaron Stanford, Amanda Schull, Kirks Acevedo, and others — the third season of 12 Monkeys is set to have a few high-profile guest stars. James Callis, best known as Dr. Gaius Baltar from Battlestar Galactica will have an unknown role. Emmy Award-winner Christopher Lloyd will also stop by in what Syfy promises will be a “memorable role” as a cult leader with sinister motives.
What do you guys think of Syfy’s new scheduling pattern for 12 Monkeys? Will you tune in to binge or would you prefer a more traditional timetable?
