Has the death of 'Fringe' been greatly exaggerated?

Going, going ... wait, not so fast.

We've all been through this before - the ratings for one of your favorite television shows, despite its imaginative appeal, keep sinking lower and lower ... until the inevitable. Then you curse the network executives and swear off television forever - or until the next show that catches your attention, whichever comes first.

To many, that would seem to be the case with cult favorite (any story of this nature is required to use the phrase "cult favorite") "Fringe." As the show nears the end of its fourth season, it appears to be nearing The End.

Maybe.

Hope for fans comes courtesy of Michael Ausiello at TVLine. Responding to a question from a fan "in pre-cancellation mourning," Ausiello writes:

And don’t administer last rites to the show just yet. Despite those apocalyptic Nielsnes, Fringe very much remains in the hunt for another season. One scenario allegedly being bandied about has it returning for a final 15-episode run. If that happens I will be an extremely happy person.

Adds Trent Moore of SyFy Blaster:

I'm sure fans are psyched at the option, but if you think about it on the business side, it also makes some sense. Fox has kept the show alive this long partly because of critical praise, but if the ratings get low enough, all the fan love in the world can't save it. But, once you factor in potential syndication revenue, this rumor makes a lot more sense. Series typically need at least 100 episodes to reach a syndication deal, but once the current fourth season ends, Fringe will only have 87 episodes in the bank. Add 15 more, and that puts the show at an attractive 102 episodes.

In a separate post, Moore asks: "Could 'Fringe' be the first TV series saved by a Twitter hashtag?" For more about the campaign by the folks operating Fringenuity, click here.