NBC's Timeless survived cancellation with a surprise renewal, and season 2 will begin shooting in November ahead of a 2018 premiere. Timeless sent viewers on a roller coaster ride through history when it premiered last year. The 16-episode first season took historian Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer), scientist Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett) and soldier Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter) on an odyssey through time as they sought to protect history from the mysterious and deadly Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić). Their journey placed them in the midst of famous historical events like the Hindenburg Disaster, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the Chicago World's Fair, and they rubbed shoulders with iconic figures like Jesse James, Al Capone and Davy Crockett.

Though it was popular with fans and critics, the show wasn't a ratings smash for NBC, and the network opted to cancel Timeless in May. But all was not lost for the show's time traveling heroes and their fans. Like the characters themselves, the show seemingly changed its own history. Just three days after announcing the cancellation, NBC reversed its decision and renewed the series for a 10-episode second season. It was a stunning turnaround the likes of which is almost never seen on television.

Related: Timeless Un-Canceled By NBC

Timeless fans could be forgiven for crossing their fingers lest the show's reprieve be revoked, but they can safely uncross them now. The writers of the show took to their Twitter to announce that they'll be back to work in just over a week's time. They also confirmed that shooting for the second season will begin in November, with a premiere slated for some time in 2018.

Fans of the series breathed a huge sigh of relief when NBC changed their minds and ordered a second season. Like many science fiction shows, Timeless brought its season to an end with a shocking cliffhanger that fans are desperate to see resolved. After traveling through time to stop the shadowy Rittenhouse organization from changing history, Lucy returned to the present day to learn that her own mother is a high-ranking member of the group. Elsewhere, Rufus' girlfriend Jiya (Claudia Doumit) seemingly became unstuck in time, a disturbing side effect of her own travels through history.

So many TV shows garner loyal followings only to vanish after one season, so it's refreshing to see a popular show escape from that very fate - and the fact that it's a show about time travel just makes it even more fitting. It will be interesting to see how the show approaches its new lease on life. With just 10 episodes ordered (at least for now), it will certainly be a truncated season, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Shorter seasons are becoming more of a norm in today's TV landscape, and fans would surely rather have 10 new episodes than none at all.

Next: Why Everyone Needs To Be Watching Timeless

Timeless will return to NBC some time in 2018.

Source: Timeless Writers Room