DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
Members' Mausoleum => Calendar Events / Announcements Archive => Calendar Events / Announcements '26 I => Calendar Events / Announcements '04 I => Topic started by: David on May 15, 2004, 02:56:02 AM
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The WB DS has not been picked up for Fall. The show is in trouble.
Let's see if we can save it.
I have started a petition at Petitiononline.com to request that DS go on the air. It will be sent to the WB when it has 1,000 signatures.
There were 81 signatures posted in the first 1 1/2 days.
Email addresses are not posted or made public should you sign, so don`t worry about spam.
Just sign it, let's save the new show & get what we were cheated out of in 1991.
The URL is:
http://www.petitiononline.com/DrkShdow/petition.html
I've sent the URL to TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, Soap Opera Digest.
Hopefully it'll start to appear in those places and I'll get my thousand signatures.
Let's make it happen!
Dark Shadows will rise again!
Sign the petition today, and spread the word!
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93 signatures & counting!
Let's make it happen!
Spread the word & urge your friends to sign!
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Well, I managed to hit 102 signatures as of this AM, just as the WB made it clear that DS is no longer under consideration at the network.
If enough people had let the WB know that interest was there, things might have turned out different.
NOT ONE Dark Shadows website has seen fit to publish the petition URL, though I sent it to them all.
At another DS board where I posted the URL, three longtime DS fans responded with negativity.
I know of four longtime fans who will not sign the petition because they don`t "like" me, as though showing support for the WB DS is going to force them to have to spend time with me!!!
At the DS Fests, I've seen numerous fans put absurd amounts of energy into hurting & badmouthing each other. Nearly 75% of the festival attendees that I know are not on speaking terms with each other, and none of them are even remotely open to the possibility of healing their baseless rifts.
I wonder how the WB DS might have turned out if fandom had put a little less effort into hurting each other and a little more effort into supporting the new show?
Forgive my bluntness, but I'm pissed, and the truth is the truth.
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Honestly, David, I don't think anything the existing DS fans could have said or done would have made the difference we hoped for.
TV networks deal in staggering amounts of money....and we can never underestimate what that means for the things we actually get to see on TV.
I don't think it would have made the difference if they had heard from every single person who ever went to a fest, or posted on a DS related site......we simply don't number in the millions, and those are the numbers they want watching their programs. Add to that the fact that the network has indicated that they have a whole working theory that revolves around "family oriented" stories, and it's easy to see how DS would not have fit into their over-all plan
If the show had gone on the air, and attracted a sizable new audience, then, I think, mounting a campaign might be the sort of thing that could save a show from being cancelled.....but I really don't think our support (or lack thereof) for a new, untried product, would have swayed them either way.
How fans treat one another at fests is another matter altogether, about which I can't comment because I've never attended one. But I will say that I've been on this forum for more than 2 years and have found the folks here friendly and respectful much more often than not, and truly bad behaviour is never tolerated.
Whatever anyone else did or didn't do.....if you did what you thought best, then you have nothing to regret.
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I agree with you about this forum. Rainey. The person at the top sets the tone, and Midnite, bless her heart, sets a great example & does not tolerate what goes on elsewhere in fandom.
But stand by what I said about the other boards, and the fests.
I know, because I've been there, and the total lack of support my petition got FROM DS FANS was disheartening, not to mention the negative remarks posted at other boards:
(where can I sign to keep the show new show off the air, don`t waste your time, etc)
And couldn`t at least ONE DS website have shown a little support for the petition?
I think there are more DS fans out there, and a LOT of horror fans, who COULD have made a difference, but didn`t even bother trying.
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NOT ONE Dark Shadows website has seen fit to publish the petition URL, though I sent it to them all... I wonder how the WB DS might have turned out if fandom had put a little less effort into hurting each other and a little more effort into supporting the new show?
Quite how some unsubstantiated scraps between fans has directly damaged the prospects of the new Dark Shadows is a mystery to me... I don't see any corelation whatsoever. The WB doesn't want Dark Shadows - they've viewed it, it doesn't work for them... end of argument. It's an argument that isn't going to defeated with a petition with a hundred or so signatures... doubtless even a thousand.
For those reasons and others, I have serious reservations about running/endorsing any fan campaigns - as I posted earlier last week in the WB thread:
"Personally, I find that whole rationale very difficult to follow... If we were midway through a season, fans would at least know what we were fighting for... But for the time being, the pilot is an unknown commodity, and I don't think protesting for something so vague does the show any favours. If you've seen it and passionately think it's the greatest thing on TV, then sure - but to me, begging for a reprieve just because it has the words "Dark Shadows" at the beginning simply isn't a good enough reason."
Getting the new DS on the air is a battle to be fought. But we're not the ones who are going to win that fight.
End of criticism.
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Actually, Star Trek was considered a dead issue, until fans got together & wrote letters, signed petitions, etc.
They got 10 movies and four more TV series for their efforts.
DS fandom remains far too fragmented, and far too filled with baseless infighting and negating of each other for this too happen.
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The execs made their decision over a week ago. By then it was deader than Dillinger, and not 1000 or 10,000 names would have done a bit of difference.
The Star trek thing was a total fluke plus they had amazing numbers of people into that show. It was 40 years ago. Time has changed and these internet petitions simply do not work. I've tried drumming up support for Warner online chats, message boards etc. and I usually get one or two loyal fans who will actually do something.
With that depressing response, I have felt that starting a petition (like one in support of the restorations) would only damage the cause by showing such lousy numbers, that to even present it to the relevant people would only reinforce their feelings that the films do not have a large enough audience to release on DVD.
No one wanted a new show more than me, believe me, but really the best course of action at this point is hope another network goes for the show or that one of WBs fall pick ups tanks badly.
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Darren, you are right(and you are doing wonderful work, BTW)
The lack of support from DS fans for restoring the movies is right up there with the lack of fan support
for the WB.
And that's why the DS franchise is dying.
I've no intention of sending the petition in with only 102 signatures, but if I had 1,000 or 10,000, I'd send it to the WB, UPN & Showtime.
And 10,000 signatures MIGHT get the show on the air, as it did with Star Trek.
Time and again, I've seen far too many DS fans put huge amounts of energy into bad mouthing each other, while refusing to do anything to keep
the show alive.
Truly sad.
If only there were more like you out there, Darren.
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David, I appreciate that you're not naming names out of respect for our forum rule against finger pointing, particularly since you didn't name the site where your request was met with negativity, yet it concerns me that by making a generalization that every other DS site failed to cooperate with you (I don't doubt that you contacted several, but surely not all of them) and by stating that every one of them hadn't "seen fit" to do as you requested has a potential to put all DS webmasters on the defensive. In all honesty, I can't imagine how you can know the motives of any webmaster that didn't post your url unless s/he revealed them to you, and if the reason was personal then that's an issue that we prefer be handled privately between you and the other parties anyway.
I think your zeal in wanting to see fandom be united is lovely, and I'm grateful that you were careful to not name names, but I think it's unfair and potentially problematic for this site to make generalizations about all other webmasters or to speculate about their reason for not posting your petition.
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Boy, has this thread come to life!
Midnite:
I deliberately did not name names or other boards because those kinds of attacks need to stop.
In the past, elswhere in fandom, I've been both subjected to & asked to participate in personal attacks. A few times I lost my temper and did exactly that, I'm deeply ashamed to say.
I will never get caught up in that kind of behavior again. Your rules are also my rules, and I thank you, Midnight, with all my heart, for making this forum a safe haven for me & many other DS fans.
It's the only safe haven for DS that some people have.
What I am hoping this thread can turn into, is an open, honest, respectful dialogue on what can be done to improve DS fandom, so that festivals & other boards can become the same safe haven we have here, so that ALL
finger pointing loses it's support base, and so that we can all work together to revive the DS franchise & keep it alive.
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Thanks, David, but even without naming names there's still some finger pointing going on in this topic. I agree that fandom has its problems, but no good can come out of putting other site owners on the defensive.
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I don't want my post to imply that there's a lack of fan support for the restorations. The thousands of kind comments, letters, emails, and friendly in person feedback have shown that there is a huge interest in the restorations among the fans.
If people don't have the time or aren't able to get on other boards and post, I have no problem with that- after all, it is indeed, a favor I'm asking for.
I'm not upset with people who can't join in my efforts, (everyone's got their own priorities, lives and other things they are required to do) but I'm delighted that there are people who have.
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The fact is scripted television is becoming a dying art. The writer's union is up in arms over the reality TV deal. I'm sure the actor's guild (AFTRA) won't be far behind.
They have decimated Saturday morning cartoons. My step-son's mother can't get a job. She won directing and producing Daytime Emmys for Pinky & The Brain and Animaniacs. All the shows are being sent overseas or they are importing shows. Some of the most famous animators can't get a job.
TV in this country is in a sad state of affairs and I don't see it getting better anytime soon.
(http://home.pacbell.net/cbsbiz/Victoriaquill.gif)
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OT --
For what it's worth, Victoria, I absolutely loved Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain. They brought back the incredibly sly humor of the Warner Bros. classic cartoons from its golden age, incorporating the absolutely hysterical (and often-times wonderfully "racey" between-the-lines "adult" tweaks that would have me rolling on the floor) wittiness that makes comedy great. It must be so hard for your step-son's mom not to have her talent appreciated by the "shirts". It might not be a consolation to her as she tries to find an avenue for her rare abilities, but let her know anyway that she has at least one more fan (me) who's thankful for the hours of laughter she has given.
Gerard
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A few observations:
(1) You can't "save" a television program that's never even been on the air. The network's decision was clearly part of a programmatic shift in the direction of material they perceive as being more where the market is moving now. I doubt whether they did more than glance at the NWBDS pilot by the time it was finished since they had made these programmatic decisions separately from the process of generating the pilot.
(2) Reality TV shows *are* scripted. I imagine the writers who are getting jobs are the ones who (besides having the right personal connections--that's how H'wood has ALWAYS worked) are good at coming up with the situations/concepts that non-actors can parrot successfully.
(3) Far from "dying" I think the Dark Shadows "franchise" is enjoying adequate success, given that we're talking about a television show that is nearly 40 years old (ugh, you don't know how old that makes me feel!).
Not only has the entire series been steadily in print on VHS format for the past decade. it is now enjoying a success on DVD to the point where MPI is accelerating the schedule for the release of the episodes. The honoring of Dan Curtis at the TV Museum, the spate of articles around the pilot, and the fact that TV Guide is running a piece about the original series in a week or two, all shows a lot of health, as far as I can tell. Of course I hardly have my finger on the pulse where today's entertainment scene is concerned. I am afraid I do not have the stomach for that.
Let's hope we see the return of the original episodes to broadcast television in the near future. I would think the events I have outlined above would be enough to show how "viable" (as we used to say in the 70s) the property still is.
G.
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I've no doubt that the original series will return to broadcast at some point, it always does. SoapNet, TV Land or the upcoming Horror Channel would make fine homes for it.
But the bottom line on the new series is that if DS fans were to show enough interest/support for the new show, then the WB, or UPN or Showtime, could easily be persauded to pick it up.
If my petition had 10,000 or even 1,000 signatures instead of the 110 it now has, the smaller networks would take notice.
But with the vast majority of fans looking for reasons to NOT sign the petition, with DS fans showing their LACK of support for the new show, the new DS will remain dead in the water.
I remain mystified as to why ALL responses to my petition on another DS board were negative & sarcastic.
A very close friend of mine tells me that three people told him they won't sign the petition because they don't "like" me. These are all people I've not had contact with since the 1980s! What does it matter if we "like" each other or not at this point, or where the petition is concerned?
Do they want a new show or not?
I guess not.
I remain utterly mystified as to why it's so hard to get longtime DS fans to show support to the networks for a new series,
but so easy to get those same fans to hold baseless, lifelong grudges against each other.
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I will never get caught up in that kind of behavior again. Your rules are also my rules, and I thank you, Midnight, with all my heart, for making this forum a safe haven for me & many other DS fans.
It's the only safe haven for DS that some people have.
What I am hoping this thread can turn into, is an open, honest, respectful dialogue on what can be done to improve DS fandom, so that festivals & other boards can become the same safe haven we have here, so that ALL
finger pointing loses it's support base, and so that we can all work together to revive the DS franchise & keep it alive.
I think anyone can appreciate your zeal regarding DS fandom, David, but I don't think the DS franchise is any danger of dying simply because there is not a current home for DS on cable or network television. That can change anytime. For quite a few years, DS did not have a home on television but it has survived and the advent of the internet has increased fan awareness and ability to intermingle without physically being together at festivals or some other convention.
The articles in the trades for the past few weeks have led many to believe long before it was announced that DS would not be on the fall schedule and that had more to do with network direction than an opinion about how well the show would do. I know I am not the only one who shares that opinion and that is likely why no one wanted to push the petition. It didn't address the cause of the reason the series was not picked up.
But that's not the end of things. I am glad Gothick posted about an upcoming article on DS in TV Guide. I missed that news before.
Nancy
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To Nancy:(who, along with Midnight, rates as being among fandom`s best people)
The bottom line is that if DS fans came together as a unified group & showed real support for the new show,
WB might change their minds, or UPN or Showtime might get interested in it.
But DS fans are refusing to do that.
What makes this all the sadder is that it's never a problem to get DS fans to bad mouth each other or make snide remarks about each other's sex lives/body types.
But to get them to support a new show?
Heaven forbid!
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David I do hope that another network shows an interest in Dark Shadows. Clearly, for some unknown reason, the WB will not reconsider having DS on its schedule. If us fans are told that a particular network has indicated a willingness to consider DS, at that point writing encouraging words of support by all DS fans to that network would be truly helpful. It is hard to show support for a show when we do not know yet if a particular network is considering DS for its schedule. I am hoping the WB reconsiders and/or another network shows an immediate interest in our beloved show. I will sign any petition to bring back DS to television.
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David, your hope that this thread could turn into an open, honest, respectful dialogue on what might be done to improve DS fandom is an extremely commendable one. [thumb] But criticizing the behavior of other fans isn't being respectful. While I can certainly understand your disappointment, you're not helping your cause.
If you want people to be respectful of your points, they might respond favorably if you aim for a more positive tone. :)
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Hi everyone,
There is a petition over at www.barnabasundead.com that is asking the WB to reconsider airing the new Dark Shadows; it already has 460 some signatures. Why don't you check it out and maybe sign it? you could also check out the site while you're there. It is a pretty nice board all-in all.
I really like this board too! I only use three boards so far and this is one of them.
Misa
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There is a petition over at www.barnabasundead.com that is asking the WB to reconsider airing the new Dark Shadows; it already has 460 some signatures. Why don't you check it out and maybe sign it? you could also check out the site while you're there. It is a pretty nice board all-in all.
I really like this board too! I only use three boards so far and this is one of them.
Glad you're enjoying the board, Misa. :D
The petition url is in the main topic on page 1. Craig's forum is at http://www.barnabasundead.com/forums