heat
Devoted Fan
Posts: 187
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Post by heat on Nov 12, 2002 9:26:51 GMT -5
well i wish i was wherever that guy is.. anyways, i found this... We have pested the hell out of Fox's Primetime offices in Beverly Hills and you need to keep writing those letters (if you didn't read my previous messages they are still available on Showdown.net's site and this message board). Now in addition to writing those letters we can now call up the leading forces of Fox's biggest affiliate, WNYW FOX 5 New York! Here are the contacts of people who have the stroke to get the series back... we are under the impression that as of now there are considerations for a two hour series finalle (total rumor) but lets just keep letters and calls coming until something is officially announced because we can't settle for rumors of a DA return... it has to actually happen for us to be satisfied. Please do your share to force Fox to bring Dark Angel back! FOX 5 WNYW 205 East 67th Street New York, New York 10021-6099 212-452-5555 Vice President and General Manager: James Clayton Executive Assistant: Kath Spellman 212-452-5555 212-879-1484 Vice President and Director of Programming and Research for WNYW and WWOR: Daniel J. Carlin 212-452-2901 212-879-1765 Fax On a side note there is an interesting AP story posted on Showdown.net earlier today about how badly "John Doe" a.k.a. FOX's lame attempt to replace DA series is doing, some of you might get a kick out of it, print it out, frame it on your walls
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 12, 2002 11:28:07 GMT -5
Heat,
Thanks for the post! My letters will go out at lunch time! The article at Sundown was just the "shot - in - the - arm" I needed!
Thanks!
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X5-442
Devoted Fan
X5 IT
Posts: 258
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Post by X5-442 on Nov 12, 2002 18:31:28 GMT -5
mjwillia - I checked out that site for the convention and I'm gonna try to go. (it's only 2-3 hours from my house) I also e-mailed that guy for more info. Thanks for putting that out. Anyone else thinkng about going?
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Post by Tilter on Nov 12, 2002 20:33:15 GMT -5
i wish i could-if i lived near there..... i also wish i was rich and then id buy the rights to da and fox's sorry @ss-bring back all the cast members sign them on for a contract for 10 years and make gail berman a pencil-pusher/or a bum, i havent decided.
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 12, 2002 21:46:38 GMT -5
Hey Everybody!
I received a letter today from 3 of the 36 Fox advertisers (posted by Warlock I think). I wrote them approximately 2 weeks ago! (A far cry better of a response than what Fox has done - I (like the rest of you) have been writing Fox for almost 6 months now and haven't gotten a single response from them!) The 3 companies are: Toyota, Coca-Cola and Neutrogena. All three letters were signed by real people! Here is a synopsis of what each had to say:
Toyota: "Thank you for contacting Toyota and for bringing to our attention your concern regarding sponsorship of Dark Angel. Toyota's decision to advertise on FOX grograms is based on the level of interest generated by the American Public. Toyota makes an effort to screen programs considered to contain controversial issues. We do not always know the content in advance, nor do we have control over the material..." Signed by Quentin Holmes, National Customer Relations, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., 19001 S. Western Avenue, H200, PO Box 2714, Torrance, CA 90509-2714 (800) 331-4331
Coca-Cola: "Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company. We appreciate your kind remarks regarding our advertising during Dark Angel. It is ver thoughtful of you to share your comments about this program with us. We try to associate our products with programming that will be appealing to our consumers. Your letter lets us know that we are selecting the right programs to showcase our refreshing beverages! Regrettably, we are not in a position to assist the show. It is a long standing Company policy that we do not get involved with music, television or movie production. Although we do purchase television and radio advertising space and moie product placement, we don't actually support the production process itself. Unfortuanately, we have neither the manpower nor the funds allocated toward such projects. Should the show be renewed for the fall or mid season, we would certainly consider advertising with it again. I know this response must be disappointing, but pleas knwo that it in now way reflect on the merits of your suggestion..." Christine Fitzgerald, Consumer Affairs Specialist
Neutrogena: "Thank you very much for your recent letter to Neutrogena. We always appreciate hearing from our customers and thank you for taking the time to write to us. While we don't have control over what television shows are kept on the air, we appreciate your writing to us to share your feeling regarding our advertisments. Your comments will be documented and shared with the Marketing and Public Relations Divisions who plan our advertising and marketing campaigns..." Kriktin Ricotta, Consumer Affairs.
OK. Now none of us expected any of the advertisers to wave a magic wand and bring back DA for us BUT this is what they can do for us:
1. We all target one advertiser per week. They get thousands of snail mails describing the following: a) the Virtues of Dark Angel, b) the poor customer service of FOX, c) the lower ratings of Firefly (DA's Friday night time slot and the lower ratings as compaired to DA of 24 (DA's Tuesday night time slot).
2. We use the above info to explain to the advertisers that that is why 5.5 fewer viewers are seeing their commercials.
3. We suggest to the advertisers that since they are getting fewer viewers than before that the next time they negotiate their advertising contracts with Fox that they should pay less money!
4. In the end Fox might just might really lose money! And with any kind of luck the contract negotiators for the advertiser might just might mention that they want to pay less because of disgrutled ex-viewers!
What do you all think?
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X5-442
Devoted Fan
X5 IT
Posts: 258
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Post by X5-442 on Nov 12, 2002 23:54:45 GMT -5
I received an e-mail back from Phil Osborn about the Loscon:
Thanks for your interest. Ok, the relevant sites are lasfs.org and loscon.org.
Loscon is put on by the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, the world's oldest sf club, with an alumni including probably a few hundred of the top authors, screen writers and actors in the field.
E.g., J. Michael Strazinsky was a long-term member long before he finally got to produce Babylon V. And every Loscon until the most recent had a huge presentation by the B5 people, with many of the actors present and available, and, while the series was being produced, preview episodes and outtakes, etc.
Loscon is a good place to organize. I don't know if there are any DA cons yet. There is a B5 conference, separate from Loscon. In fact, the organizers will doubtless be there selling tickets for their con as well as hosting a party Friday and Saturday nights.
What I would like to do is get enough DA fans at Loscon to be heard and recognized in the local sf fan community as a force. From there, my idea is to move toward working out how we, the fans, can actually promote, purchase or finance continuing the show.
You may have noticed the ads appearing on prime time TV for the DVDs of Babylon V. We don't necessarily need to have DA broadcast - altho it would be nice. If we could continue the show as a purely DVD product then we could likely get better quality and no pressure from network suits as to content or issues.
The math makes this look doable. Several million people doubtless watched DA religiously. 500,000 of them paying $10 each would finance several episodes and the cost of mailing them a DVD. Once you have that community going, then you can have your own conferences - like those Trekie cons that never end - and spinoffs. With some real money not tied to selling hairspray or cars, Cameron could probably do some feature films as well.
As far as getting on a panel: Panelists have always been given free passes for the con for both themselves and one guest of their choosing, as well as access to the programmers suite, with extra free food and the chance to hobnob with famous people.
You will need to go to the Loscon site, familiarize yourself with the idea of the con, and then contact the person handling programming and tell him what you would like to discuss and why.
We are kind of late in the game here, but it still may be doable. Loscon is always looking for areas to expand into as far as programming. They are also very interested in getting new blood in, and the loss of Babylon V has cut into their draw. (They always got standing-room-only crowds in the hotel's biggest auditorium for the B5 presentation.)
Therefore: What would make this a lot more doable is to convince Loscon that this is both worthwhile from an sf point of view and from the standpoint of keeping the con alive and solvent, which means:
1. A bunch of DA fans contact Loscon and ask for programming, implying that they will attend.
2. Someone from the show offers to attend.
I'm just a fan, but I have been on a dozen or so panels at Loscon and other sf cons, so I have some influence. I don't have much experience with the Dark Angel fan groups - just for lack of time so far, but I am a major fan of the show.
Thanks again. Keep me posted.
So, my husband and I am deffinately going. Is there anyone else in the area that can go?
Maybe we can get something together also to show the support of all the fans that couldn't physically make it. This is a way to get our voice heard in the rest of the sci-fi community.
About the continuing the show in DVD. It could work. Start Trek was kept alive by a cartoon on TV and then all the fans rallied enough to get the first space shuttle named Enterprise. It took a while but they got satisfaction. We just need to keep showing the sci-fi community and Fox that we are NOT going away.
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 13, 2002 8:46:11 GMT -5
X5-442,
So this sounds like DA could have a future and we fans would have more control over that future! I'm all for that! I'll go to that website and show my support for DA! I can't go to the conference but at least I show my support!
Thanks!
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Post by Ginny on Nov 13, 2002 12:56:07 GMT -5
The LOSCON sounds like a good idea. Too far away for me to participate, but I certainly encourage your efforts and participation.
The response from the advertisers was good and also encouraging. The more advertisers let Fox know that the decision to cancel DA was ill-advised and quite possibly a financial disaster the less likely such a cancellation will occur to other shows and just maybe, I hope, we can get DA back. I'd so love that!
I hope the actors from DA are having success elsewhere - so when they come back, they can get more $ for their work.
Saw Martin Cummins, aka Ames White, on Smallville this last week. Looked like the same angry and evil character just abusing someone else.
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 13, 2002 18:43:05 GMT -5
Hey everybody!
I got a letter from General Mills today. They replied to my letter to them asking for their support to "Save Dark Angel".
General Mills wrote: "Thank you for contacting General Mills. We appreciate your comments regarding our advertising for our products. The information you provided will be carefully reviewed with our marketing and advertising team...."
I truely feel that our voices will be heard by writing the advertisers! They want our money and they will not like it if they think the viewing audience is turning its back on FOX.
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phoenix
Devoted Fan
My clones. They perform all sorts of important tasks.. cooking, cleaning.. and the other essentials
Posts: 478
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Post by phoenix on Nov 13, 2002 21:18:27 GMT -5
Hi all. Over on the fox da message board there are a heap of aussies who want to do something. So we're thinking of also targetting australian magazines and channel 7 with letters. So at the moment we're getting a list of email and snail mails and then organising an aussie letter campaign as well. ;D ;D
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X5-442
Devoted Fan
X5 IT
Posts: 258
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Post by X5-442 on Nov 13, 2002 22:31:50 GMT -5
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Post by philosborn on Nov 13, 2002 22:44:40 GMT -5
Ok, folks, I just got word back from Ed Green EdGreen86@aol.com who's running programming at Loscon, and his word is NO. Not that he wouldn't like to provide us with a forum there, but he says he is out of time and room. Not surprising, as this was a last minute idea. Still a possibility, if enuf people contact him or lasfs...
O'well. So, if you're looking for a good place to hang for the Thanksgiving Weekend and meet all kinds of interesting people and dance and party and see movies and anime and original artwork and maybe get together with some other DA fans, then check out the loscon.com site. Hope to see you there.
Also, planning for the future, LASFS has an actual physical clubhouse (actually several buildings) (lasfs.com). A lot of special interest groups centered around stuff like anime or FarScape use their facilities at various times during the week. We could do that too... Lasfs meets every Thursday night. Check it out...
Later.
SAVE MAX!
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Post by Star on Nov 14, 2002 0:37:12 GMT -5
This thread is full so I'm opening a new one for continued discussion.
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