Fox has renewed cult favorite “Fringe” for a fourth season, allaying the fears of millions of geeks who worried that the show’s move to Friday would be its death knell.
Many had predicted gloom and doom for “Fringe” when FOX lifted the drama from its Thursday home and dropped it in what many called a “death slot” on Friday nights. For several weeks, it looked as if FOX’s move was paying surprising dividends as “Fringe” won its Friday 9 p.m. slot in the coveted 18-49 demographic for several nights in January and early February.
Ratings on Friday have fallen off in recent weeks, with the last original airing drawing only 3.8 million viewers and doing a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49. FOX officials and “Fringe” producers have long maintained, however, that the show’s performance wasn’t being evaluated strictly on overnight ratings numbers. Indeed, “Fringe” has reliably been among the leading percentage gainers when DVR numbers are factored in. [HitFix]
As I’ve stated before, I have a hard time enjoying sci-fi TV shows, and of course I have an active social life that keeps me engaged on Friday nights. But I’m happy for this news, because at the very least “Fringe” rewards actors who were great in other shows: Joshua Jackson in “Dawson’s Creek,” Lance Reddick in “The Wire,” and Anna Torv in several of my erotic dreams.
