AceShowbiz -

"The Killing" is brought back to life again after canceled twice by AMC. This time, Netflix comes to the rescue by picking up the crime drama series for a shortened fourth season consisting of 6 episodes, which will be billed as the series' "final season."

"The rich, serialized storytelling in 'The Killing' thrives on Netflix, and we believe that it is only fitting to give Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder a proper send off," Cindy Holland, vice president of original content for Netflix, says in a statement. "We are looking forward to offering fans - both existing and new - a series that we know is perfectly suited for on-demand viewing."

Lead stars Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos are set to reprise their roles as Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder respectively, and the series' writing staff and crew will return as well. Production for the new episodes will begin February in Canada.

Calling the pick-up by Netflix "a true testament" to the series creator Veena Sud and the cast, Fox TV Studios president David Madden says the revival gives them "the opportunity to complete the story in a way that will be satisfying to our loyal audience."

AMC first canceled "The Killing" in July 2012 after two seasons, which concluded with the reveal of who killed Rosie Larsen. In early 2013, the cable channel officially announced the return of the series, which focused on a new case.

The show was canceled for the second time in September after the third season could not match up the expectation. It averaged 1.53 million total viewers or slightly below the second season's ratings (1.65 million), which already dropped from the first season.