After Rocky Beginning on Lifetime, “You” Renewed For Third Season On Netflix

The show You has been renewed for a third season on Netflix, proving once again Netflix remains a major power player and can save shows otherwise headed for an early extinction.

You, originally a cable show on Lifetime based around the books by Caroline Kepnes, almost didn’t get renewed past its first season. The series premiered on Lifetime in September 2018, and ratings were so low Lifetime discussed parting ways.

Showrunner Greg Berlanti made repeated calls to Lifetime executives asking for more time to allow the show to pick up viewership, but by December of 2018 Lifetime officially announced its divorce from You.

The fate of the show changed once Netflix started streaming the episodes. Approximately 40 million households were watching You within the first four weeks after it dropped on Netflix’s platform.

Based on the popularity, Netflix quickly picked up You for a second season which they released in December of 2019. Less than a month later, Netflix announced a third season, if that says anything about the ongoing viewership and popularity of the show since its transition to the streaming service.

Co-creators Berlanti and Sera Gamble are slated to return as executive producers for season three, with Berlanti once again taking up the helm of showrunner. Actor Penn Badgley will return as main character, Joe Goldberg. Victoria Pedretti—who plays Goldberg’s love interest, Love Quinn—has also been announced to return.

Season three will premier in 2021 with ten episodes.

About the Author

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Rachel Goodman

Rachel Goodman is a Los Angeles based actress, host, and writer originally from a suburb of Philadelphia, PA. In college, Rachel wrote for the Penn State Abington Literary Review and was an editorialist for The Lion's Roar and The Montgomery County Ticket.