#SaveManifest Fans Work Netflix’s Top 10 List Hoping To Keep Canceled Show Alive
Fans of NBC's unceremoniously canceled missing flight drama “Manifest” are using social media and the almighty algorithm to keep their favorite show hogging the #1 spot on Netflix’s Top 10 chart for close to a month.
The #SaveManifest warriors have been gaming Netflix’s user-dictated Top 10 List by streaming the series relentlessly on repeat, in some cases for 24 hours a day, keeping it at number 1 on the list for weeks.
While NBC canned “Manifest” after its third season citing low viewership, the show generated a hardcore fanbase who remain riveted and disappointed at the network’s abandonment of the program after its cliffhanger season finale. All three seasons of “Manifest” appear on Netflix, who also passed on taking up the reigns and creating more episodes, seemingly hammering the last few nails into the coffin.
However, if we have learned anything over the past few years, a determined creator and a loyal fanbase can bring the dead back to life if the powers that be smell a profit to be made.
Last year we saw the premiere of “Zack Snyder's Justice League” on HBO Max to both fan and critical acclaim. After years of social media campaigning, often helmed by the director himself, the fabled “Snyder Cut” was finally produced and released to essentially replace the Joss Whedon-led 2017 theatrical edit of the film. The Snyder Cut is not only a reinterpretation of the previous film, but an entirely new version of events with expanded dialogue, improved special effects, and substantial reshoots.
Manifest
After landing from a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers of Montego Air Flight 828 discover five years have passed in what seemed like a few hours. As their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible.
2020’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” also underwent significant changes after its initial trailer was met with fan outrage at the film’s bizarrely humanoid take on the 90’s video game icon. The film’s release was rescheduled to accommodate a complete reworking of the character’s look to more closely match his traditional appearance. Fans were clearly pleased, as the film became a surprise success, dodging the usually abysmal video-game-to-movie transition and earning itself a sequel planned for 2022.
While “Manifest” may not have the legions of super fans that the D.C. Universe or Sonic the Hedgehog has spawned over the years, it does have a fanbase that refuses to give up on it, as well as a creator who is vocally supportive of continuing the story.
Are their efforts working?
Kind of. The show has seen an explosion in popularity thanks to all of the exposure, but using the tools that Netflix provides viewers to see what’s trending is probably going to wear thin on the company’s patience. Netflix has already signaled that they have no desire to continue to show, and will probably step in to somehow curtail the abuse of their system, something that they already corrected once after removing their star rating system after users took to it to make points by giving low ratings to shows and specials that they had political disagreements with.
Time will tell if “Manifest” takes off again or if its resolution remains delayed indefinitely. From “Mystery Science Theater” to “The Dark Crystal,” Netflix has occasionally stepped in to shelter orphaned cult favorites to varying degrees of success.
Perhaps “Manifest” fans will get the conclusion they so desperately want after all, but chances are that the biggest streamer in the world won’t take kindly to a relatively small group of folks hacking their Top 10 list to make their voices heard.