[maestro]

maestro on 20040427 um 1842 Uhr #197

Now that the WB Network decided to cancel the “Buffy”-offspring show “Angel”, thousands of fans of the series gather in online protests and some have even rented a promotional TRUCK (700 bucks a day) to change the minds of WB

Websites like http://www.saveangel.org appear out of nowhere and fans of a show that was taken off the air in Germany after the second season are suddenly able to collect 20000(!) US dollars for a campaign to save it.

If ALF would not have been cancelled BEFORE the rise of the internet, would we be in the 201st season now?

[desi]

desi on 20040430 um 0654 Uhr #2147

BRING BACK ALF!

[maestro]

maestro on 20040526 um 0636 Uhr #2148

Thing is, Networks need to learn that if they are axing a popular show, they need to give it a decent ending.

Look at friends, that’s gone and everyone is happy (granted it ran for 3million epsiodes).

But hopefully they’ll be infulenced by the outcry. The http://www.savefarscape.org campaign that launched when Farscape was axed at the end of it’s fourth season by Sci-Fi channel (who had originally agreed a 5 season deal) has managed to get Sci-Fi to comission a further 4 hours of the show, which while short of a 22 episode season will allow writers a chance to provide a suitable ending and at the same time write in openings for spin-offs and other projects they can try to finance outside of Sci-Fi.

All I’d say is if you like Angel and you hated the last episode (which seems to have been universally panned) then complain, email in, donate funds, etc… the networks DO listen… eventually.

[maestro]

maestro on 20040526 um 0923 Uhr #2149

they do, that’s why the startrek franchise gives birth to a new spin off every 5 years, there would be a riot if someone cancelled it for good.

How much is our life really influenced by a medium that only transmits works of fiction? (and that does include the news)

I mean you donate money to prolong your viewing pleasure ( that’s probably a more justified cause for spending it that donating it to someone who’ll help a third world street dog you’ll never know or see to survive for another day before it finally starves anyway ), but shouldnt those things stay outside of the realm of the material?

When Battlestar Galactica was cancelled some boy killed himself cause it was his favourite show and part of his life, how far shall the bond between the tv-life and the real life go?
Networks today do not care about the single person – i mean look at the new Battlestar series: it was not only a modified spin off that everone was waiting for for the last 20 years, it was a desaster!
SciFi totally IGNORED the loyal fanbase of a show that was cancelled two decades ago and instead of making a new series under another name they tried to produce a devastating sci-fi soap under the name that is dear to many people, just out of the thought that those people would watch it anyway.
And then they wonder why it is rejected by everyone out there…the problem is BECAUSE it was rejected, noone will ever again put money into that franchise, so they basically all they did is kill BSG with the new miniseries.

BUT – they killed it with financial losses.
Isn’t it a far better way to threaten the network that 2 million people say they will not be watching the network anymore than trying to run some “c’mon lets keep it” campaign?
You can only hit them where there conscience lies – in their bank accounts

[maestro]

maestro on 20040526 um 1055 Uhr #2150

ok, going into the Farscape capaign (as I don’t have personal experience of any others)

There WERE those who were like “ooo just email Sci-Fi and tell them how upset you are, here’s xxxxx email address, they are the person responsible”.

Now, a simple email filter means that Day 1 they are swamped, Day 2+ they hear nothing.

Others however, were getting funds for full page ads in industry magazines, and emailing the companies who ADVERTISE on Sci-Fi to say “sorry, they cancelled my show, I’m pissed, I won’t be watching their channel and therefore, won’t see you ads. Blame Sci-Fi”. Also, emailing Sci-Fi and manufacturers of the merchandise to say “Hey, I spent $xxx on Farscape stuff last year, and you know what, Sci-Fi killed my show, no more money for you. Again, blame Sci-Fi”.

Oddly, months of emailing the heads of Sci-Fi did nothing, Sci-Fi not backing down form their statement of “It costs too much, Stargate is cheaper and watched by more people”. However the other method (in my opinion) got Sci-Fi talking to the makers of Farscape, and bagged us a mini-series. Of course, a lot will have been down to how good the head Farscape/Henson guys are at negotiating and badgering Sci-Fi to air more of the show, but am damned sure whats-his-face that makes Angel can be just as convincing.

But yes, tell the shows and the advertisers that BOOO I’ll not watch any new shows on their channel (and tell the makers of those new shows the same) or ads or in fact the channel at ALL because they killed my show.