I touched on this yesterday, but wanted to put my thoughts into better focus…
In a word” “Wow.”
Stargate fans continue to amaze. It’s been two weeks since the show’s cancellation was announced and they’re still as energized and active as ever, lighting up social media with their love for the franchise.
And I keep being asked: Will it make a difference? My answer is “Yes” and “Don’t know”…
It reminds me of when Dark Matter was cancelled back in 2017 and the fan backlash was so intense that Syfy reportedly called an emergency meeting to discuss damage control. They considered making a public statement to quell the fan furor but, ultimately, elected to remain silent. And, eventually, the storm subsided.
Eventually.
But this time…this feels different. The Dark Matter fandom was small but organized and very angry. The Stargate fandom, on the other hand, is remarkably large, incredibly well organized, and – if the last two weeks are any indication – possibly even angrier.
I’m on the outside on this so I can’t tell you what The Powers That Be are thinking but based on pure conjecture…
Have they noticed the fan response? Oh, safe to assume they have definitely noticed.
Have they been surprised by the scale and ferocity of the fan response? I’m going to assume yes. The fan pushback has been worldwide and intense.
Are they thinking “If we could harness this type of fan engagement to help launch a new show, it would be a huge asset!”? Again, given the sustained enthusiasm and global reach – I’m sure it has crossed their minds.
Are they thinking “Fandom passion can be a double-edged sword. I wonder if there have been examples of other genre shows whose performances have suffered due to intense fan response?” This one’s a little trickier. The data scrapers and algorithms monitor vocal/negative sentiment, but how much weight executive leadership places on analogous data is always up for debate.
But will it all make a difference in the end? So far, yes, it has already made a difference, for many of the reasons outlined above.
So will it make a difference for the future of Stargate? I honestly don’t know. From a marketing standpoint, this is a public relations coup waiting to happen. Acknowledge that the fans made a difference – and recognize that the excitement they’ve shown over the past two weeks won’t stop at a relaunch. It will carry every episode. They’ve proven this series is theirs, and they won’t let it fail. They will be the core of the new Stargate, a core that will only grow as they introduce the series to friends, family, and complete strangers, just as they have always done.
But that’s just me. In the end, I’m just the guy who helps create the world, the words, the characters on the page. I’m the one who helps bring them to life with an amazing cast and crew so that you can visit with them and make them a part of your lives. I’m not the guy making the decisions.
One thing seems certain: the execs have taken notice. Now we’ll see what they do with that knowledge.
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