David Farnor | On 16, Nov 2013

The Killing is coming back from the dead for another series on Netflix.

You may feel like you’ve already read that sentence somewhere this year – that’s because this did happen just a few months ago.

AMC’s US remake of the Danish TV hit show The Killing was cancelled after its second season in July 2012 following falling audience numbers. The original Forbrydelsen (The Crime) has enjoyed strong overseas success throughout its three seasons, so it was no surprise that an American cable network would swoop in to remake the programme. But a decision not to resolve a key plot element of the series left some audiences unsatisfied at the end of the first season, causing a significant drop in viewing figures.

Despite that, the show was generally well received, even picking up prizes at both the Writers Guild of America Awards and the Directors Guild of America Awards. At the time, Fox Television Studios said they would try to find another home for the show’s future.

Enter Netflix.

The Internet TV company resurrected the show for a third season, negotiating a deal with Fox and AMC that left the network with the rights to air the new episodes on TV before they would be hosted by Netflix and streamed to audiences worldwide. The show debuted on Netflix UK in June 2013. Season 3’s ratings were not much healthier than the second (hitting a low of 1.3 million compared to the first season’s low of 1.6 million) but were certainly no worse, while the response from fans and critics was mostly positive. The Killing had returned from the grave.

Until AMC killed it off once again in September 2013.

Enter Netflix once more.

Now, the Internet TV company has announced that the series will return for Season Four. The Netflix Original will be a shorter run of six episodes, but marks another occasion of the video on-demand service not just producing its own content but also resurrecting a cancelled show; Arrested Development returned this year for a fourth season as a Netflix Original, albeit to mixed reactions.

Stars Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman are both back for The Killing Season Four, along with the show’s creator and executive producer, Veena Sud.

“The rich, serialized storytelling in The Killing thrives on Netflix, and we believe that it is only fitting to give Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder a proper send off,” said Cindy Holland, vice president of original content for Netflix. “We are looking forward to offering fans – both existing and new – a series that we know is perfectly suited for on-demand viewing.”

“It’s a true testament to The Killing creator Veena Sud, and the stellar cast led so compellingly by Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman, that fans remained so passionate about the show,” added David Madden, president of Fox Television Studios. “We’re gratified that our partners at Netflix recognized this and are giving us the opportunity to complete the story in a way that will be satisfying to our loyal audience.”

Season Four will be the final season of The Killing. Well, until someone decides to resurrect it again.

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