Will 'Fringe' Have a Season or Series Finale?

In case you weren't tracking it, ratings for Fox's Friday night sci-fi series Fringe, haven't been hitting it out f the park.  They don't suck, but with ratings and advertisers, you never know. Plus, with Fox saying that they're losing money airing the series, well, if that's not writing on the wall, or negotiation strong-arming, I don't know what is. (Renewal negotiations were in full swing at the end of January)

At least that's why, I think, the showrunners behind Fringe are looking at their season finale and considering wrapping up some story lines... just in case.

In a piece over at E Online, chatting with executive producer J.H. Wyman, they say there's no word on a renewal yet and that they have be prepared, just in case.

With that thought, they're looking at how much story is left to tell and after four years of following the adventures of the Fringe division, they don't want to leave fans hanging if the unspeakable (cancellation) happens.

Wyman says they want to leave fans with closure, because if it's  one thing fans HATE, it's being left hanging when a show gets canceled on a cliffhanger or with no stories having resolution. (Fox might be sensitive to the everlasting ire of Firefly fans and not repeating that event.)

For Fox to NOT lose money airing Fringe, it's been said that Warner Bros. Television would have to consider reducing their licensing fees to Fox.  IF that could happen, that would probably mean reduced production costs moving forward.  That's not a show stopper, but it could bring forth some interesting changes to the show.

It could be pulled off.  I've seen it before.

So for the time being, Fringe fans have to sit on the edge of our seats and wait for the word to come down the pipe about if Walter, Peter, Olivia and the rest of the gang get new stories next year or we find ourselves staring at the void where Fringe used to be in the TV lineup.  Instead, a big piece if programming amber might be in its place.

Looking over some other media reports, a lot of shows seem to already have their renewal notices but Fox's collection of shows  aren't so well shored up.  Nor are the CSI spinoffs...  but that's for another day and time.

[ eonline: spoiler chats ][TV Line: Fringe season 5 renewal negotiations]