Its happened to us all. You find a new tv show and sparks fly; you get
pulled in by the story, emotionally invested in the characters, you start watching every week religiously, then when you can’t wait a whole week for the next
episode, you get your fix online with trailers and cast interviews and
behind the scenes looks. And then, all too soon, your new love is CRUELY RIPPED
AWAY FROM YOU BY SOME BIG-SHOT EXECUTIVES WHO THINK THEY KNOW WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
Most often it’s the shows that haven’t seen many seasons, ones that haven’t
had the chance to drag on too long or gradually become unfunny or repetitive –
these ones are still new, still exciting, you’re still floating in the bliss of the honeymoon period before the bubble bursts. Suddenly,
it’s like a part of you has been stolen away and for a while it’s like nothing
can fill the void.
I’ve had my fair share of these shows and their axing has
all come in different forms. First, there was Pushing Daisies, which lasted a mere two seasons and tried to wrap up the whole complex story (boy meets girl, girl
dies, boy discovers he has life giving powers, boy makes girl alive but can
never touch her again or she'll die once more) in five minutes at the end of the
last episode. Not enough.
Then there was Kyle XY, which hung around for three seasons before getting the chop on a total cliffhanger (literally “I’m your brother” were the last words ever uttered on the show). Are you kidding me?!
My most recent loss has come from a wonderful little Australian show called Spirited, a classic human-and-ghost love story that blossomed over two seasons before the plug got pulled. There was something different about this axing – this time it was personal. Facebook alliances were formed, petitions were signed, angry letters were sent; people rallied to save this show and for a while we thought it would work. Then, the fateful announcement came and it was over. Gone. Just like that.
Then there was Kyle XY, which hung around for three seasons before getting the chop on a total cliffhanger (literally “I’m your brother” were the last words ever uttered on the show). Are you kidding me?!
My most recent loss has come from a wonderful little Australian show called Spirited, a classic human-and-ghost love story that blossomed over two seasons before the plug got pulled. There was something different about this axing – this time it was personal. Facebook alliances were formed, petitions were signed, angry letters were sent; people rallied to save this show and for a while we thought it would work. Then, the fateful announcement came and it was over. Gone. Just like that.
I’m sure many of you have experienced something similar and
if not, I envy you, for you are one of the Lucky Ones. But, if you ever do find
yourself in the foetal position, weeping on a Wednesday night because they’ve
replaced your favourite show with Law and
Order reruns, here’s my advice on how to proceed without falling to pieces.
step 1: fight for it
Hope isn’t lost yet and although it might feel worse if you don’t succeed, there’s always a reason to fight for your show. You’re guaranteed to find a community of equally distraught and outraged viewers on the internet, and there’s influence in numbers. Band together and strike up a storm with petitions and complaints – the more publicity, the better – and you never know what might happen. Look at what happened with Community – there’s always a chance.
Hope isn’t lost yet and although it might feel worse if you don’t succeed, there’s always a reason to fight for your show. You’re guaranteed to find a community of equally distraught and outraged viewers on the internet, and there’s influence in numbers. Band together and strike up a storm with petitions and complaints – the more publicity, the better – and you never know what might happen. Look at what happened with Community – there’s always a chance.
step 2: allow for a mourning period
If the show has been axed for good, allow yourself to feel sad. It’s okay if you want to crawl up in your bed covers and cry into a four-litre tub of chocolate icecream for a little while, it’s perfectly normal (well, maybe not, but everyone does it anyway). Don’t keep fighting if it’s a lost cause – it’ll be way too draining – but you don’t have to accept it right away. Give yourself some time.
If the show has been axed for good, allow yourself to feel sad. It’s okay if you want to crawl up in your bed covers and cry into a four-litre tub of chocolate icecream for a little while, it’s perfectly normal (well, maybe not, but everyone does it anyway). Don’t keep fighting if it’s a lost cause – it’ll be way too draining – but you don’t have to accept it right away. Give yourself some time.
step 3: get some distance
Once you’ve gone through your grieving process, set it out of your mind for some time. The best thing to do is put your feelers out and find another show to put all that emotion into. It might take a while, but you’ll find something you’ll love eventually. Maybe not quite as much, but it will distract you and help you heal.
Once you’ve gone through your grieving process, set it out of your mind for some time. The best thing to do is put your feelers out and find another show to put all that emotion into. It might take a while, but you’ll find something you’ll love eventually. Maybe not quite as much, but it will distract you and help you heal.
step 4: revisit on the rainy days
Once the scars have healed, you can come back to the show and reminisce.
Buy the DVDs, have a few marathons, pull it out on rainy days or when you’re
feeling blue. Now something that has caused you all this heartache will become like
a comforting hug, there whenever you need. Memories, like the corners of my
mind…
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