*Note: Originally, I was going to do a “what I’d like to see next season” column, but The TV Addict and I felt that this week’s column, regarding saving cancelled shows, was much more pressing. Look for the 06-07 hopes in next week’s column!
In a world where mindless drivel (One Tree Hill, 7th Heaven, The War at Home) is celebrated because people flock to robotic acting like a moth to a flame, and critical darlings (Arrested Development, Everwood, Invasion, etc.) are pushed aside because writing that makes people think tends to cause panic, we, as television addicts, have no choice, but to fight to the death to prove the network honchos wrong and to try, with all of our hearts, to save the shows that make us happy week in and week out.
Though the official reasons for the cancellations of amazing TV are always “there weren’t enough viewers”, the viewers that these shows DO have are fiercely loyal, tenacious until the bitter end, fighting tooth and nail to prove once and for all that they deserve a chance. In some cases, the fan campaigns work, and these shows live on.
The core fan base for Roswell was hooked from the start. Enamored with Jason Behr and Shiri Appleby (Max and Liz), fans tuned in to see where this extraterrestrial story would take them. Equal parts X-Files oddness and Dawson’s Creek drama, I, like many, was hooked from day one. Many tuned in, but “many” as it turned out, looked to be not enough to the head honchos at The WB. When word spread that Roswell faced cancellation due to low viewership, the loyal Roswell watchers laughed at the WB for doubting us, banded together and virtually assaulted The WB with over 6000 bottles of Tabasco sauce (the campaign was dubbed “Roswell is hot” after the amazingly attractive cast, combined with the fact that the teen aliens loved Tabasco sauce). The Tabasco sauce campaign, as well as a friendly assault on media like The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and Jay Leno, led The WB to renew the show for another season. When rumors started again that they faced cancellation, Phase 2 of the Tabasco assault helped convince UPN to save the show for a third season. When the show was eventually put to rest for good, fans could be happy knowing that they did all they could to save it.
More recently, Veronica Mars’ fans were able to at least show the bigwigs at The CW that we are a fiercely loyal bunch. Creative fans, interested in showing their love for the amazing show that was placed “on the bubble” by various sources as the season wound down, decided to raise money for a message-plane to be flown by their CW offices. The plane caused quite a stir, and was a topic of conversation among critics and viewers alike. The message plane helped solidify Veronica Mars’ spot on the schedule. Now, Veronica Mars will live on to see a third season, and the fans have to be happy to know that they had a part in it. Incidently, if Veronica Mars was cancelled, I had my own campaign, which consisted of flying out to California and chaining myself to Jason Dohring. Not sure what it was going to do for the Veronica Mars campaign, but I would be spending hours with Jason, so I was ready!
Though not all attempts are successful (the two people who watched “The Mullets” on UPN several years ago were not successful in any “Save our Mullets” campaign they might have tried launching!), the success of “Roswell is hot” and the Veronica Mars message-plane has fans gaining more and more momentum to save their shows.
Most notably, there is the Save Everwood campaign, that has recently kicked off Project Ferris Wheel . Rabid Everwood fans, including members of the media (Michael Ausiello from TV Guide, and Amy Amatangelo, aka TV Gal from zap2it.com, are both spreading the love about the Everwood campaign) have pledged money via a paypal account set up by the webmaster of www.everwoodmusic.com in hopes that a giant ferris wheel outside the CW offices, a la the ferris wheel of love outside Ephram’s apartment in the “series” finale of the show, will make Dawn Ostroff and company realize that there are millions of stories left to tell and that they’re nuts for squashing the dreams of all Everwood fans! If anything, the campaign, which is well on its way to $5000, will prove to the suits at Warner Bros. that we need more Everwood DVDs, and FAST! Also of note, through the website www.ponderosapinecones.com, fans are sending bulk amounts of pinecones to The CW to show their support for the show!
Taking a page out of Veronica Mars fans’ playbook, Save Invasion and its donators are launching an air attack on ABC with their own flying plane sporting a message to Steve McPherson, begging him and partners to save the show. The Save Invasion fans have also begun sending the ABC crew water bottles (Invasion fans, if you recall, the extra terrestrial body snatchers couldn’t get enough water and bought every bottle of water in site!) in hopes that it will make them realize that we can’t live without this show!
Recently, we at thetvaddict.com have been contacted by the team from www.savesurface.com, who had this to say “Though Surface aired for only a half of a season, it has millions of dedicated fans. Fans tried to convince NBC to put surface in the fall lineup by sending packets of salt to NBC, emailing, and writing letters in support of the show. However, NBC has unfortunately decided not to continue airing the television show Surface. Surface fans have now turned their attention to the Sci-Fi Channel, NBC’s sister station, in hopes that they will pick up the series. Since the Sci-Fi channel has aired repeats of Surface, we feel that it would be a great ’fit’ for the Sci-Fi channel.” Fans of Surface, do your part to keep this show alive! NBC has constantly been pushing great TV aside; hopefully, Sci-Fi will realize the error of NBC’s ways, and help the show, and its awesomely loyal fan base.
Also of note – fans are desperately trying to “Save Marissa” from her death at the end of The O.C.’s third season finale. People interested in changing the minds of producers who relieved Mischa Barton of her duties on the show can visit Savincoop.com and lend their support.
Summer TV – how’s it going?
Wanted to take a minute to give a reflection on how the summer TV season has been shaping up so far.
Loving to death, can’t get enough – Rescue Me, The 4400, Fox reruns of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Last Comic Standing
Watching, hoping they’ll improve – Falcon Beach, Windfall, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat
Stopped watching, just not interested – Game Show Marathon
Most looking forward to this week – Premieres of The Closer and Saved (by the time you’re reading this they’ll have aired, and I’ll be in a TNT-drama induced TV coma)
Good TV + Good Music = An Obsession
Everwood + George Is Jones’ “Ruins” = A reflection on love
This song, from Inara George (often featured on Grey’s Anatomy) and Rod Jones from Ireland’s Idlewild, played in the “series” finale of Everwood as Amy reflected on the Amy/Ephram courtship and she realized, as the audience did, that he was “it” for her. Had me in tears as soon as I heard the first few lines! Other songs worth finding and downloading: “Followed” and “Salt Licks”
What other shows are you trying to save? Let your voice be heard – email us and let us know what we can let the readers know about. What summer shows are you watching? What music moment made you cry? What do you want to see next season – let me know!! mytakeontv@thetvaddict.com.