‘Fringe’ to Return for Season 5, Even if Cancelled?

As 'Fringe' fans around the world wait on bated breath for news of 'Fringe's renewal for season 5, or potential cancellation, news out of WonderCon reveals that no matter what, fans will get the closure they crave.  But if Warner Bros. can't reach a deal with FOX for additional episodes, how might the end play out? Don't worry, there's a plan...

According to Zap2It, 'Fringe' producers J.H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner remain cautiously optimisitc about the sci-fi series' chances for an (even-abbreviated) fifth season, but plans are definitely in place should the show not be granted a chance to wrap up the stories of Peter  and Walter Bishop, and Olivia Dunham.  Perhaps even Astrid, and Gene the cow as well!

Pinkner claims that if a fifth season of 'Fringe' falls through, plans are in place to wrap up the series in a one-off comic book format, much as 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel' continued their run past their TV shows.  Says, Pinkner of the project, "It would be really elaborate, and we would go to town on it and make sure that everything you needed to understand about the show would be in that and pay off that way.  That's our backup plan."

'Fringe' maintains relatively meager meager ratings in its Friday-night slot, though bringing the series to a fifth season would make the parallel universe series ripe for syndication, which could do well to recoup some of the money supposedly lost by the show's production.  Current rumors suggest that FOX is indeed considering its options for 'Fringe,' though has yet to strike a deal with Warner Bros. over the somewhat costly production and licensing rights.  A decision is expected sometime in the next few weeks, particularly with FOX's Upfront presentation scheduled for May 14.

'Fringe' returns Friday night with all-new episode "A Short Story About Love," picking up after Peter's dramatic rejection of "Amberlivia" and renewed drive to return to his own timeline.  But what happened to The Observer?  And for those who haven't seen the show, this should put things well-enough in context:

Tune in to 'Fringe' Friday night at 9:00 p.m. on FOX, and tell us what you want to see in the next season, or how you'd like 'Fringe' to wrap up a comic in the comments section below!