Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been picked up by NBC for a sixth season just a day after Fox announced its cancellation. The Hollywood Reporter reports that NBC ordered 13 episodes of the Golden Globe-winning comedy, which stars as Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta, an NYPD detective in Brooklyn’s 99th Precinct. The show also features an ensemble cast including Andre Braugher, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Chelsea Peretti, Dirk Blocker, and Joel McKinnon Miller.
Shows have been canceled and then renewed on different networks before, but it rarely happens quite this fast. Fox announced the cancellation on Thursday, and by Friday NBC had announced its renewal.
Fox’s decision came as a surprise and several networks, including Hulu and Netflix, were said to be open to picking up the series. Many fans started to give up hope when both streaming networks ultimately declined, however. Luckily, NBC stepped in.
“Ever since we sold this show to Fox I’ve regretted letting it get away, and it’s high time it came back to its rightful home,” said NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt. “Mike Schur, Dan Goor, and Andy Samberg grew up on NBC and we’re all thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and best-cast comedies in a long time will take its place in our comedy lineup. I speak for everyone at NBC, here’s to the Nine-Nine!”
Fox’s decision to cancel the series was likely part of the company’s restructuring process as it prepares for acquisition by Disney.
Regardless of the reasons, the series’ cancellation prompted an outcry from fans and a Change.org petition dedicated to saving the series gained more than 35,000 signatures in less than two days.
The show’s prospects were also boosted by a number of celebrities who took to Twitter to voice their discontent with Fox’s decision. We’d like to think that part of NBC’s decision was motivated by a desire to not anger the esteemed Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.
Oh NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! 😩😭😫😢 I'm SO not ready to say #ByeBye99. Be forewarned @FOXTV-when networks dump shows I love, I'm known for holding grudges a long, L-O-N-G time. I'm still mad @CBS didn't renew #SquarePegs! 😡#EverythingILikeGetsCancelled https://t.co/NEry6Hrpng
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) May 10, 2018
Director Guillermo del Toro also came to the show’s defense, along with heavy-hitting celebrity fans of the show, including Lin Manuel Miranda, Seth Meyers, and more. The hashtag #RenewB99 was trending and shared across the social network.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine has given us fully human characters, beautiful, powerful, flawed, vulnerable, majestic… In whichever form, B99 must return. It will. And I will be there to watch. And, it is my hope that I hope that, this time, a lot more people do too.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) May 11, 2018
Good news of the show’s rescue also saw support, as Patton Oswalt tweeted his relief.
YES!!! Nicely done, @nbc. Thank you. One of my fave shows. Keep it around! https://t.co/J3BERCymEP
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 12, 2018
