10 Things You Can Do If Your Favorite Show is Cancelled

When a television show has a small, loyal cult following but suffers from comparatively low ratings, networks can find themselves fielding a barrage of attention from these loyal viewers when they move to cancel the show. There are times when the concerted efforts of these groups have actually led to the show being saved, even after the fact. So if your favorite program has been canceled, here are a few things you can do.

1. Set the Web A-Twitter – Don’t underestimate the power of the hashtag. Twitter can be a very powerful weapon when it comes to networking with other dedicated viewers and raising awareness for the canceled show’s plight.
2. Join (Or Start) a Grassroots “Save Our Show” Campaign – There’s definitely truth to the old adage about power in numbers. Try to find a grassroots campaign dedicated to reviving the show; if there’s not one, start it yourself.
3. Build a Dedicated Social Networking Page – Starting a Twitter account dedicated to saving the show and then linking it to a Facebook fan page is another great way to get the word out; Facebook can be your friend in this situation. Find others who run Facebook fan pages for your show and then network with them so that you can strengthen your group.
4. Visit Show-Specific Fan Forums – There are message boards and discussion forums dedicated to almost any subject one can imagine. Sign up for a few that are dedicated to your show, and post religiously. Use message board etiquette though, and avoid the temptation to attempt a takeover. If there’s already a movement to save the show in the works, joining the existing group is likely to be more effective that starting your own.
5. Write Letters – While emails and online petitions have plenty of pull, there’s something to be said for a tangible, written letter. A physical mountain of fan mail is much easier to quantify than an intangible email inbox.
6. Come Up With a Cohesive Plan – When a group works together, their efforts are almost always more effective. A coordinated, cohesive plan to flood network execs in a specific manner is one of the best ways to get the attention of the higher-ups.
7. Start a Petition for a Film – Though the outright revival of a canceled show is relatively rare, the motion picture follow-up is a bit more common. When networks opt not to pick up a show for another season after a cliffhanger ending, the film version usually comes along to tie up loose ends and give the show a bit of closure. Campaigning for a film can be a more effective use of your energy than pushing for a prime-time revival.
8. Create a Website – A well-designed website can serve as a community hub, especially for newcomers to the cause. Creating an easy-to-find and easy-to-navigate page with show information and links to related sites and message boards across the web might be a good idea.
9. Look For Tie-Ins – When CBS made the cancellation call for fan-favorite Jericho in 2007, the fan base took the character Jake Green’s catchphrase “Nuts!” very seriously: network executives found themselves in a 20 ton deluge of peanuts. The tie-in to the show was a success, and fans were rewarded with a mid-season replacement of seven more episodes.
10. Subscribe to Netflix – The DVD-by-mail and streaming entertainment giant Netflix made major waves in late 2011, when they announced that they would be reviving the much-beloved, but long-canceled series, Arrested Development. If the experiment proves successful, this may be only the beginning of Netflix-rescued cult hits.

Of course, another alternative would be to turn off the TV and pick up a good book, spend some time with your soul mate or partake in another worthwhile but neglected activity, but what’s the fun in that when you could be crusading for such a worthy cause!