Come January, Netflix’s streaming library will look different. While the service will be removing some major titles from its catalog, it will also be adding others, including a FOX crime drama that hasn’t been featured on the platform in almost eight years.
The Following, which aired on FOX from 2013-15 before being canceled after three seasons, will be returning to Netflix, according to What’s On Netflix. The show was previously available for Netflix subscribers until September 2018.
“We have confirmed that all three seasons (45 episodes) of The Following will be available to stream on Netflix starting Saturday, January 3rd,” said What’s On Netflix’s Casey Moore.
Moore adds that The Following will only be available in the United States, at least for the time being.
More on the return of ‘The Following’
The Following was produced by Warner Bros. Television. Over the last few months, Netflix has been adding several titles from the Warner Bros. collection to its lineup, which isn’t surprising considering Friday’s announcement.
The psychological crime thriller features Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy, an FBI agent and the show’s main character. Jeananne Goosen, Shawn Ashmore, Annie Parisse, Nico Tortorella and Natalia Zea also have prominent roles.
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Following has an overall average rating of 58%, including a 63% mark for Season One.
“The FBI calls on Ryan Hardy, a former agent with physical and emotional scars, when Joe Carroll, a notorious serial killer he apprehended years earlier, escapes from death row,” says the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis. “Carroll, an English professor and novelist fixated on Edgar Allan Poe, mutilated and killed 14 women before he was imprisoned. Hardy and the FBI learn that while be was incarcerated, Carroll spent his time gathering a collection of cultlike followers.
“The recruits prove themselves willing to commit murder, facilitate abductions, and even sacrifice themselves in order to help Carroll with his deadly objectives and achieve his ultimate goal — to exact revenge on Ryan Hardy.”
Netflix stepping into a new era
Netflix confirmed Friday it has agreed to an $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which includes HBO and HBO Max. While the deal is finalized, Netflix and HBO Max will remain separate entities.
“Nothing is changing today. Both streaming services will continue to operate separately,” Netflix said in a message to customers. “We have more steps to complete before the deal is closed, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. You’ll hear from us when we have more to share. In the meantime, we hope you’ll continue to enjoy watching as much as you want, whenever you want – all on your current membership plan.”
