It’s official! On Friday, Hulu announced it has nabbed The Mindy Project from Fox’s scrap heap and ordered a 26-episode fourth season of the Mindy Kaling-led sitcom. The deal between the streaming network and Universal Television, which produces the series, was inked less than two weeks after the show was cancelled.
“”I am thrilled The Mindy Project has found a new home on Hulu, where so many of our fans are already watching the show,” Kaling said in a statement. “It’s such an exciting place to be.”
With the reprieve, The Mindy Project joins a growing list of low-rated cult series, such as Community, that have found salvation on a streaming service, as was discussed on SOS earlier this week. The agreement makes sense for all parties involved. NBCUniversal is part-owner of Hulu, and the subscription service already has exclusive rights to the first three seasons of The Mindy Project. The deal also helps bolster Hulu’s lineup as it positions itself to more aggressively compete with Netflix and Amazon. It recently acquired the rights to Seinfeld and also signed a deal with AMC Networks for exclusive rights to all the cable network’s future shows.
Said Hulu’s Craig Erwich in a statement: “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.”
On Fox, The Mindy Project was a critical darling propped up by a strong female following. However, it never delivered the overall ratings Fox was looking for, averaging just 2.3 million viewers during its third season.
Hulu has not yet announced a premiere date for the fourth season of The Mindy Project.