How to Take Action to Get a Canceled TV Show Back on the Air

Fans of "Arrested Development", "Kim Possible", and "Jericho" proved you can get your favorite canceled show back on TV. Just follow these steps and help your show stay where it belongs: On the air!

Steps

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Write to the network but leave the drama to the soap operas. Writing something like "I will just die if I never see this show again" is a bit dramatic and a good way to get your letter dismissed as the rantings of a deranged viewer. You also don't want to make threats, like "If you don't put X back on the air, I'll never watch your network again!" You want your letter to be read by a network executive, so be brief, be real. Write an anecdote about how the show has become part of your life. The execs are TV fans too. They'll understand, and you'll make your point.
You can't be the only person upset about the cancellation of your beloved show. Find allies on the internet. Type in "save" and the name of the show into a search engine. There may already be a website dedicated to your cause.
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Talk about the show, at work, with your friends, at a cafe,anywhere. Excitement is contagious, especially on the internet, and it can show the network there's a lot more interest in the show than they thought. The more people you get to support your cause the more likely the network is to respond.
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Campaign. You'll need to campaign for your show in order to recruit new fans to support your cause. A few ways to do that include:
- Giving out your DVDs of the show
- Putting a sign on a billboard
- Using the show's logo as your instant message icon or as a signature in your e-mails
- Reminding your friends about upcoming episodes
- Doing anything to expand the fan base.
Defenders of endangered shows usually have an online petition. It's the same thing as a written petition but is located online. Make sure you sign it and get all your friends to do the same. The more signatures, the more the petition will get noticed.
Your best bet is probably the news department of the station that carries the show. They have a built-in reason to support the show. And there's a bonus. If they do a story on your save-the-show cause it could be picked up by other affiliates or the network itself. So send an email or give them a call and let them know all the effort you and fellow fans are putting in to get this show back on the air.
Go crazy. Go over the top. Only dedication can stop cancellation. Think of something that represents the show and once again shows what a true fan you are.

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Question
I live in Southeast Asia, far from the company that made my favorite show. What can I do to protest without being there?
Community Answer
Try going online and getting your friends and other fans to protest. Maybe create a petition. Don't forget to send a letter to the network executives.
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Why do networks keep lousy shows on the air but take off the ones that are doing well?
Community Answer
The most popular reasons for why a well-done show might be taken off the air or cancelled is due to either poor toy sales, changes to different studios or managers, being too expensive to make and not making enough money back, or holding lower ratings compared to other shows on the network.
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If a show has been cancelled for a couple years, could it possibly be on the air again?
Community Answer
Yes, American Idol and Arrested Development both got the boot, but then found another season a few years later.
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Tips

Even if the show isn't put directly on the air, other things can happen. Fans of the show Firefly worked long and tirelessly after it was canceled. While the show wasn't put back on the air, the blockbuster Hollywood film Serenity was released two years later.
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Another idea which is probably not allowed in most states is to hang a sign off an over-pass "bridge" over a heavy traffic area; make the sort of signs that people use to wish "Happy Birthday" and "Will You Marry Me?" when they want a lot of people to read them. Make sure it is allowed in your state.
- Doing this will attract a lot of attention, and it may get you a costly citation (ticket) for posting that on public property and creating a traffic hazard!
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Warnings

If the studio that makes your show closed, it probably won't come back (like the show "Jimmy Neutron" closed because DNA Productions, the studio that made it, closed).
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Some people might not want the show you want back on. This can be a hazard. Try to dodge them.
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