First, let me ask you this: Do you have a favorite TV show?
Most likely you'll answer this with yes followed by the title of that show. For me it's some sort of tie, but at the moment I'll just say Stargate Universe (you'll find out why soon enough).
Second: How much do you care about this show? How much do you watch it and how do you watch it?
If your answer is a lot, but followed by the internet and torrents, or some other means besides the show's website or Hulu you're actually not doing that series any help by watching it. The Nielsen ratings system that is used to determine just how popular a TV show is estimates how large an audience is for a show, but it doesn't factor in pirated sources. Even worse than that is that the Nielsen ratings only count for the first airing of the episode, so even the second airing on that same day (say your show airs at 8 pm and then again at 10 pm, the 8 showing is the only one that counts) doesn't matter, and it doesn't count the episodes on your DVR or even Hulu immediately. Television networks don't really care about that, they just care about the Nielsen rating. You could be faithful to the core and watch your show every time it shows up on Hulu or the following night when you watching using your DVR, but your effect won't be as large as those who watch it the first time around.
My favorite show (one of them), Stargate Universe was canceled today because of steady but low ratings. Shows like this don't deserve to be canceled, especially when they just started to improve because of the fans response. Last year, when the show Chuck was in danger, fans rallied across the US to show the network just how important the show was to them. Caprica fans did the same after the recent cancellation of their show. The actors even get in on it two, like when Zachary Levi and Adam Baldwin served sandwiches at a Subway to promote the show.
The best thing you could do to save your show is watch it. Get your friends to watch it your family watch it. If you can't watch it on time watch it on Hulu or the show's website. Have multiple computers playing the episode in the background to get the ratings up, whatever it takes to simulate your passion for your show, do it before its too late. Shows like SGU and Caprica suffered from a poor time slot on Tuesday nights, competing with bigger networks with bigger shows, not to mention Syfy being kind of dickish about the whole thing too. Don't let this happen to your show. Do you like Bones? Modern Family? Burn Notice? Get to it then.
I know what you're thinking. "It's just a TV show." Not so. TV shows are gateways to water cooler conversations, beginnings of friendships, and starting points for hidden talent (aka David Blue). They're an escape from the daily grind, an escape from reality. I guess this is all I have to say on the topic. While this may seem relatively controlled, I am pretty damn pissed to see SGU be cancelled over ratings. The quality of the show had increased amazing from the first season, and the stupid night change affected the viewing a lot. But as David Blue mentioned on his Twitter a ways back when Caprica was cancelled, boycotting the network only hurts all of the shows which isn't fair. Do what you have to do people, get out there and watch your shows.
I'm done. Enjoy this interesting version of Muse's "Uprising" by Mystery Guitar Man to ease your spirits.
Tune in. Dream on.
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