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

Protest on paper. 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.

Join forces. 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.

Tell Everybody. 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.

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.

Sign a petition. 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.

Use the media. 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.