Usually when I like a television show I start counting the minutes until it's cancelled. I'm pessimistic that way. So when they cancel Cupid or Sports Night or Oh Grow Up! or Wonderfalls or any of the dozens of other shows that make for good television, I accept it the best I can and move on. There are surprises, of course (Alias and Lost come immediately to mind), but most of the time the ever convenient "low ratings" excuse makes it all too easy for short-sighted, dumbass television execs to shaft loyal viewers.
The thing that gets me is that the world of television has changed. Syndication can bring old series to life in new markets and provide a financial windfall. Releasing shows on DVD is easy money. Internet distribution is just around the corner. Who knows what new financial outlets will present themselves in the future? It's not just about the ratings anymore. And because of that, "viewer campaigns" to save shows which have customarily have -zero- effect on the minds of the networks, may actually start to be carrying some weight.
Cult favorites like Wonderfalls and Miracles that were ratings failures are getting DVD releases because of consumer demand. Shows like The Family Guy are being resurrected because of runaway DVD sales. Suddenly there's hope for the impossible.
And that's why a group of television addicts over at Television Without Pity are trying to create a preemptive strike in saving a show that hasn't even been cancelled yet. Like me, they are pessimistic about the chances of Veronica Mars getting picked up for a second season (heck, it's a miracle it hasn't been cancelled already)...
And here's the deal (thanks to wyk95 for the tip)...
Inspired by Veronica's clever ploy of writing "Veronica Mars is smarter than me" on the bills in Clash of the Tritons, a few fans thought it would be fun to design a Veronica Mars themed two dollar bill to ask for a second season. Just click here to download the custom $2 bill, print it out, then write "Veronica Mars is smarter than me" on the bills and send them to UPN (you might also include your gender, general age range, and location to show UPN that the show has a very diverse fan base). You can read more about this campaign at the TWoP boards And here's the addresses for the top UPN executives and the UPN affiliates.
Since I'm a big fan of Veronica Mars, I'll be sending mine, hoping we can contribute even a little bit to save a brilliant show from premature cancellation. Or maybe not. But it certainly can't hurt.
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The Abyss?
Yep! So many clever quotes from that one that it was hard to choose!
It is great what the fanbase can do for a show – I’m pretty sure there’s only a Firefly movie because of fans (not that I’ve watched the show myself). I’m also currently believing that it was fans that managed to get Quantum Leap and Millennium released on DVD when they were.
Go fans!
Also, it was the fanbase that plagued CBS with e-mails and letters when Jorja Fox and George Eads were ‘fired’ from CSI last year. I’m sure that helpd.
Can I assume that you’re also a fan of the hanging-by-a-string Arrested Development?
I guess I’m the only one (aside from the millions who ignored it outright) who thought Sports Night was laughably overrated tripe…
I do enjoy Arrested Development, and was sad to learn that it was cut short this season and probably won’t be renewed for a third.
Sports Night is definitely a “love it or hate it” show. I liked it because it was so smartly written, had rapid-fire wit, and brilliant character interrelationships. Not exactly popular television fare to be sure.
Not to get into a running debate, but if Sports Night possessed any smart writing or wit, it didn’t display it on any of the five or so episodes I saw. Far more hype than substance. And this is from a comedy and sports (and sports media) fan.
So UPN is cancelling a great artistic show with strong plot lines like Enterprise, but may keep Veronica Mars? What’s going on here?
WHAT strong plot lines on Enterprise? Like the one where Trip and Hoshi are stuck in a quarantine chamber for an entire boring hour? Every time I watch Enterprise, I have to keep reminding myself that it’s Star Trek.
My wife and I were just watching Wonderfalls tonight on DVD. There was much sardonic laughter.
I’ve become so discouraged by the cancelling of shows that I love, that I’ve started to just not watch new shows. I just wait until they’ve been around a couple of years, then pick them up on reruns or DVD. It’s hard enough to say goodbye to favorite characters after 5 or 6 or 7 years, but to have them disappear before you really even get to know them…
Yes, I do watch way too much TV – how’d you guess?
I’m a huge fan of VM, but unfortunately, I live in Norway, and will not be able to send this bill. Keep it up folks!
Here’s a fun tidbit. Veronica Mars is currently the highest rated drama at TWoP. I averaged this season’s episode grades of the 17 dramas that TWoP recaps, and Veronica Mars came in first with an average grade of A-. Desperate Housewives was fifth with a grade of B, and Lost was 7th. Here’s the complete post http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/index.php?showtopic=3120844&view=findpost&p=2531877
If only viewer ratings over a TV Without Pity translated into automatic renewal at UPN! 🙂
As a big fan of Veronica Mars, I hope I can count on you to spread the word about another campaign that’s going on.
It’s less creative than TWoP’s campaign, but it’s a time-honored approach. I have created an online petition to save this wonderful show at http://www.saveveronicamars.com. The petition currently has over 1,100 signatures, but the more signatures it has the better.
Thanks very much.