A.P. Bio gets a revived season 3 on NBCUniversal streaming service
Pop quiz, class! Which initially canceled NBC comedy is now getting new life on an upcoming streaming service? The answer is… A.P. Bio.
It would appear the #SaveAPBio social media campaign fueled by the cast and crew made an impact because the comedy from creator Mike O’Brien will return for a season 3 as the first scripted comedy for NBCUniversal’s new platform, EW has learned. This comes after news hit of The Office returning to its NBC home on the service after having a long shelf life on Netflix.
O’Brien said in a statement released on Wednesday, “I’m so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the fans. The cast and I are thrilled that we get to make more and I’m excited to work with the NBCU streaming platform.”
A.P. Bio aired its first and second seasons on NBC, but the network moved to cancel the show in May.
Glenn Howerton stars as a disgraced Harvard philosophy instructor who’s forced to return to Toledo, Ohio and teach Advanced Placement Biology at Whitlock High School.
Howerton, O’Brien, executive producer Mike Shoemaker, and castmates like Aparna Brielle, Patton Oswalt, and Paula Pell all fueled a fan campaign to save the series. Hey, it seems to have worked for Timeless, Lucifer, and One Day at a Time.
Apple in wastebasket. See you guys soon. And thank ALL of you — best fans ever!!! #APBio https://t.co/MWaSIgNdAQ
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) July 17, 2019
Mary Sohn, Lyric Lewis, Jean Villepique, Jacob McCarthy, and Tom Bennett also star in the comedy, while Seth Meyers and Lorne Michaels executive produce with Shoemaker.
At the time of the show’s cancellaiton, Shoemaker noted that the show performed “really well online” with “faithful viewers that just don’t watch TV the old way. BECAUSE IT’S 2019.” Season 1 of A.P. Bio was the most digital-skewing series of the 2017-18 season; 35 percent of its 35-day audience in the 18-49 demo came from digital platforms. With NBCUniversal’s streaming service, launching sometime in 2020, the new episodes will now live online.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report the news.
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