Revival has turned into a sleeper of a supernatural drama, but it is not getting the support it needs from its network, so fans will have to step up to keep it going.
What Is It?
In the quiet rural town of Wausau, Wisconsin, an eerie phenomenon that comes to be known as “Revival Day” occurs when the deceased inexplicably rise from their graves—only they aren’t mindless zombies. These “Revivers” return fully intact, complete with memories, personalities, and even regenerative healing powers. As the town descends into fear and lockdown, Officer Dana Cypress is drawn into a mysterious murder case where both the living and undead are suspects.
![](https://www.cancelledscifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/why-were-they-cancelled-header-ad.jpg")
Starring: Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, Andy McQueen, Steven Ogg
Created By: Aaron B. Koontz, Luke Boyce
Why Is It in Danger?
This supernatural drama arrived on Syfy in June 2025 with very little in the way of promotion and was cast in the Thursday 10 PM EST timeslot without much of a lead-in. Its debut numbers were rather tepid, posting only a 0.02 rating (two one-hundredths of a ratings point) for same-day viewing in the 18–49 demographic with 104K total viewers. That had it barely registering in the Nielsens, and almost no numbers have been available since then—likely because viewership slipped even lower. Syfy has made no mention of the digital viewing numbers on its website or on Peacock (where it streams on a one-week delay), and I have seen nothing in the way of delayed viewing stats either. Early on, it seemed like this might be another show thrown out as a sacrifice to the television gods as that cable net continues to flounder with scripted programming.
But then something interesting started to happen as shortly after its premiere, Revival began to get some good buzz. I saw it referred to as an interesting twist on the zombie genre, and more and more people started giving it good marks. I originally had no intention of watching the show as it seemed like a retread of the French series The Returned (aka Les Revenants), which had already been done to death. But as the positive buzz continued, I checked it out and rather enjoyed the show (you can read my review at this link), which is led by the always enjoyable Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp) and features a refreshing ensemble approach to its cast. And apparently others are liking it as well because it has a 94% Fresh Rating and an 87% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sadly, Syfy did not capitalize on the favorable reviews, which could have been used to promote the show and lure in more viewers. They did make the first two episodes available on YouTube for free for a short time, but beyond that, the network has not done much to bring more attention to a show that has clearly sparked some viewer interest. It is likely not expensive to produce, and it is a good fit for Syfy’s scripted programming slate. But it just wrapped up its first season with no word on its future yet, and it’s possible this could become another one-and-done casualty from the cabler.
What Can Fans Do to Help the Show?
As mentioned, Revival just aired its season finale, and we do not know its fate at this point. And Syfy does tend to go radio silent on shows like these, so there may not be an announcement anytime soon. Still, the fans can make a difference and start bringing some attention to the show, perhaps improving its chances for a second season.
The best thing to do right now is to stage watch parties on the Syfy website or app (where the past five episodes are available) and/or on Peacock where the entire season is available (with the finale joining on Thursday, August 21st). Those views are not filtered by Nielsen sampling and will get the attention of network execs. And if enough people tune in on Peacock, the show could place in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings. In addition to watching, fans should get the show trending on social media to bring it more attention. And they could also do subscription drives to Peacock for people to watch the show, which will impact the bottom line. (You can find more fan campaign ideas at this link.)
As mentioned, Revival is likely not an expensive show to produce, so it is not like it is costing the network a lot of money. And it may have international funding and/or syndication deals that can help keep it viable. But with viewership numbers that are barely registering, this one certainly needs some support to convince the network to keep it going or another venue to pick it up. If fans band together and make enough noise, that could happen.
Where Can You Watch It?
You can watch episodes on the Syfy website and app, though only the last five are available. The entire first season is available on Peacock (with the final streaming there next week), so that may be the best place for fans to focus their efforts.
Have you been watching Revival, and will you support fan efforts to keep the show alive? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.
Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com.
Sci Fi TV Highlights: Listings for the upcoming week along with the latest sci fi TV news and trailers.
Sci Fi TV Production Report: News on which sci fi TV shows are moving into production.
And be sure to follow us on social media: Blue Sky | Facebook | Mastodon | Twitter.