Turns out the real designated survivor was the show called Designated Survivor. Kiefer Sutherland’s latest stint on TV was axed by ABC in the spring at the end of its second season. Now The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Netflix has suddenly, if a bit belatedly, saved it from the grave, breathing new life into it via a new 10-episode order.
Designated Survivor follows the 24 and Flatliners vet as a lowly politician who unwittingly became president after everyone in line was killed in a terrorist attack. The show’s history has been pretty turbulent, too; when Neal Baer (Under the Dome, ER) takes over for Netflix as the new showrunner, he will have been its fifth total.
Why is Netflix swooping in? The streaming giant’s VP of content Bela Bajaria told THR that it was popular outside the U.S. and Canada, not necessarily here or up north. “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 U.S. and Canadian members as well,” Bajaria said.
So there you have it! Who knows what other dead shows were popular across the globe? Maybe they’ll be resuscitated, too. The forthcoming third season will revolve around such topics as” today’s world of campaigning, smear tactics, debate, campaign finance and ‘fake news,’” — which all sounds very, very American.
(Via THR)
