A popular crime thriller is finally returning to Netflix.
“The Following,” which stars Kevin Bacon as former FBI agent Ryan Hardy, originally aired on Fox from 2013-2015. The series was available to stream on Netflix for years, but it left the streaming platform in 2018. After an eight-year hiatus, all three seasons will be back on Netflix as of Jan. 3, 2026.
During season 1 of “The Following,” Bacon’s Hardy returns to work to assist the FBI with recapturing serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy). The escaped convict is aided by a cult of fanatical killers, whom he met and recruited in prison.
In addition to Bacon and Purefoy, “The Following” starred Shawn Ashmore (Mike Weston), Jessica Stroup (Max Hardy), Natalie Zea (Claire Matthews), Valorie Curry (Emma Hill) and Sam Underwood (Luke and Mark Gray).
After “The Following” was canceled in May 2015, Bacon took to X to thank the show’s fanbase for their support.
“Big love to all of our loyal fans. It’s been an honor to work for you. Sweat, tears, and lots of Blood! Enjoy the final four [episodes],” the Golden Globe winner tweeted at the time.
Prior to “The Following,” Bacon was a movie star known best for his roles in films including “Footloose,” “Mystic River” and “The Woodsman.” He began looking for television roles after seeing how much his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, loved starring on the TNT police procedural “The Closer,” which aired from 2005 to 2012.
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“Seeing Kyra’s experience, I thought, ‘Boy, I want to be part of that.’ So I started to explore TV options, and it took a few years to find something that felt right, where all the pieces came together. This was the one,” Bacon told TVLine in 2015.
“The Following” creator Kevin Williamson had his sights set on Bacon from the start.
“I kept saying that we needed to do this with a movie star,” Williamson told TVLine. “We needed a dynamic leading man, and I kept saying, ‘Someone like Kevin Bacon,’ because I had heard that he was toying with doing television.”
“The Following” is currently streaming on Tubi and the Roku Channel. It will return to Netflix on Jan. 3, 2026.
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