# Can fans save a cancelled TV show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115 "2003-01-07T06:30:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/21 "2003-01-08T19:19:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > **Since the reason the show was canceled in the first place was (presumably) low ratings, why would a network make that investment on something that had already failed?** Because letters from viewers are worth ten times their weight in advertising dollars. Without them, the only feedback they get on shows is from Nielsen’s mythical “typical viewers”. And, they rely on those ratings for all decisions, UNLESS there is other input. Why wouldn’t they? They know the ratings don’t reflect reality, gut it’s all they’ve got. But, if they get, say, 100 letters for one show, they know that translates into at least 10,000 viewers since, on average, only one in one hundred will write. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/22 "2003-01-08T19:29:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*One obvious answer is Star Trek, which was threatened with cancellation after the first season and was saved by a massive fan campaign orchestrated by Bjo Trimble, who knew which buttons to push where at Paramount and the network and proceeded to give them adequate evidence to keep producing the show. \*\* Actually, it was at the end of the second season. The fan campaign saved Season Three, giving us such delights as \* Spock’s Brain\* (“Brain and brain! What is brain?”), and _The Savage Curtain_, wherein the ship encounters the shadowy figure of ABraham Lincoln floating in space, and with his assistance do battle against Ghengis Khan, all for the amusement of a rock-shaped monster. But the season did have its good moments too. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/23 "2003-01-08T20:53:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by javaman \* > \*_Actually, it was at the end of the second season. The fan campaign saved Season Three, giving us such delights as \* Spock’s Brain_ (“Brain and brain! What is brain?”), and _The Savage Curtain_, wherein the ship encounters the shadowy figure of ABraham Lincoln floating in space, and with his assistance do battle against Ghengis Khan, all for the amusement of a rock-shaped monster. > > But the season did have its good moments too. \*\* There was an attempt to restart Trek when a better time slot revealed how well it _really_ was doing but because Nimoy had already signed up to Mission Impossible and other actors to other roles it was impossible to do so. Trek’s ratings were only bad overall. In the 18-25 year old male demograph it was the 2nd most watched show at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/24 "2003-01-08T20:56:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by javaman \* > \*_Actually, it was at the end of the second season. The fan campaign saved Season Three, giving us such delights as \* Spock’s Brain_ (“Brain and brain! What is brain?”), and _The Savage Curtain_, wherein the ship encounters the shadowy figure of ABraham Lincoln floating in space, and with his assistance do battle against Ghengis Khan, all for the amusement of a rock-shaped monster. > > But the season did have its good moments too. \*\* There was an attempt to restart Trek when a better time slot revealed how well it _really_ was doing but because Nimoy had already signed up to Mission Impossible and other actors to other roles it was impossible to do so. Trek’s ratings were only bad overall. In the 18-25 year old male demograph it was the 2nd most watched show at the time. The reason it became a series of movies was to try and capture the new audiences hooked on Star Wars. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/25 "2003-01-08T20:58:01Z")
Treble post? Don’t ask 😕 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/26 "2003-01-08T21:48:30Z")
Since this is about television, I’ll move this thread to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/27 "2003-01-08T22:03:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stpauler \* > \*\*I think you’re mentioning the “Brilliant But Cancelled” show on Trio, it had brought back some great shows like FOX’s Action and The Critic. \*\* Could you elaborate? What does it do- screen old episodes? I’d do anything to have Freaks n Geeks back. An-y-thing. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/28 "2003-01-08T22:09:41Z")
They were replaying a lot of short lived shows and had a documentary about the whole thing (which they did mention Freaks n Geeks but didn’t play any eps.) The whole thing happened in December and I think it’s over now (sorry). But here’s a link about it: > **[Entertainment & Arts](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts?coll=cl-home-more-channels)** > > L.A. Times entertainment news from Hollywood including event coverage, celebrity gossip and deals. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/29 "2003-01-09T01:29:01Z")
_The Pretender_ was lost despite fan efforts. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/30 "2003-01-09T02:21:10Z")
I shudder to think of how awful a fourth season of Star Trek would have been. Not that I didn’t like the show but if it had gone on much longer like that then the cult audience might even have abandoned it. There’s a certain problem with any kind of campaign to save a show: the network already knows you’re watching. They know how many people watch the show, perhaps not regularly but they’ve got an idea. A letter writing campaign isn’t going to increase those numbers, they’re going to remain the same if not drop off. Now if a show is being cancelled because it’s expected to fall below profitability next season or some kind of internal network politics then a letter writing campaign might have a chance but if it’s gone for low ratings in general it’s not going to be saved. And online petitions to save shows are little better than jokes. You’d think some people would have realized that by now… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/31 "2003-01-09T04:00:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skammer \* > \*\*_Cagney and Lacey_ is another well-known example of a show that was resurrected after a letter-writing campaign from fans. I don’t think it lasted too long after it came back however. The ratings didn’t improve, so it was soon cancelled again. \*\* Actually, quite the opposite! _Cagney_ was cancelled in 1983 after only one season, and a letter writing campaign convinced CBS to bring it back. After returning to the schedule, _Cagney & Lacey_ went on for **five more seasons**!!! This remains one of the biggest successes that any fan-based letter writing campaign has ever had… ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/32 "2003-01-09T04:43:06Z")
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure Family Guy was cancelled, brought back because of fans, cancelled again, broguht back again, then cancelled permatly. Amd Futurama? Well, let’s see…take a great show, put it in a crappy timeslot, pre-empt it with every sports fame possible, then sit back and wonder why it doesn’t get ratings and cancell it, despite the fact that fans obviously love it and want it to stay. (Thank God it’s now going to air on Cartoon Network…and almost every day, no less! Too bad we just can’t get more episodes.) ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/33 "2003-01-09T04:53:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > \*\*Because letters from viewers are worth ten times their weight in advertising dollars. Without them, the only feedback they get on shows is from Nielsen’s mythical “typical viewers”. And, they rely on those ratings for all decisions, UNLESS there is other input. Why wouldn’t they? They know the ratings don’t reflect reality, gut it’s all they’ve got. But, if they get, say, 100 letters for one show, they know that translates into at least 10,000 viewers since, on average, only one in one hundred will write. \*\* Cite for any of this? I’m not trying to be a jerk for asking, but I’m highly skeptical that fan letters have any weight in a network’s decision to bring a show back from cancellation. I saw the same series of specials on the Trio network that were mentioned earlier, and they said over and over again that letter campaigns just don’t work. The producers who were interviewed said that it was nice to hear from the fans, but it had no bearing on the survival of the show – instead the networks just delivered the letters, unopened, to the production company. The same special said that the situation changed when shows stopped being sponsored by a single company. After that point, the only cases of a letter-writing campaign having any bearing on a show were the original _Star Trek_ and _Cagney and Lacey_. ---
**Author:** ![1812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/c2a13f/32.png) [@1812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1812)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/34 "2003-01-09T06:15:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*As far as Farscape is concerned, much as I liked the show, it deserved a mercy killing. \*\* Huh? If you liked the show, why would you think it deserved a mercy killing? I bet if you tune in for the new episode on Friday at 8:00, you’ll change your mind. The UK got to see it before the US, and the Brits seemed to love “Kansas” and “Terre Firma” (the next two episodes). By the way, the Farscape fans didn’t just write to the networks. They also wrote to the advertisers. Anyone have an opinion on the effectiveness of doing this? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/35 "2003-01-09T06:42:13Z")
Neilsen ratings are far more accurate than dedicated letter writers in how many people actually watch the show. Depth of feeling towards a SHOW doesn’t translate into advertising dollars for the ads. Things are a little better on cable (especially premium cable) where willingness to pay for the show itself is more of a factor, but ad rates are still the mainstay for places like SciFi. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/36 "2003-01-09T07:25:28Z")
The reason the letter campaign worked for Star Trek was the way they did it. Fans were asked (in fanzines and at conventions) to individually write letters, rather than to copy a form letter created by the organizers of the campaign. Then they were told to mail the letters to the network. Addressed to the network, as general mail. No mention on the envelope of what show they were writing in about, no “ATTN: Gene Roddenberry”, no “Production Department”. Just “NBC”. The network had NO CHOICE but to open every letter, lest they miss something important. Of course, this was also the late 60s, and the networks probably just dump mail that isn’t addressed to a particular executive or department into the trash. ---
**Author:** ![AchimbaProphet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AchimbaProphet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AchimbaProphet)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/37 "2003-01-09T09:11:13Z")
We would all like for our favorite shows to continue on forever, providing us with needed escape week after delightful week. This does not happen. A fan campaign aimed at causing a network to continue filming new episodes for a show to me seems secondary to what I think is a far better goal for fans of their favorite TV show: the release of the completed series on DVD (or another suitable format). I can come to grips with the mortality of television programming. I just want my favorite shows on disc so that I can watch them again and again. That to me should be the goal of a fan campaign. ---
**Author:** ![1812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/c2a13f/32.png) [@1812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1812)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/38 "2003-01-09T17:05:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*Neilsen ratings are far more accurate than dedicated letter writers in how many people actually watch the show. \*\* Well, it sounded like what Davebear was trying to argue is not that passion will change a network’s decision, but that for every fan who writes in, there have got to be many more who aren’t. If a quarter of a million fans write in, that wouldn’t mean there are only 250,000 people total watching the show. I don’t know where he came up with the ratio of 100 casual fans for every one that is passionate enough to write in, but it sounds plausible to me to assume that only a fraction of the total population of fans will write in. Then again, I’m no expert on this stuff. Also, I found [this interesting article](http://www.viewersvoice.org/992more.htm) on flaws in the Nielsens… > [@](#): > > Then and Now > > The Nielsen Ratings System is an attempt to measure the viewing habits of our country. The Nielsens have been around for more than 40 years, yet their mode of operation hasn’t changed all that much. Let’s consider some differences in TV viewing—and even TV use—between 1959 and 1999 that may illustrate their limitations. > > In 1959… > > A family owns one TV. There are five or six channels, and they don’t always come in. Changing a channel means getting up, turning the dial, then fiddling with the reception. If you turn on a show, you watch it until it’s done. Besides, you know exactly what’s playing on the other two channels (most of what you’ll watch is on ABC, CBS, and NBC). > > Move ahead to 1999… > > In today’s home, there are several TV’s. If you have standard cable, each one gets about fifty channels. With satellite or digital cable, you could be at 200. Soon that will jump to over 400 channels, and none of them require adjusting the antenna. With so many channels, there’s really no way to keep track of what’s on. So, you surf, and, thanks to the mighty remote control, programs have no more than 20 seconds to catch your eye before—ZAP—on to the next one. > > Impact > > These changes raise a few issues. Do the methods that applied to 6 channels hold true for 400? Do these methods work in a multi-TV household? Do the Nielsens address today’s viewing habits, such as out-of-house TV watching? (The answers are: no, no, no.) Let’s briefly consider each point. > > Fragmented Audience > > Splitting up all the viewers over the spectrum of new channels is called “audience fragmentation”. Now, audiences that once watched ABC, CBS, and NBC can watch CNN, FOX, Lifetime, MTV, PAX, UPN, USA, WB, and on and on. > > In 1959, each network looked for its shows to earn 30 shares, which indicated they’d gotten their share of the viewing public (remember: a show’s “share” is the percent of households watching TV that are tuned to that show; its rating is the percent of all households with TVs) . In 1999, an audience divided equally among all the channels would amount to 2 or 3 shares each. Many obscure—but otherwise excellent—shows are lucky to pull in a “1” share. Even a “5” share isn’t bad, and as the numbers get smaller, they get harder to measure reliably. > > The magazine Brill’s Content looked at these numbers for November 9, 1998. Brill’s found that for that week, just 5,259 people were producing the ratings for the 18 to 49 demographic. Ally McBeal had a strong showing in this age range, but its 8.2 rating was attributed to just 431 viewers. A change of a tenth of a rating point would occur if just 4 of those viewers tuned out. > > If this seems trivial, think about a channel like Lifetime, where a few tenths of a rating point can mean life or death for a show like Maggie. (Cancelled!) Do we really want decisions made based on such a narrow margin of error? In fact, error becomes an important consideration when you look at how the diary measurements work. > > The Diary > > Nielsen Media Research measures local television markets four times per year (the “sweeps” periods). People who participate in these measurements are given diaries to fill out. The diary is a fine example of something that seems like a great idea for 1959, and totally unreliable now. In an article from The Christian Science Monitor, a woman describes her Nielsen family: > “Day 1 was accurate in all four diaries. But the novelty was gone by diary No. 4 of that first night… Finally, it was the last day, at which point I sat down with all four diaries and filled them in as best I could. Not-quite-perfect memory and extrapolation of past viewing habits created three days’ worth of 15-minute viewing slots.” > Her conclusion? > “In an era of computer-guided smart bombs, is this any way to wage a ratings war?” > > I can cite my own experience with the diary system when my father participated. I made a point of being at his house the nights Babylon 5 and Martial Law aired, and I made him watch the shows with me. My using the diaries for my own ends aside, I found it hard to believe they expect the diaries to work at all. > > The diary requires the viewer to record everything they watch in 15 minute intervals, one diary per TV. How can a family with kids manage to fill out four diaries, accounting for a week’s worth of fifteen-minute intervals? It seems quite likely that a few programs will be forgotten over the course of the week. The alternative is an electronic monitor, which Nielsen uses for its National measurement. > > The People Meter > > Nielsen makes a continuous, national measurement of viewing habits using the people meters. A household becomes a Nielsen family for a 2-year period, during which time all of their televisions and VCRs are hard-wired to the people meter. > > People meters share a shortcoming with the diaries. Neither one measures why you make your viewing choices. They simply measure if you are watching or not. It makes no difference if you stopped watching a show to go eat dinner, or because it was the worst thing you’ve ever seen. Any two shows you watch get equal credit, even if you watch one every week without fail, and the other you tuned in to see how bad TV can be. > > Beyond this, there seem to be problems with the system itself. An industry group formed to monitor Nielsen practices found that audience estimates from people meters were lower than those from national telephone surveys: people meters missed a quarter of male viewers and an eighth of female viewers aged 18 to 34. These numbers are important when you consider that having viewers in those age demographics is so critical to keeping a show on the air. > > Demographics > > Viewers Voice has often addressed the issue of age demographics (see page 8 in this issue). Advertisers prize viewers ages 18 to 49 over all others and are less likely to advertise on shows that can’t deliver those groups. So long, Dr. Quinn! (Cancelled!) > > TV and cable broadcasters say the Nielsens are skewed toward some demographics. They say people meters tend to be placed in middle-class and higher-educated homes, and older viewers tend to have the most time to fill out the diaries. Nielsen compounds the problem by not counting TV viewing in bars and college dorms, where viewers tend to be in the prime demographic. > > Out of House Viewing > > Nielsen estimates that 25.7 million adults watch some TV outside of their homes each week. How many of these people are measured as part of the ratings? None. > > CBS believes a large number of women take a break in their offices to watch soap operas. None are measured. Perhaps they were Another World fans. (Cancelled!) Nielsen concedes that counting all the men who watch Monday Night Football in bars would likely add a full rating point. > > The show Beverly Hills, 90210 struggled through its first season. This seems strange, because I was in living in the dorms then, and I can say that every den in every dorm was packed each time it aired. To Nielsen, we didn’t exist. > > Consider cable television, where every share is precious. CNBC’s average audience is 300,000, and they estimate an additional 120,000 people are watching in offices, health clubs, restaurants, airports, and hotel rooms. I can attest to this, as I was able to watch CNN at a gas pump in Nebraska! > > Though we may feel bad that these uncounted viewers are costing the TV industry millions each year, the real concern is the loss of all these great shows that we know are being watched. > > Nielsen not the Only One > > We can’t forget two other guilty parties. The networks, as much as they complain about the Nielsens, continue to pay them more than $10 million per year. The ad buyers, who also pay Nielsen for data, are the ones that make or break a show based on these ratings, and they are the ones who so value the younger age demographics. > > In fact, J.D. Power and Associates found that older buyers are more likely to switch brands in purchasing a new car. Similarly, in a study conducted by Nielsen, older female heads-of-household are more likely to try new brands than young ones. > > To be fair, Nielsen is making some changes. They have increased the number of Nielsen households to increase accuracy. They also sponsor regular telephone surveys to measure out-of-home viewing and other subjects. > > Ultimately, though, everything hinges on the Nielsen Ratings System. Whether it is the networks or the ad buyers that are responsible for canceling shows, they base their decisions on the numbers Nielsen Media Research hands them. > > Conclusion > > I see a silver lining. The less people trust this ratings system, the more they will turn to alternative ways to demonstrate the popularity of their favorite shows. More and more web sites and internet-run campaigns appear every month, and organizations such as Viewers Voice are more critical than ever. Perhaps the next time you send a letter, it will be read by an executive who’s fed up with the Nielsens, and that may be enough to keep your favorite show in the air. > > There were a number of valuable resources online: Nielsen participants who shared their experiences, Brill’s Content, American Demographics, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Washington Post. Links to these sources will soon be available. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/39 "2003-01-09T17:36:09Z")
Uh, dude, a little note for next time: NEVER quote an entire article, as it is against the law. Link to it, quote a paragraph, leave it at that. ---
**Author:** ![1812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/c2a13f/32.png) [@1812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1812)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115/40 "2003-01-09T17:56:19Z")
Sorry about that. I didn’t know. ☹ I wish this board would let me edit my post. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fans-save-a-cancelled-tv-show/147115.md?page=3)