Fans were excited when Fox decided to give "Fringe" a fourth season, despite what some viewed as a move to purgatory of Friday nights.

They may be even more excited now to hear that Fox could in fact already be considering a fifth season of the show as well.

John Noble, who plays the smart yet fumbling Dr. Walter Bishop on the series, says he expects the show to go five seasons, but that would be about it. That suggests that Warner Bros. Television may be interested in keeping its license fee to Fox low enough to create a syndication package, which could be far easily accomplished through five seasons instead of just four.

Audiences have been tuning out of "Fringe," first on a difficult and highly competitive Thursday night, and then later even more after Fox moved it to Fridays. That move had many believing that "Fringe" would be ending its run, despite a critically acclaimed storyline involving an alternate universe. Yet, Fox is always full of surprises, and announced the show would be on its fall schedule.

When the show does come back -- as was teased in the third season finale -- there could be some changes -- including the loss of Walter's son, Peter, played by Joshua Jackson.

"All I know is that ['Fringe'] will do a reset, and that [the writers] are really excited," Noble recently told TV Line. "I know that they have about nine episodes in a sort of package" to begin the season.

Noble won't be pushed back to just a single character, however. Instead, he is still expected to play the alternate universe version of himself, who the characters on the show dub as "Walternate." In fact, the two characters could be working together in the future, according to Digital Spy.

"It doesn't make sense for them not to, ultimately, but it won't be easy," Noble said.

"Fringe" returns in the fall on Fox Fridays. In the meantime, you can vote for both Jackson and Noble as well as their co-star Anna Torv in the 2011 Airlock Alpha Portal Awards, taking place right now. Also nominated from the show is the episode "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide," and Leonard Nimoy as a special guest in that episode.

"Fringe" itself is also up for Best Series/Television.