Fan Campaigns to Help Save Your Favorite TV Show
One of the most frustrating things about being a television fan is the fact that we have absolutely no way to help the ratings of your favorite TV show.
If your TV show is in trouble, there is one way to let TPTB (the powers that be) know how much you love that show by writing directly to the networks. Over the years, fans have put together some amazing campaigns and some have even managed to save a show from cancellation.
Many years ago, Roswell fans sent tens of thousands of bottles of Tabasco Sauce to the WB offices. This worked for one season and when the network canceled the series again, another Tabasco Sauce campaign aimed at the UPN offices convinced the network to give the popular series a shot.
One of the most impressive fan campaigns took place couple of years ago when CBS canceled Jericho. A fan campaign was immediately organized and they began sending peanuts to the CBS offices - more than 20 tons! It worked and CBS gave the show another season (7 episodes) to make a difference. Sadly, that was the end of the road, but it certainly proved how the fans can really make a difference.
Each season, several fan campaigns comes along that are worth mentioning. If your show is in trouble and there is an active campaign in the works, we'll list the information right here.
2009 Fan Campaigns
Chuck
Be a Nerd…Join the Herd: Let's face it, social networking is the hottest tool at our disposal these days and those savvy Chuck fans have devised several ways to get the word out about campaign efforts on a global level.
Kyle XY
Save the Tub: Much like campaigns in the past, Save the Tub has concentrated on some meaningful items from the series to send to the network executives in an effort to remind them how many dedicated fans are out there and committed to keeping the show alive. This campaign encourages fans to send either Sour Patch Kids or rubber duckies to the network executives. In addition, the campaign organizers encourage fans to send letters and personalized postcards to the network, various talk shows, sponsors and the cast and crew of Kyle XY.Save Kyle XY: Similar to Save the Tub, this campaign targets the proper network executives, encouraging fans to send letters or support for the series. Along with the addresses of all of the ABC and ABC Family executives, they also include helpful tips on how to write an effective letter.Reaper
SOS Campaign for Reaper Season Three: The people involved with this campaign have given me the following information to post about their efforts to save Reaper. As you read these impassioned words, please keep in mind that this helpful information provided can be implemented to help save other shows as well....
Fans of the show Reaper have started a Season 3 Campaign, because with only 13 episodes this year, we need to start as early as possible. Our Nielsen numbers aren't so good, so we need to let the CW know that Reaper's got devoted fans out there. Please take the time to drop the CW a short line about how much you want this show to stay on the CW's schedule. You can do this either by email, snail mail, or better yet both! Even something as simple as "I love this show, please renew it for a Season Three" helps. The more people who write, the bigger the impact.In addition to these active fan campaigns, here are some other things fans can do:
- Write the networks
- Watch your favorite show online
- Record it on your DVR - the networks DO get DVR usage data.
- Tell all of your friends and family to write, watch online and record on their DVRs
- Keep the message boards on the various network websites as active as possible. These boards are monitored by the networks, although TPTB don't actually do the monitoring. Fan buzz is extremely important, so post as often as possible.
- In addition to writing the networks, send snail mail to the individual actors. The networks do keep track of the amount of mail that comes in for each show/actor.
