Netflix Grabs Third Season of 'The Killing'

New episodes to stream three months after appearing on cable

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/14/2013 8:22:17 AM

The Killing, revived for a third season after originally being canceled by AMC, will be streamed exclusively on Netflix just three months after airing on cable.

Netflix subscribers will also be able to see the first two seasons of The Killing before season three launches.

Financial terms were not released.

"Our agreement with Netflix played an extremely significant part in the studio's strategy that enabled us to bring The Killing back for a third season,"  David Madden, president of Fox Television Studios, said in a statement. Fox Television Studios produces the series.

In season three, lead character Sarah Linden, played by Mireille Enos, is no longer a detective. Her ex-partner, Stephen Holden (Joel Kinnaman) searches for a runaway girl, which leads him to discover a string of killings that connects to a previous murder investigation by Linden, who is drawn back into the investigation.

 "Our showrunner, Veena Sud, has plunged our principals into new and dangerous worlds, with wicked twists and a climactic end-of-season resolution, and our acclaimed cast, including Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman and new cast member Peter Sarsgaard, are already thrillingly bringing it to life," Madden said. "We are delighted to be in business with Netflix to deliver season 3, as well as past seasons of The Killing to a broader audience worldwide."

"We're excited to see The Killing back on TV and we're especially proud to bring Season 3 to our members so soon after it premieres on AMC," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer of Netflix. "The Killing is a terrific serialized drama and we know our members love these high-quality shows."