For sci-fi fans, it was the worst Friday the 13th ever (yes, even worse than Jason Goes To Hell): the announcement that Angel had been cancelled, and our last link to Buffyverse was about to fade away, not with a bang but with brooding whimper. But were we going to take this lying down? Hey, what do you take us for? People with something better to do?!
“A serious challenge to the cyber generation to put up or shut up,” is how we described the opportunity available to the Angel army to make its feelings known through the power of the internet last issue. And one month on? Hell, you’ve been puttin’ em up better than a Liam Gallagher remake of The Fight Club.
At the time SFX Magazine went to press, the official Save Angel online petition had registered almost 82,000 signatures (ten times as many petitioners as the site’s letter to President Bush requesting a pardon for Martha Stewart, and in a whole different league to the 269 souls who have signed up to demand Disney make a sequel to The Lizzie Maguire Movie).
Studying the petition at retina-worrying length, SFX has discerned the following broad categories into which the majority of signatures fall:
The Gut Reaction
These are the people who have clearly posted within hours, minutes or, by the sound of some, seconds of hearing the news.
“You idiots!!!!!!” says David Coleman from Ohio, as if Warner Brothers had just knocked the show off a shelf and smashed it, while England’s Leanne Coyne sees the network as more of a suicide leaper, poised on a rooftop with Angel in its arms (“Don’t do it!”). And Ben from Australia and Bader from France take the primal scream approach with a simple, “Nooooooooo!”
Unreality Is Good
Whether you live in Buffalo, Britain or Bahrain (hey, they tried to show Big Brother), the rise of “reality TV” aimed at slack-jawed trailer trash is clearly winding up fans of smart, funny sci-fi in a BIG way.
“I’ll bet they are cancelling it to make room for another STUPID “reality” show,” says Jen from Queensland. “If that’s the case, I will be super p**sed!!!”
“Angel is one of the most intelligent and engaging television shows out there,” adds Reid McDonald from Manitoba. “It’s sad to see it cancelled in favour of mindless goop like Forever Eden or Survivor: Part 10.”
“Reality Bad! Angel Good!!!!!!” is how Michelle Haigh from British Columbia puts it succinctly (although, it’s not clear whether she’s referring to reality TV or reality in general).
The Disturbingly Suicidal Element
This ranges from the subtle yet troubling (“If you want us alive, keep Angel alive,” warns Denise from Germany) to the brutally alarming ("If you cancel Angel I will kill myself,” says Kristie in Los Angeles).
With others, like Jordan from Victoria (“I swear to God if it doesn’t continue I will do something rash”), it’s difficult to tell what they’re planning, but let’s hope “something rash” doesn’t amount to anything more than cancelling her Warners subscription.
It’s Not For Me, It’s For A Friend
Some people are all heart. “Please don’t stop the show, it will make my girlfriend miserable!!” pleads Martin in The Netherlands. “I really enjoyed seeing Buffy and am sad that is gone, but my sister is a Buffy and Angel mega mega mega mega fan and if she loses Angel I fear for her sanity,” frets “Bored Now” from England. “Everyone in my frat watches,” chips in the ostentatiously American Eric from Michigan. “This ain’t right!” You’re tellin’ us, dude!
Hit Me Baby, One More Time
Thousands of posters have written to say that, while they understand their favourite show can’t last forever, it’s only fair to give Joss Whedon one more season so he can close down the Buffyverse in his own imitable style.
“The rest of the season is not enough time to resolve issues in the show,” reasons Sarah from New York. “A better end would have been last season, after the averted apocalypse. Why give viewers a new, exciting storyline, complete with the excellent chemistry between David and James?”
“Buffy had a pretty dismal sixth season but then came back for a strong finish in it’s seventh season,” adds Jeffrey from Texas. “Please give Angel one more season so that such a deserving series can also have a strong finish. Don’t make it end on a low note.”
The Budget Speech
Quite a few people have reasoned that the quickest way to the hearts of WB execs is through their wallets.
“You can’t kill the only show you have with any originality, with, and intelligence, unless you want a demographic of nitwits, who will never amount to anything, nor have any buying power,” warns Dana from New Jersey. “Keep an educated audience, with good incomes, and your sponsors will see the payoff at the stores and will reward you for it.”
“Angel has consistently received critical raves and has raised The WB’s visibility among the adult demographic market, the market with plenty of disposable income,” adds Mindy, also from fiscally switched-on NJ.
“I watch Angel, and I make a lot of money and I often buy goods and services that are advertised on television,” confesses Jonathon from Massachusetts. “Now why would The WB want to alienate me?”
Unfortunately, not everyone seems to have their sums right: “Paramount cancelled Star Trek after three seasons, then bought it back for numerous spin-offs and movies – and made over a billion dollars in profits!” says Evelyn from Illinois. “Don’t make the same mistake by cancelling Angel!” Ah yes, the old “making billions of dollars” mistake. Americans really hate that.
The Lunatic Fringe
Let’s face it, you can’t help feeling that cancelling the show might actually be good for some people: “I love this show. I actually live to watch Angel,” says Allen in Pennsylvania.
“Please save the show. I love it and watch it literally every single day,” entreats Derek in Minnesota.
“Please God,” wails Jay in “America”. “This show is the only good thing in my life!”
“I will die without this show!!!!” echoes Daniela in Illinois.
Civil unrest in south east Asia is troubling the mind of Chris from Seoul. “I urge them to rethink this matter before they have riots on their hands,” he warns. “Seriously. Not kidding.”
And sadly, it seems that Sanne from Holland has already gone over the edge: “AAAAAAARRRGGGHHH…has the world gone MAD!!!!!!!! It’s just….GRRRR!” Well, quite.
We also heard from:
The Frankly Rubbish Threat
“If it’s cancelled I will stop watching Buffy,” warns Robert from England. Tough talk, but have you the guts to go through with it, Bobby? 
The Ethical Question
“Cancelling Angel is morally stupid,” argues Yevgenia in Maryland.
The Excuse To Laugh At Funny Foreigners, Basically
“This can’t be real, you must be joking me. Quitting Angel? How do you dare!!” protests Niki in Amsterdam, endearingly.
The Token Wag
“Don’t cancel it or I will stop acting,” is attributed to one Ashton Kutcher, USA. We thought it was Charlie’s Angels he was into?
And Finally…
Petitioner number 81053 is SFX Magazine from Bath, England. “First Buffy, now this. How do you expect us to keep selling magazines? With posters of the new Doctor Who? We have wives and children, you know (well, one of us has).”
You can purchase SFX Magzine at any good newsagents. |
