Designated Survivor canceled (again); no season 4 at Netflix

Designated Survivor is not going to be turning its revival at Netflix into some sort of permanent stay.

In a statement today, the streaming service confirmed that they are not bringing the Kiefer Sutherland drama back for another run. Season 3 first premiered last month, and while we know that it did become one of the UK version of Netflix’s most-watched shows for a part of its run (note the US version does not release viewership data), that was not enough to keep it around. The cancellation was foreshadowed slightly by Sutherland’s comments on a radio show this week, noting that another season was unlikely due to cast commitments elsewhere.

In a statement, Netflix had the following to say on this decision:

“We are proud to have offered fans a third season of Designated Survivor, and will continue to carry all three seasons for years to come … We’re especially thankful to star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland, who brought passion, dedication and an unforgettable performance as President Kirkman. We’re also grateful to showrunner/executive producer Neal Bear for his guiding vision and steady hand, creator/executive producer David Guggenheim and EPs Mark Gordon, Suzan Bymel, Simon Kinberg, Aditya Sood and Peter Noah along with the cast and crew who crafted a compelling and satisfying final season.”

While season 3 may be the end, we at least feel like Designated Survivor ended on a higher note. It was, pound for pound, the strongest edition of the show that we’ve seen and one that delivered compelling content that echoed real issues going on in the world. We almost wonder what would’ve happened if Baer was there from the start or if the series had been at Netflix the whole time. Would things have been different? We know that for some, the changes for season 3 were somewhat jarring, even though we personally loved them.

With this cancellation plus the prior one, it’s hard to imagine Designated Survivor season 4 heading somewhere else. As we start to wind down our coverage of the series, let’s try to take one of its final messages to heart — how much are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of seeking power? You can get that seat at the table, but you can lose your soul along the way. Try not to let that happen.

What do you think about Designated Survivor being canceled at Netflix? Be sure to share in the comments below.