Fans of The Mindy Project lamented loudly last week when Fox pulled the plug on Mindy Kaling’s critically acclaimed comedy, but they can breathe a sigh of relief now that Hulu, as previously predicted, has opted to revive the show for a 26-episode fourth season.
The super-sized season is the biggest order yet for The Mindy Project and will bring the show over the number of episodes required for syndication. Whether Hulu plans to continue the series past that initial order will likely depend on how the series fares compared to the streaming service’s other upcoming originals, which also include Jason Reitman comedy Casual and ambitious miniseries 11/22/63, the latter of which stars James Franco and adapts the tome by Stephen King.
Though The Mindy Project was never a ratings powerhouse for Fox, averaging a 1.4 rating in the key adults 18-49 demographic and 2.9 million viewers overall, it performed exceptionally well on Hulu, consistently clocking in as one of the streaming service’s most-watched programs. Craig Erwich, senior vice-president and head of content at Hulu, referred to the series’ popularity in an official statement, confirming the pick-up:
Mindy has been a beloved member of the Hulu family, so this deal is a natural extension of our relationship. With so many of her fans already catching up and tuning in to the series on Hulu, we know her millions of fans will be eager to find out what Mindy has in store for the next chapter.
Decently rated series with rabid fanbases have been benefitted immensely by the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. The former salvaged Arrested Development for a fourth season years after its cancellation and later bought Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (from Universal Television, which also owned The Mindy Project) after NBC dragged its feet on airing the quirky sitcom. Elsewhere, Yahoo recently brought back critically adored cult comedy Community after NBC killed it. Now, Hulu is also stepping up to the plate to protect a beloved bubble show.
No word on a premiere yet for The Mindy Project, but we’ll keep you posted as Hulu plots the show’s return.
