Manifest Season 2 pushed to midseason on NBC: What does this mean for the series?

By Alexandria Ingham | May 13, 2019

MANIFEST -- "Turbulence" Episode 103 -- Pictured: (l-r) Parveen Kaur as Saanvi Bahl, Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone, Josh Dallas as Ben Stone -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/Warner Brothers) /

One of fall 2018’s breakout shows, Manifest Season 2 is being held for the midseason on NBC. What does this mean for the future of the series?

Manifest quickly became one of the breakout shows of fall 2018. It gave NBC it’s best Monday ratings in the 10 p.m. timeslot in a handful of years, offering something intriguing and exciting for fans. During the NBC Upfronts on May 12, NBC announced that Manifest Season 2 would be pushed to midseason.

This comes off the back of a later than expected renewal. While fellow hit freshman New Amsterdam got an early renewal, all eyes were on the future of the Josh Dallas-led series. It was weeks after the finale that NBC finally made a decision. It should have been clear from this point that a push to midseason was on the cards.

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Does this mean something bad? Well not necessarily. A push to the midseason is a strategic decision. NBC wants to make sure there’s something new for viewers (and advertisers) throughout the year. Viewers are understandably fed up of reruns. Why watch a rerun on a network when there’s so much new content elsewhere, including Netflix and Amazon Prime?

So, putting a good show on in the midseason helps to offer more new content – and popular content. Plus, Manifest will work better without dealing with the Christmas/New Year break that comes every year.

NBC also needs to make room for the new TV shows on its schedule. Bluff City Law is taking over the 10 p.m. slot on Mondays in fall 2019. This is a competitive slot and the network needs to put something on here that will push it ahead in the ratings. Will another legal drama offer that chance?

I think Manifest moving to the midseason will be a good thing. It allows to keep to the 13-16 episode format, keeping the storyline contained. This is the type of show that needs a shorter format to avoid filler episodes. Plus, the midseason isn’t as competitive, giving the show a better chance of survival in the future.

There’s no confirmation on when Manifest Season 2 will premiere at this time.

Next. 9 questions for Manifest Season 2. dark

What do you think of the move to the midseason? What questions do you have for Manifest Season 2? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Manifest Season 2 will air sometime in 2020.