David Farnor | On 15, Oct 2016

MTV has officially renewed Scream the TV series for a third season.

The show, which is based on Wed Craven’s iconic horror franchise from the 1990s, was promptly renewed for a second season, but its future beyond that was uncertain. Indeed, MTV announced that there would be a two-part special for Halloween, which was understood to be a litmus test to decide whether there was big enough audience demand for further episodes.

Now, though, MTV has confirmed that it has ordered six new episodes for broadcast in 2017.

Spoilers for Season 2 follow – head this way to catch up

MTV has also released a trailer for the two-hour Halloween special, which will see Noah, Stavo, Emma, Brooke and Audrey all leave behind Lakewood for a private getaway on Shallow Grove Island – the place where famed (fictional) killer Anna Hobbs murdered her family.

The result is both a sequel to Season 2 and a brand new setting that seems to pave the way for future serial killer hunting. On the one hand, Kieran is now rotting in prison (hello to Billy Loomis), following the end of Season 2, but on the other hand, he received that phone call during the season’s cliffhanger finale from someone claiming to be the real Brandon James – is he alive and still causing bloody trouble? And will that mean Season 3 takes us back to Lakewood or into a brand new storyline?

Spoilers end.

The Halloween special air in the US on Tuesday 18th October, with the special arriving on Netflix UK on Wednesday 19th October, within 24 hours of its premiere.

For more on Scream Season 2, read our reviews here.
 

Scream to return for Halloween special – does that mean no Season 3?

31st August 2016

Scream the TV series will return for a feature-length special this Halloween.

The two-hour one-off follows a second season of the small-screen spin-off from the Wes Craven movie franchise. Season 2 ran for 12 episodes, slightly longer than the show’s first season. While that meant the series was more uneven, stretching out its plot to fill the extra two hours, it also gave the programme a chance to impress with bold visuals and creative flourishes that subverted and departed from the genre’s norms. However, the MTV original has struggled to build a fanbase over its two seasons and in an increasingly competitive – and therefore expensive – landscape, original productions that do not attract large audiences seldom last. (AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire is a rare example of a show that has been consistently renewed, despite low viewing figures.)

Indeed, MTV has already cancelled half of its eight scripted series, with several having higher ratings than Scream. The Halloween special, therefore, is expected to determine the series’ future; if the event does very well, there is a chance that MTV may renew for a third season. If it does not, then the show is more likely to join the network’s other axed projects. There is, of course, another option: that the show is picked up by Netflix as an original production, based on its popularity on the streaming service in countries outside of the US, where it owns the rights. For Netflix, engagement with even a small core of users can be effective, if it helps drive subscribers to sign up and stay on.

Either way, though, the special should provide closure on Season 2’s unanswered questions.

Spoilers

Indeed, Season 2 ended with an unexpected cliffhanger, following the revelation that Ghostface 2.0 was Kieran, aka. Piper’s revenge-seeking boyfriend – in prison, he received a phone call from someone claiming to be Brandon James, which either means that Emma’s mum’s old sweetheart is still alive, or that his son is now following in his father’s footsteps.

“Who told you that you could wear my mask?” asked the voice. Was Brandon only responsible for some of the killings we’ve seen?

Spoilers end

The two-hour special, which will effectively comprise two episodes back-to-back, is set to pick up directly from the Season 2 finale. The double-bill will air on 18th October in the US, which means they will land on Netflix UK on 19th October.

Are you looking forward to the Halloween special? And do you want there to be a third season of Scream? Sound off in the comments below.

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