1. Fans Campaign for a Third Season of #Colony
It’s getting to the time of year when we start hearing plenty of renewal and cancellation announcements, and there are shows out there with very active fanbases trying to sway the networks toward a renewal decision. USA’s Colony is one of those. That show has performed decent in the ratings in its second season, though it is down from its first year. So fans are being proactive with this one and trying to stave off any chance of of USA not bringing it back for a third year.
The current campaign is trying to get the hashtag #RenewColonyNow trending, especially when the show is airing a new episode. And they also have an online petition out there requesting that USA renew the show for a third season (you can sign it here). They have a Facebook Page and Blog so that you can follow the campaign and find out how to get involved. I personally believe the show has a good shot at renewal, but the engaged fanbase and their activities to support Colony should definitely help give the network a nudge in the right direction.
2. Fans Say it is Time for More #Timeless
Another show that fans are trying to keep alive is NBC’s Timeless which has already wrapped up its first season and is currently awaiting word on its fate. They are asking fans to contact NBC directly and request that the network renew the show. They are also trying to get the #RenewTimeless hashtag trending and are staging re-watch parties of the episodes on Monday nights (when the show originally aired). You can read more about the campaign at this link and you can follow this Twitter account for updates on the re-watch parties (they target a specific episode each week, see pic above). There is also a petition you can sign here.
Timeless only pulled mediocre numbers in Fall when it was in the high-profile Monday 10 PM EST lead-out timeslot from The Voice. Its numbers dropped even further when it returned in January and had Celebrity Apprentice as its lead-in. And while it did experience decent delayed viewing gains, we have seen little evidence that matters for the broadcast networks (as fans of Constantine, Forever, and Limitless will tell you). So Timeless could definitely use a strong show of support from its fans as we head into the end of the season.
3. #AgentsOfSHIELD #Frequency#SleepyHollow and More Could Use Some Support from Fans
There are other sci fi and fantasy TV entries that are currently struggling, and a show of support from fans could give them a boost as we head into the Upfronts when the networks set their schedules for the 2017-18 season. The old-school Nielsen ratings still have plenty of weight with network execs when measuring a show’s success, especially for the Big Four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC). But the television landscape is changing, and the current technology allows fans the means to show their support and have it measured almost immediately.
The social networks are a good place to get a show trending, especially during the live broadcast of an episode. Digital viewing on a network’s website and and sites like Hulu is counted in full as opposed to the sampling that Nielsen provides. And VOD purchases of episodes and/or entire seasons from Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, etc. can go straight to the bottom line and possibly help a struggling show. I go into more detail on that and also look at all the sci fi shows currently in need of support at this link.
4. CBS Renews #MacGyver for a Second Season
Not in need of a fan campaign is the CBS spy fi series MacGyver which received a renewal nod this week. That did not come as a huge surprise because the show has regularly placed in the weekly Top 25 based on total viewers. But it numbers in the 18-49 demographic have been below the network average in its first season, so the renewal was not guaranteed. Also, CBS has tended to be quick to cancel genre shows (Limitless, Braindead, Angel from Hell, Intelligence), though MacGyver barely counts as sci fi and fits in pretty well with the network’s procedural formula. That show has been on a short break due to basketball coverage, but returns March 31st to wrap up the remaining four episodes in its current season.
5. #TheExpanse Continues to Slip in the Ratings
On Wednesday, Syfy’s The Expanse slipped to a 0.11 rating based on the overnights for the 18-49 demographic with 470K total viewers. That has the show at all-time lows and even though it was just renewed for a third season, these numbers have to be concerning. Fans need to continue to spread the word about this show (see above for ways to show your support), otherwise its third season could be its last.
In other ratings news, on Tuesday The CW’s The Flash had its musical cross-over episode with Supergirl but didn’t see much of boost as it only managed a 1.0 rating (up just 0.1 from the prior week) with 2.7 million total viewers. Don’t expect that to dissuade the network from cross-over’s, though, as those have typically drawn good ratings to its superhero shows. You can read my suggestions on how The CW can revitalize its #Arrowverse shows here.
6. #Legion Has Its Season Finale Next Week
For those keeping up with FX’s X-Men spin-off series Legion, it has definitely been a wild ride in its first season. That one will have its season finale this coming Wednesday and it will be back for a second year at some point in early 2018. You can see the full listings of sci fi and fantasy shows for the week here.
7. The New Season of #MST3K is Almost Here!
It has been eighteen years since the last new episode of the Z-Movie riffing series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (back in the 20th century as a matter of fact!), but the new season–funded by Joel Hodgson’s Kickstarter campaign–is almost here. Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt are onboard as the new villains and The Nerdist Podcast veteran Jonah Ray will be stepping in as the new host. You can see the teaser here and the series has its debut on Netflix on April 14th. (The preliminary schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows airing Spring and after is now available here).
8. First Look at Netflix’s #DeathNote
The Netflix live-action adaptation of the acclaimed dark Anime Death Note is in the works and now has a debut date of August 25th. A teaser for that has just been released, and fans will surely be eagerly awaiting the arrival of this film in Summer (no word yet on whether it could continue as an ongoing series).
9. News Bites: #MidnightTexas Debut Date and More
NBC announced a premiere date this week for its upcoming supernatural drama Midnight Texas (from True Blood‘s Charlaine Harris). That one will be debuting on July 25th, which is quite a delay from its originally planned mid-season bow.
In casting news, Fear the Walking Dead will add a new series regular as Daniel Sharman (Teen Wolf, The Originals) will be joining the show in its third season
MTV’s Scream will be returning for a third season this Summer (or possibly later), and it currently looks like that one will go through a reboot of sorts and bring in a mostly new cast.
