Jeremiah is one of the most intelligent and quality television shows on the air right now, according to Monica Hübinette, half of the creative force behind the Abyss, where she shares her favorite books, music, videos, and more. She recently contacted SBC with some rather upsetting news for fans of Jeremiah, the science fiction television series produced by J. Michael Straczynski and MGM Television Entertainment for Showtime Networks. (As detailed at the Worlds of JMS: “Jeremiah is based on the European comic book of the same name written by Belgian author Hermann Huppen.”)
We’ll let Monica take it from here:
“Unfortunately, Showtime has decided to cut season two in half and hold on to the remaining eight episodes for an undetermined date. These episodes are ready to air so it is a mystery why they are doing this. They also compressed the entire season two so that seven episodes aired in less than one month. Could this be the shortest season in TV history?
We are currently running a campaign to help get the message to Showtime and MGM how much we like this show and want it to continue. Sean Astin is definitely one of the highlights of the show and his performance should not be missed.
Participating is easy and takes about 5-10 minutes -- less if you use one of our pre-prepared letters. Very important people at MGM and Showtime are reading these letters and taking the more well-thought out letters quite seriously. I cannot stress enough that this is making an impact. Our voices are being heard and our opinions do matter.”
Here are some of the key points that Monica’s campaign is focusing upon. [SBC side note: The next time one of your favorite comic gets cancelled, you’d do well to modify these suggestions appropriately, some of them might work effectively in the comics industry as well] - Make sure Showtime and MGM know that the fans care about the show - We enjoy high quality and intelligent programming and Jeremiah definitely fits that bill - We know that 15 episodes of season two were produced and finished but don't understand why Showtime is only giving us half of the season - We want a third season as long as the high quality writing, acting, directing, score, etc. continue - Tell MGM/Showtime why you like the show and why you tune in every week - If you subscribed to Showtime just for Jeremiah, please say so and what other programming you enjoyed because of Jeremiah - Be nice, professional and courteous in your correspondence - Thank them for airing/producing the show and taking the time to read your comments - If you use a form letter, please personalize it even if it is only one or two sentences - Important people involved with Jeremiah are reading these emails and considering their content, especially if you take the time to write a heartfelt and well-written message - Phone calls help too but make sure you follow up your phone call with an email thanking them for taking time and verifying the conversation - Write your local paper about the show or other web sites that report on TV industry news - Thank people if they decide to publish a story about Jeremiah - Tell a friend, co-worker, or even your hairdresser about the show
