TV Shows Cancelled or Renewed: You Make The Difference!
This past week has been brutal for TV; we’ve lost some of our favorite shows. The Brave, Lucifer, The Crossing, The Expanse, Designated Survivor, Brooklyn Nine Nine (thankfully this one was picked up by NBC), Quantico, and MORE … all canceled. Most of these are shows that have huge, passionate fan bases—if it can happen to them, it can happen to any show.
It’s sad … we become invested in their stories, we connect with the characters, they become like friends to us, and when they’re gone – it’s often literally like losing someone you know. It’s painful, and we want to help make sure it doesn’t happen to your favorites, so we’ve compiled our best tips to keep your shows alive.
WATCH LIVE!
Of course, the most important thing you can do is tune in live! Those numbers are IMPORTANT! Watch the shows that matter to you. If you can’t watch live, try to watch new episodes within 3 days. On Demand and DVR also count.
HARNESS THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Fandoms can do so much more than random efforts, and Social Media is the place for fandoms.
Twitter:
If possible, live tweet with your favorite shows. Tweet and Retweet. Get your shows trending. The powers that be are paying attention. And besides helping to promote your show, it’s fun chatting with other fans (some shows have fandoms that are more like families)—plus many times the cast and crew will also live tweet, and it really adds to the whole experience getting to interact with them. Make sure to use hashtags that are relevant to your show.
Also, when you’re live tweeting, don’t forget about those wonderful people who sponsor your shows … yeah, those dreaded things we call commercials. Like it or not, those are the folks who are paying for that show you love so much, so why not do some shout outs and say how much you appreciate them. They will notice. (And so will the networks!)
Facebook:
Facebook is great for pages and groups. Look up your favorite show, find pages and groups to join, and also look for general tv show groups. Join as many as you can and spread the word about your favorite shows. If you can’t find any pages or groups, consider creating one yourself!
Also, listen to and support podcasts about your favorites (hint: you can find a bunch of them right here on SoManyShows). Why? Well, besides being incredibly fun, supporting these guys who are talking about your show helps keep the word out. And again, if you can’t find a specific podcast, how about starting one up yourself?
SPREAD THE WORD ANY WAY YOU CAN
Word of mouth goes a long, long way, and in fact many networks depend on the best advertising there is, and that’s you, the viewer. They depend on you to increase awareness and excitement. Talk about your shows on social media, blog about your shows, but also in your offline life, tell your friends, your family members, your coworkers. Tell anyone who will listen. Also, buy fan gear, like t-shirts or bumper stickers, and then you will be spreading the word wherever you go, without having to say anything at all.
Speaking of social media… See a post about your favorite show? Comment on it. Like it. Share it. Networks and advertisers pay attention to these social media metrics. And, just like live viewer numbers, they count!
RENEWAL CAMPAIGNS
Renewal campaigns are fantastic, and they have worked in the past, but don’t wait until your show is in trouble before you start asking for a renewal. Tell the networks EARLY and OFTEN that you love your shows and you want them around for a long time. Every tweet you send out, along with the show’s hashtag, also include some kind of a renewal tag, as well. And don’t forget to tweet to your favorite networks, or send them emails, just to say how much you appreciate what they’re doing. Whatever you do, don’t badmouth the networks, even when they make a decision you don’t agree with—keep your comments positive. Negativity has NEVER won a network over.
In the end, yes, it’s a numbers game, but these guys do take the fan base into account—never doubt your power as a fan. You have to get involved, and if you’re not willing to do that, don’t be upset or start complaining when your favorite show is on the chopping block or is canceled.
Keep those shows alive, guys!
Lastly, don’t punish your TV shows either!