Keep The TV Love Coming!
Let’s Talk TV…
If you’re like me, you love TV. I mean, you’re currently on So Many Shows, aren’t you? Now, I like a lot of TV, (there is even more I have on a list I would like to watch, but that’s another article in its entirety…) but I do not love a lot of shows.
There is something, which I think many can agree with, that comes along every so often that just grabs you. It gets your attention early on and you know it is different. Whether it be the cast, the writing, or something else. That was The Brave for me. This article isn’t about The Brave, but that show is where this article stems from.
I, like many others, were heartbroken when I found out in May that The Brave was canceled after just one season. I made friends with people who enjoyed the show, I enjoyed interacting with the cast and crew (especially Dean Georgaris, the show’s creator), and most of all: I loved the show.
So, believe me when I say I get the anger and resentment many fans felt toward NBC. I remember in the days following the canceling, where we were hoping some other network would pick us up, that there is no way this could be over. Someone was going to see the magic that this show had. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and slowly most fans moved on. There are still days where we’re sad, but we still have each other, and we still have something that is important: the love of TV.
Resentment Doesn’t Work
Now, let’s go back to the anger and resentment toward NBC. Let’s just say for a second that angry fans make a difference. What does that anger get you? It certainly isn’t getting your show back. It is probably pissing off those who are looking at social media for fan response. The truth is: anger doesn’t make a difference. Resentment toward a network does not make a difference.
Here’s more truth: resenting an entire network for a decision they make (regardless if it is bad or not) does little to help TV. This might seem counterproductive to some people. Wait, you might say – If I don’t watch, and people follow suit, their viewership will go down! People won’t tune in, and we’ll show them!
YOU miss out.
Let’s think about this… Who are we really hurting? We are hurting the future TV shows, with fantastic actors, creative storylines, and new blood. Maybe some people don’t care about that. Some of us just want the shows we fell in love with back on our screen.
But think about that.
There were surely shows you loved before a canceled show. What happens if people didn’t tune into that one? We then fall into a cycle where shows are continuously canceled, TV becomes stale (shows that are established will be in season forty at this point), and we’re in the same predicament as before.
You might see what I’m getting at. You should love TV! I say LOVE TV, not LOVE TV shows. It’s okay not to fall in love, head over heels, with a show every season. In fact, I don’t agree with that. I am a fan of several shows on this current fall lineup, but none of them have quite landed in the same nook that The Brave did for me. And that’s okay. These are shows that might need time to thrive.
Loving TV itself is important. Our ideas and our feelings are spread by social media. I tune into a show, and I tell someone else to check it out… TV lives on! And while we’re talking about TV living on, let’s pause for one second.
TV Doesn’t Die.
Just because a TV show is canceled doesn’t mean the show is dead. The show lives on through its episodes, through its actors and show crew, and most importantly, it lives on through us. We hold the memory alive of shows that never made it past a season one.
I am going to keep speaking about The Brave here, because this is the show that made me write this, but I’m not going to forget the way I felt when I first saw Jaz on my TV screen. I’m not going to forget how important it is to have accurate representation of our military portrayed by people who care about it. And, like many others who now know So Many Shows and the brand it is, I’m not ever going to forget the kindness brought to us by Dean Georgaris and his wonderful cast and crew. We, as viewers, help a show live on.
With that, I think it’s also important to note that we shouldn’t drag it on. Does that make sense? A show’s cast and crew move on; they accept new roles, find new outlets… things change. We should respect that and respect the wishes of the people behind the show. Celebrate what it has given us, but let it rest. When a show is canceled, it’s not just fans that lose something. The people involved were more invested in it than any fan can truly understand. They love it as much as we as fans do.
Tips for Renewing a Show as a Fan
So, what does this mean for the future? Fall 2018 TV is ripe, flourishing and upon us. How do you keep loving TV? Well, here’s some tips to help keep the TV you’re loving thriving and renewed.
1.
Watch Live. I cannot stress this enough. If you can watch TV live, do it. It is the best way to give shows direct ratings. If for some reason, you’re home and cannot watch directly, put it on in the background, even if you have it muted! It still counts.
2.
If you can’t watch live, watch within 3 days on the show’s website. If you have some form of cable or satellite television, you should be able to sign into that and watch. Use that DVR – again, within 3 days!
3.
For the love of all things good and kind, DO NOT WATCH ON ILLEGAL SITES. As you might imagine, the show gets nothing for you downloading the show illegally. Oh, and you’ll probably get a nasty virus, or harm your computer… and is that really worth it? Shows usually are also available to download from Amazon and iTunes… so please consider that first.
4.
If you are watching it live, tweet along with the show! Learn the hashtags, interact with the cast… networks pay attention to this sort of thing. Hashtags might seem silly, but if the show has one, you should be using it. The more hashtags, the better it looks to those checking on how often a show gets talked about. Also: interacting with cast and crew online is super fun, and sometimes makes the show even better! (For example: some show writers or creators might share behind the scenes facts on their social media. You don’t want to miss this!)
5.
Tell others! Seriously, word of mouth is still important! Some people don’t look at social media or might not catch ads… you should always brag about this new awesome show you checked out. Or, if you’re like me, you may hound every person in your life until they watch The Brave and demand they tell others as well. Um… I mean, my methods were hardcore. But they worked well for me. 🙂
ANNA HOPKINS
6.
Don’t assume someone else is doing it and you don’t have to. If you’re lucky enough to be a fan of a well-off show which is doing great in ratings and response, this doesn’t mean you’re safe. Shows can be canceled for the simplest of reasons. Or, people start to assume they’re going to get renewed and viewership falls (see Shadowhunters) and then the unthinkable happens.
7.
If your show is at risk, and you’re about 5-7 episodes in, it doesn’t hurt to start rallying the troops. One of the biggest mistakes The Brave fandom made (or in general) was people finding the show after it was off air. We worked together very well, but we didn’t have the numbers. If you, or someone else you know on social media is good at rallying, don’t hesitate to do it! Make your voice loud and proud, tell them why your show is worth renewing!
If you’re looking for specific tips on that… come ask some of us Bravers. We know a thing or two about making some noise. We don’t share our head unicorn though, so don’t expect that.
In Conclusion…
So… in a land where there is So Many Shows (pun intended, y0), let’s keep loving TV.
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