Television Is Now What It Used To Be

Leverage: Redemption season 4 gets a careful update from showrunner Dean Devlin as the series moves from Freevee to Prime Video. The reboot of the fan-favorite TNT series returns for season 3 on Thursday, April 17 and makes the jump from Amazon’s free streaming service. The core cast, which features four original Leverage stars in Gina Bellman, Beth Riesgraf, Christian Kane, and Aldis Hodge (in a recurring capacity), returns. Leverage: Redemption season 3 will pick up with the titular team as they continue to seek justice and right the wrongs inflicted on everyday, hardworking people.

While speaking with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns about season 3, Devlin, who also produced the original series, commented on the chances of a Leverage: Redemption season 4. Contemplating today’s television landscape, Devlin ultimately stated that it all depends on how the third season performs on Prime Video, but he did seem optimistic that even if it struggles there, it can find another home elsewhere. He said:

You know, the thing is, television is not what it used to be. Television had a schedule. The beginning of the year, you had to get in front of the advertisers in New York so that they could plan on what shows they’re paying to put ads on. You had to debut your shows in the fall, when the car companies had new cars to announce for the next season. There was a schedule with the Fall season and summer re-runs that you had to meet. That’s all gone.

Now, that’s all gone, and the needs of the platform are very different. It’s no longer just, “Is a show good? Do people like the show?” It’s, “Is it driving subscription rates? Are new people coming to the platform to see another season, or are we only feeding the people who are already there?” There’s all kinds of things that have to get considered that we didn’t have to deal with before.

So, I’m just grateful that Amazon has been so incredibly supportive of the show. I’ve been trying to reboot it from day 1, and when they announced what, at that time, was IMDb TV, which later became Freevee, and we became their first original show, that was unbelievable, and that they continued to support us. And then even when Freevee went bye bye, they still supported the show, moved us over to Prime. You’d have to check this, but I think we’re the first AVOD original show that moved to an SVOD platform. It’s incredible support.

We know they love the show, we know that they’ve been supportive, but we also know that they’re going to look at the numbers. They’re going to say, “Well, how many people watch this season, and how many new people are coming in?” If we hit the right targets, I think we will get a fourth season. If we don’t, I’ll find somewhere else to take the show. [Laughs]

What This Means For Leverage: Redemption Season 4

The Move To Prime Video Is Promising, But The Coming Weeks Are Crucial

As Leverage: Redemption season 3 has not yet premiered, it’s hard to get a feel for how its move to Prime Video has gone. However, the fact that the series moved to the subscription-based streaming service at all is an indicator of its strength so far. Much like other Prime Video titles like Reacher and The Wheel of Time, Leverage: Redemption will release its first three episodes on April 17 before rolling out the rest weekly. The sustained release will give it the chance to attract more viewers and maintain an ongoing conversation.

As proven by the original series, which ran for five seasons, Leverage‘s core premise means it can run for a very long time. Outside of a few plotlines that can stretch across whole seasons, Redemption favors an episodic format where the team focuses on one single con that is wrapped up by the end. As long as Devlin and the creative team are able to come up with new scenarios for the characters to explore, Leverage: Redemption can run for several more seasons. Its future really does rely on its performance on Prime Video, which will become clearer in the coming weeks.

Our Take On Leverage: Redemption Season 4’s Chances

I’m Feeling Pretty Optimistic

These days, one might say there is no shortage of potential inspiration for Leverage: Redemption, since the team often goes after billionaires and corrupt politicians. The cast and crew all seem quite passionate about the series; even Hodge, though he has only gotten busier over the years, still makes a clear effort to appear in as much of the show as he can because he’s so fond of it. Right now, I’m optimistic Leverage: Redemption season 4 will happen, and I hope more viewers will check it out on Prime Video during season 3.

Leverage: Redemption

Release Date

July 8, 2021

Network

Prime Video, IMDb TV, Amazon Freevee

Writers

Marque Franklin-Williams, Mel Cowan, Chuck Maa, Alayna Heim, John Timothy, Christine Boylan

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  Gina Bellman

  Sophie Devereaux