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Will Netflix or Amazon Prime Pick Up Colony Season 4?

Will Netflix or Amazon Prime Pick Up Colony Season 4?

Fans of the post-apocalyptic drama series Colony on USA Network were devastated when the series was canceled on July 21, 2018, after three successful seasons. The series premiered at Comic-Con in 2015 and attracted immediate attention for its gripping storyline and well-drawn analogies to the French Resistance during WWII.

Critics praised the show’s fresh take on a genre that has grown saturated with brainless “young adult” dystopian worlds and at first Colony earned good ratings, with 2.2 million viewers. Over the first two seasons, Colony was the #1 scripted cable series on Thursday nights.

Unfortunately, the show’s ratings declined in the third season. Fans and critics speculated that this occurred partially because after failing to win a California tax credit for shooting in Los Angeles, filming was moved to Vancouver BC.

The show may also have lost some focus as one of its co-creators and executive producers, Carlton Cuse, left the show to concentrate on his new Jack Ryan series for Amazon. During the third season, the show dropped to 1.3 million viewers, one of the lowest average viewerships for dramatic programs on cable. On July 21, 2018, the cancellation of Colony was announced; there would be no fourth season.

Is it possible that Colony will be brought back from the dead by Netflix, Amazon Prime, or some other streaming service?

Colony TV Series

The Colony TV series was well-written, with industry veterans Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal penning many episodes. The premise of the show was relatively simple: Earth of the near future has been occupied by alien invaders who have taken over the entire planet, sealing off entire cities with enormous structures and essentially enslaving the populace.

The main characters were the Bowman family, separated from their child and trying to survive while reuniting the family. The family patriarch, Will, (ably portrayed by Josh Holloway) is coerced into agreeing to work for the invaders, while his wife Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies) has become a member of the resistance.

Season one of Colony began by setting up the background and establishing the characters. The storyline was credible and balanced a swift-moving plot with good character development. The main plotline followed the struggle of the Bowman family to stay together while fighting against occupation.

Season two of Colony started by filling in some gaps about the invasion and about what happened to Los Angeles at the time of the alien incursion, before moving back to following the Bowmans as they struggle to find their son. The tension escalates as Will and Katie come into conflict, pursuing similar goals but by different methods.

Season three of Colony skips ahead several months and reveals that the Bowmans left Los Angeles and are now hiding in a cabin in the woods before being forced on the run. They discover a Resistance outpost which leads to a dramatic season (and series) finale as they must face a choice about what side to be on.

Colony Character & Season Summaries

We don’t want to give away too much for those who haven’t watched the show, but here is basic information about the characters and the plotlines of the first three seasons.

Major Characters

Will Bowman – Played by Josh Holloway. Will Bowman is a former FBI Agent and Army Ranger who is searching for his missing son, Charlie.

Katie Bowman – Played by Sarah Wayne Callies. Katie Bowman is Will Bowman’s wife, who secretly works for the Resistance.

Alan Snyder – Played by Peter Jacobson. Snyder is the initial governor of the Los Angeles area and works openly with the aliens.

Maddie Kenner  – Played by Amanda Righetti. Kenner is Katie Bowman’s younger sister.

Eric Broussard – Played by Tory Kittles. Broussard is a resistance operative and is Katie’s contact.

Bram Bowman – Played by Alex Neustaedter. Bram is Will and Katie Bowman’s teenage son.

Grace Bowman – Played by Isabella Crovetti. Isabella is Will and Katie Bowman’s preteen daughter.

Charlie Bowman – Played by Jacob Buster. Charlie is Will and Katie Bowman’s younger son, who was away from the family when the aliens invaded and the wall went up.

Recurring Characters

Alexander Quayle – Played by Paul Guilfoyle. Quayle is a leader of the LA resistance.

Amy Leonard – Played by Peyton List. A physician in the resistance.

Betsy – Played by Keiko Agena. A worker at Homeland Security.

Bob Burke – Played by Toby Huss. Will Bowman’s partner at Homeland Security.

Bolton Miller – Played by Carl Weathers. Bolton is a Homeland Security officer who works with Will Bowman.

Charlotte Burgess – Played by Kathryn Morris. Maddie’s boss.

Dan Bennett – Played by Christian Clemenson. The head of Homeland Security.

Eckhart – Played by Charlie Bewley. A member of the LA resistance.

Everett Kynes – Played by Wayne Brady. Head of the Seattle colony.

Helena Goldwyn – Played by Ally Walker. Goldwyn later becomes governor of the LA colony.

Hennessey – Played by William Russ. A former spy.

Hudson – Played by Cooper J. Friedman. Hudson is Maddie Kenner’s son, who has diabetes.

Jennifer McMahon – Played by Kathleen Rose Perkins. A Homeland Security Agent.

Lindsey – Played by Erin Way. Gracie Bowman’s tutor.

Morgan – Played by Bethany Joy Lenz. A member of the LA resistance.

Noa – Played by Meta Golding. A member of a resistance cell from outside LA.

Nolan Burgess – Played by Adrian Pasdar. An important figure in the occupational government.

Phyllis – Played by Kathy Baker. Phyllis is Will Bowman’s boss at Homeland Security.

Rachel – Played by Kim Rhodes. Rachel is a resistance member and physician.

Scott Garland – Played by John Hoogenakker. A military officer hunting resistance members in California.

Sgt. Jenkins – Played by Mac Brandt. A guard in a labor camp.

The Plot Of Season 1

In season 1, we are introduced to the Bowman family, most of whom live in the occupied Los Angeles colony. Will is coerced into working for Homeland Security as an agent by threats to send his family to the Factory, a lunar outpost where slave laborers work to mine radioactives for the aliens. Kate Bowman sides with the Resistance and begins working against the occupiers and spying on her husband. Will begins to question Kate’s loyalties as events unfold. At the end of the season, the resistance captures a high-valued hostage and the LA block is placed on lockdown.

The Plot Of Season 2

Power dynamics inside the LA colony shift as various factions make different plays for power. Charlie Bowman returns home, while Katie struggles with whether or not to stay part of the Resistance. The Bowmans begin looking for ways to escape from Los Angeles. The family discovers that the entire colony is scheduled to be sent to the factory on Luna, and escapes into the wilderness.

The Plot Of Season 3

The Bowmans are living a simple existence in the mountains when an alien ship under attack flies past their cabin. Will and Katie attempt to re-establish contact with the resistance and seek out the Seattle colony. Civil war looms as the season ends on a cliffhanger note.

Why Did Colony End?

Fans of the show never got a clear-cut answer as to why the show came to an end, although speculation about causes was rampant and the show’s falling ratings speak for themselves. Showrunner and executive producer Ryan Condal sent out a Tweet regarding the reasons for the cancellation, but provided little hard data, saying only: “Colonists, Thank you from the bottom of my stone heart for all your passion and effort. But, sadly, #Colony is dead. The reasons are complicated, mostly dumb, and would provide little comfort. But know that @WesTooke and I shall return with new things from new places.”

The efforts refer to the multiple petitions and activities the fans, or ‘Colonists’ launched to try to convince USA Network to change its mind.

Den of Geek had this to say:

Colony got off to a strong start for USA. It was the most-watched scripted cable series on Thursday nights for its first two seasons. Then the show lost a crucial California tax credit and was forced to relocate to Vancouver, and ended up changing its storyline to accommodate the move. Since then, ratings slipped to among USA Network’s lowest.”

What’s The Likelihood Of Netflix Picking Up Colony?

It isn’t flatly impossible that Netflix, Amazon Prime, or some other streaming service will pick up Colony and resume making episodes. Streaming services are always hungry for content, and picking up an existing program with a pre-existing fan base is a decision that’s been made before.

It certainly seems true that USA Network is not interested in reviving the property; they are putting their time and energy into their new Purge series partnership with SyFy. There is a hardcore Colony fan base who have attempted to pressure the networks into a reboot with at least two different petitions.

On the negative side of the ledger, shows like Colony are relatively expensive to produce. They use expensive special effects and are heavily reliant on location shooting, which adds to the budget. And although Colony attracted strong critical support from its audience, the loyal fanbase remained relatively small. Critical success is great for a cable show, but it isn’t what pays the bills.

Still, those loyal fans haven’t given up. The Colony community’s petitions of 37,000 signatures should be compared to the pre-Internet petition by hard-core Star Trek fans who successfully petitioned to win the classic show a reprieve from cancellation in 1968 and 1969. The Star Trek campaign generated more than a million letters – letters, written on pen and paper and sent through the mail. Unfortunately, Colony’s fans, though steadfast and loyal, haven’t demonstrated the kind of public support that makes streaming network executives want to risk money on a show that has already failed.

What Do We Know Now?

As of November 2020, there are no networks talking about picking up the show to produce the missing seasons. The last we’ve seen is an article in SyFy where Josh Holloway discussed his reaction to the showing ending so abruptly. Holloway did state that the producers did have a five-season plan rather than only four seasons.

TechJunkie will, of course, continue following the story, and if there are future developments we will definitely report them. For now, Colony is dead, and there are no signs of resuscitation on the horizon.

So you should be able to find something great to enjoy even if Colony doesn’t come back!

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30 thoughts on “Will Netflix or Amazon Prime Pick Up Colony Season 4?”

moh says:
Really starting to hate crapflix. Why on earth do they have unfinished series dramas on their site. So disappointed that I watched yet another one without an ending. At the very least they should have a warning that the series in unfinished and has no ending.
Ciara says:
I just finished season 3 I’m heart broken :(
Sue Henckel says:
Me too it really sucks I lived it
Donna says:
Started binge watching tonight and absolutely love it. I decided to look up when the next season will premiere and was devastated to see it was canceled. I his is not the first time I have loved a series and found out it was canceled. No ending is unexceptable. Please finish this it’s well loved.
Joseph Webb says:
Netflix could have a movie Colony to finish the series. They produce some really bad movies. Why not produce one for Colony and have an ending and be widely watch. Makes sense to me!
cherry blossom says:
What are Netflix saying about the possibility of making Season 4 and 5 or a movie to cover these? I remember when Firefly was cancelled and there was so much outcry – and then off the back of that series Serenity was made – I loved that movie. Netflix must know that everyone who has watched Seasons 1-3 would watch the new episodes, and more people would watch the whole thing. The publicity would be so positive!
Sue says:
I’m so sick of Netflix! Why do they keep putting these shows without endings on their site? This is the second time I’ve watched a show that had no ending because it had been cancelled.
Netflix are just taking the p#*s, raking our money in, but providing no reasonable service! Who would only wish read half of a book, or watch half of a film, this is the same kind of thing! I’m so disgusted that I’ve invested so much time watching this now in the UK, when Netflix already knew it had been cancelled 3 years ago and left unfinished!
Cory says:
Dezapoint
Jackie says:
I have just watched Colony & it Definitely needs a season 4.
I’m disappointed its been aired on Netflix with no proper ending.
jorge pires da silva says:
I’m seriously thinkin of cancelling my Netflix contract because this isn’t the first ood series I watch on Netflix that is interrupted without an end! This is a huge lack of respect. As someone has said before, I pay for watching entire series!
Jeff says:
USA Network is the ones that actually produced the show. Blame NBC/Universal for canceling it without a conclusion.
Michael Keleher says:
I too am devastated that there is no season 4 and/or 5. I have watched it twice now as it is so good. I will support any ove to have it brought back or have a movie made which provides an ending
Marius says:
Bring it back! I’m demanding it! We need to see the end of this story!
Allan Keston says:
Netflix are parasites they just aired season 3 here in the UK , how disgraceful is that, 3 whole years after airing in US. They have the audacity to call new episodes .
The ending was a disgrace because there was no ending.
This show needs to complete , to finish on some person being locked into an amazing looking Pod and then nothing is So wrong, I hate Netflix for their omnipotent attitude
Javed says:
#colony should be definitely be revived, and I also agree with the others that #Netflix is responsible for diffusing series that have ended in their platform, we are paying for a service, its a waste of time and money if we watch series on a paid platform to later discover its ended so wtf ??
Mark E Kreslins says:
What a great show and imagine how saddened I was to learn Season 3 was it. I hope Netflix or Amazon will see the value that is in this gem and resurrect it.

Please!

Mike says:
I have watched colony weekly when episodes first aired and rewatched on Netflix 2 times. Netflix should at least make a movie to finish off the story and complete the series even if they don’t do seasons 4 or 5
pamela whitelaw says:
I love so many good si/fi shows that end up getting cancelled. COLONY is another one. These companies only think of the people who stop watching not the ones who continue to watch. What about fans in other countries or do we not count as views. I don’t know how many member’s netflex has but I am sure that there are millions
Jeff says:
USA Network is the one that canceled the show. I don’t know if anyone has publicly said whether they offered Netflix an option of paying to continue the series before the production team fully disbanded.
Hunter Perando says:
I really wish they would make more seasons I love the show so much.
Patricia Cole says:
I loved this series. Great actors and a gripping story line.
Delly Dolu says:
TV channels cares only ratings and advertising revenues. If it is not cover expenses they are cancels projects. Netflix and other streaming platforms not different from TV channels. This is Just another version. Netflix wants to do it cheap and make more profit.. that’s the revenue model. Also customers supporting too this model. When you bored from Netflix next day you going to another streaming platform. New bored people go to Netflix. Endless chain of consumption.
Tonio from Malta says:
Come on Netflix/Amazon/Apple/Disney (or other streamers), this is a great opportunity to continue this amazing series. I don’t think many people even know about this series as yet… It hooked us wanting for more.
Lionel Hurst says:
This is the second series on Netflix I watched that was cancelled before the story was resolved and in both cases it made me very angry. I am paying to watch COMPLETE series and films. I believe Netflix has a legal and moral contract with subscribers to provide products that are complete and in perfect condition – the same as any other vendor selling goods to the public. I would be happy to be part of a class action to force Netflix to finish all series. They should also be forced to label all cancelled series as ( WARNING this series has been cancelled. There is no final episode or conclusion to the storyline).
Jeff says:
Colony was produced for the USA Network. Netflix only got to stream each season afterward. A class action lawsuit trying to compel Netflix to finish a series they didn’t control would likely be pointless. If it did somehow win, it would probably just compel Netflix to stop carrying any show that wasn’t complete rather than finish them. It might also have unintended fall out for all the other companies carrying the show like Apple, Amazon, Google, Fandango, Vudu, and Microsoft. Meaning it might just prevent any show that wasn’t completed from ever being accessible after it ended.
Deb says:
Don’t ya love it when someone jumps on a conversation, yet knows nothing about the reality of that conversation. You do realize that Netflix had absolutely nothing to do with the cancellation of Colony. Netflix showed all episodes available. Go complain to USA network which was responsible for Colony and the cancellation of Colony. When fans heard about the cancellation we were hoping Netflix could pick it up and create new episodes, that did not happen. Everything has to end at some point. Pick another show to watch and don’t whine to Netflix about something they are not responsible for.
Terence Sung says:
Yes, I believe a lot of people are hoping that colony season 4 should be picked up so that we viewers can see the conclusion. It is very disappointing to watch a series and know that it is not going to get an ending. There are several series like this and I do agree that they should put a warning label on the series to let us know that is not complete so to caution the viewers like us who devote our time to watch a series but is left hanging.
Antonio L Rosario says:
It was a good show you have to bring back season 4… It just got 10xs better
Deniz says:
Colony is amazing. I am sure most of the people who watched it on Netflix will agree with me. Netflix is a global streaming platform and i bet the fame of the show is so great now that Netflix may surprise us all. Fingers crossed… =)
Maximilian J West says:
I thought season three was great. I was good with the switched location and evolution of storyline
J. Faybish says:
Netflix should NOT bring on shows with no end. Netflix: don’t waste your (and our) money on such shows, it does not buy you credits. This is one hell of a sure way to lose viewership and membership. A sure way to gain viewership and membership is to create a final season with a real ending.
Jeff says:
They didn’t actually. They picked up a show in active production and presented each season after it was aired on USA Network. I guess we could argue that since USA Network canceled it without an ending maybe Netflix should have dropped it immediately, but maybe Netflix paid for a few years of exclusivity way back before USA Network canceled it.
Naddeem awada says:
I agree it is horrible are seasons that are not complete I am now thinking of not to even continue watching Netflix because of that it was a great show I believe Netflix is responsible for shows that we cannot watch therefore Netflix don’t need my money
Terence Sung says:
I happen upon this series on Netflix and then I couldn’t stop watching and was disappointed to find out that there won’t be a season 4 leaving us with a big cliff hanger at the end… I hate it. NETFLIX, please help pick up season 4. It’s one of the reasons I love netflix for having picked up shows like this but few others in the past being cancelled prematurely is really sad.
J. Faybish says:
Great comment, Jeff, and my answer is: Policy! TV networks’ audience is a real-time audience, and they live on advertising revenue. Netflix’s audience is a (much larger) off-line audience and Netflix lives on Their (our) direct contributions as members, thus we pay their existence and they should listen to us. They should have a policy of NOT purchasing any show which is a continuous story (not chaptered, each chapter with a reasonable ending) unless this “story” has an end. And if it means waiting until season 7… so be it. Listen, Netflix is like a library, its books are movies. Would you be member in a library where for every book that you “buy” with your invested (viewing) time there is a chance that the last chapter is missing and no one told you in advance? I would rather be member in a NetflixOther where either they assure me there is not ever an end chapter missing OR at least they allow me to choose if I want to start viewing such an incomplete “book” by telling me up-front.
K woods says:
Im from Australian & have just come cross Colony on Netflix. My huaband & I are hooked and it wasn’t until we started watching season 3 we found out there wont be a season 4! Please do a seson 4. It will be popular. At least 1 more season to have a closing ending.
No one really knew about Colony until now and people are devastated with how it ended.
Steve F says:
Best Sci Fi series that I have ever watched. The Human struggle against what appears to be overwhelming odds was portrayed brilliantly. You cannot just walk away from such a storyline in the way that it was! There is the huge potential to finale. Does the human race help the Aliens to win and what is the result of that? Do the Alien hosts leave us in peace after the war, or do we have to fight to then beat them too? Lots of scenarios, lots of action. Netflix, Amazon, see sense and grab this one now…
Przemo says:
I watched all the episodes in 3 days (eh this epidemic) and I want to watch season 4. But I think you can guess why they canceled it. The main character becomes a fighting machine so the season would be pure action. Fighting aliens in space, air and on earth requires enormous financial outlays on CGI and specialists in this kind of films. So they gave us the text: guess it yourself.
Jessica says:
I watched all three season in one go just finished last episod please bring the colony back im ova shows being cancelled especially when they are good z nation is one and now the colony this is a joke we have enough going on with the convid virus and now shows are being cancelled just bring them back
Vincent Bezzina says:
I hope there is a 4th season. I think part of the problem is that the family is essentially looking out for themselves and have caused the deaths of many. But they played the blood price – the writers got that right.

The treachery and the mind games are very well done .. the whole plot is a CIA wet dream, a superior intelligence wanting to exploit resources would definitely act this way. There was many parallels with earths history, nit just the french resistance but a lot of what happened in South America with the conquistadors and the more savvy would see a lot of parallels with many countries leadership collaborating with external powers in the exploitation of their resources – an all too common scenario in Africa,

The show is actually getting better – i wish there was more about the aliens but with season 3 there is more focus on the aliens and less dithering around with personal drama.

At this point everyone kind of guessed what is going on with the pods – so scratch that itch .. reveal more.

Also the factories – something interesting is going on there .. was it a factory Eric and Madeline stumbled on. Time to show us what goes on inside!

Sufian says:
Netflix should definitely pick it up for Season 4. The show has tons of potential.
Kent A Reynolds says:
Colony was riveting in Seasons 1 and 2 but lost its way in Season 3 and ended poorly. I believe series are successful when the audience identifies with the characters and cares about their fate. By the end that was increasingly difficult, even though Sarah and Josh were outstanding in their portrayal of Katie and Will. If it returns, they will have to reestablish the compelling drama of the their characters individually and as a couple.
Michelle says:
Come on I guess we have to count on Netflix to pick up season 4 of colony we are counting on you Netflix
Tom says:
A fourth season will need expensive FX for a serie. A theater movie could be more relevant.
Sirdumbdumb69 says:
This is the best show I’ve seen on Netflix and it’s not a lie at all. The plot the theme the characters it’s all amazing. Please Netflix pick up the rights and keep it going
Sergio says:
Netflix should pick it up.. it’s a great show… I was disappointed that it ended with a huge cliff hanger. USA network must have not advertised it right because I would have watched it when it was on the air.
Jason Racey says:
Awesome show, hope for a season 4
Rachel says:
We just finished watching season 3. I agree that this was one of the best series I’ve seen in a long time. Please bring it back.

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Robert Hayes

Nov 23, 2020

Robert is a freelance editor and writer living in Colorado.

132 Articles Published

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