The world is certainly not hurting for more procedurals right now. It seems like every network has their cup overflowing with numerous case-of-the-week productions that keep audiences tuning in from one week to the next. At ABC, there’s the ever-growing 9-1-1 franchise and High Potential, while CBS has Tracker, Matlock, Fire Country, and its newest spin-off, Sheriff Country. Meanwhile, NBC is the home of the One Chicago franchise, which covers favorites like Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. Lingering in the shadows behind NBC’s hit multi-series procedural franchise is a lesser-known title that flips the typical formula on its head and gives audiences something completely different. Now in its second season, The Hunting Party is NBC’s undersung project that is well worth digging into — especially for all the true-crime fans out there. And soon, Netflix audiences will have the chance to start it from the beginning when the serial killer-centered series arrives on the platform on February 15.
If you miss Netflix and David Fincher’s Mindhunter, The Hunting Party is a solid replacement to fill the void. Although it doesn’t center on real serial killers, the creative team behind the series certainly blends fact with fiction when crafting their deadly characters. The show follows a small team of law enforcement professionals who use their special set of skills to track down the world’s deadliest killers after they escape confinement at a top-secret and super-secure prison.
Despite being largely panned by critics, including a devastating 18% critics’ approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the first season resonated enough with NBC’s viewers to score it a second season. In fact, it didn’t just resonate with audiences, but it instead grew a fandom, which is clearly reflected by its Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 83%. Thankfully, this time around, the fans won out and earned the series a second season, which recently premiered on January 8.
Can ‘The Hunting Party’ Continue Into Season 3?
We’re now nearing the time of the year when the fates of our favorite network TV shows are revealed. Just days ago, CBS unveiled its first lineup of renewals, so it’s only a matter of time until NBC follows suit. When it comes to The Hunting Party, the show narrowly escaped cancellation at the tail end of last year, so it’s logical to presume that it will return to the chopping block unless it proves itself to be a title worthy of the network’s time over the next few weeks.
Get caught up on The Hunting Party when the first season arrives on Netflix on February 15.
Release Date
January 19, 2025
Directors
Thor Freudenthal, Glen Winter, James Bamford, Nicole Rubio, Rod Hardy, Shana Stein, Blackhorse Lowe, Marcus Stokes, Kristin Windell
Melissa Roxburgh
Rebecca ‘Bex’ Henderson
