Warehouse 13 ended its run after five seasons, but the show still has more stories to tell, and fans would like to bring this one back.
What Is It?
This series follows two Secret Service agents, Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering, who are recruited to work at a mysterious government facility in South Dakota that houses supernatural artifacts with extraordinary and often dangerous powers. Under the guidance of the eccentric Artie Nielsen, they travel the country tracking down these relics, containing their powers, and bringing them back to the warehouse for safekeeping.
Aired: 2009-14, 5 Seasons Totaling 65 Episodes
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Genelle Williams, Simon Reynolds, Allison Scagliotti
Created By: Jane Espenson, D. Brent Mote
Why Was It Cancelled?
Warehouse 13 premiered on July 7, 2009, the very day that the Sci Fi Channel rebranded to Syfy, and it became one of the highest-rated shows ever for that cable network in its first season. It continued to draw good numbers for the next couple of years, but by the fourth season, its viewership had dropped notably. The network announced that the show would return for a fifth season, but that would consist of only six episodes and would also be its last.
Along with the rebranding to Syfy, Warehouse 13 had been part of the network’s attempt to appeal to a broader audience, particularly female viewers. The programming veered away from space-based shows like Battlestar Galactica and the Stargate franchise toward “genre lite” entries (a term used by the network’s president) like Warehouse 13, Being Human, and Haven. This proved successful at first, but as ratings declined for some of those shows, the network began moving back toward more sci fi-heavy programming. That shift began with shows like Defiance (2013) and Helix (2014) and continued with Dark Matter, Killjoys, and The Expanse (all premiering in 2015). And while Warehouse 13 still appealed to the channel’s core fans, it was getting long in the tooth by that time.
The show also ran up against Syfy’s five-season wall. No scripted series that has aired on that network has gone longer than five seasons, including Stargate: SG-1, as the first five seasons were produced by Showtime. As television series age, production costs can increase because of contractual salary escalations and renegotiations with principal cast members. This can make shows with declining ratings less financially attractive to networks, even when they maintain a loyal audience. Syfy has always ended its scripted entries before they get to their sixth season, and Warehouse 13 was no exception.
The creative team still had room to tell more stories beyond those covered in the final six episodes, and the series could have continued into a sixth season if Syfy had been on board, but it came to an end at that point. Warehouse 13 did wrap up its main storylines, but fans of the show still wanted more.
Can the Fans Bring the Show Back from the Vault?
There have been rumblings of a Warehouse 13 revival from time to time, and a new fan effort has recently emerged to generate interest in the show once again. An online petition is available to sign, and the organizers have a Facebook group, Discord server, Twitter site, and subreddit. We have also put up a campaign page for them on this site. The hope is to bring back as much of the original cast and creative team as possible and pick up where the original series left off.
Unfortunately, the show is not currently included with the major U.S. subscription streaming services, but it is available to purchase digitally (see below). That gives fans an opportunity to pursue a path that could get the attention of network execs by impacting the bottom line. If enough people purchase seasons online, those sales could help demonstrate that there is still an audience interested in the series. In addition, a social media campaign could also bring it attention and strengthen the case that this remains a viable property.
There is also another avenue available that would involve engaging fans of Eureka and Alphas. Crossovers established a shared universe among the three shows, and fans of those other Syfy properties might welcome a revival as well. Bring in those fans, and perhaps the combined effort could get something moving. I believe that Alphas fans would be particularly interested because a crossover could offer an opportunity to resolve the cliffhanger ending from that show’s second and final season.
Warehouse 13 definitely built up a following, and if those fans could come together—while also soliciting the support of Eureka and Alphas followers—perhaps a revival could happen. I’m not sure what the availability of the original cast and creative team is at this point, but if fans make enough noise, perhaps this effort could bring them back together. And while Syfy has pulled back on scripted originals, Warehouse 13 is an NBCUniversal property, which could make Peacock a potential home if the company sees an opportunity to draw subscribers to that service (a start would be to solicit them to stream the original series). It has been twelve years since the show last aired, so this is certainly a long shot. But a strong enough push could make something happen.
Where Can You Watch It?
As mentioned above, his series is not currently streaming on any of the major services, but it is available to purchase VOD from providers like Amazon and Apple. It has also been released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Did you watch Warehouse 13, and would you support fan efforts to bring the show back? Chime in with your thoughts below in the comments section.
Enter your Email below to subscribe to our free newsletter:
Links of Interest: Sci Fi TV Premieres | Sci Fi TV Schedule | Sci Fi TV Cancellation Watch | Sci Fi Movie Schedule
Follow Us on Social Media:
CancelledSciFi.com: BlueSky | Mastodon | Facebook | Twitter
AxiomsEdgeSciFi.com: BlueSky | Twitter
Cult-SciFi.com: BlueSky