A show of force... how superfans save the day

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Publication: Irish Independent
Date: 2007-02-15
Author:
Page: 22
Language: English

Presumably because they've no better way of occupying their time between episodes of their favourite television show, Dr Who fans are currently leading a concerted campaign to have the Irish singer-songwriter Neil Hannon reach number one in the UK singles charts. You may think they this is because Dr Who fans are especially partial to Hannon's whimsical guitar pop. In fact, what's motivating them is that the ditty in question, Song For Ten, graced last year's Dr Who Christmas special.

Having stuffed BBC coffers to overflowing by splurging on Dr Who novels, toys and tea-towels, the Doctor's fanbase now hopes to leave a Dalek-shaped imprint upon popular music.

By doing so, Dr Who lovers are following in a long tradition of crusading fans. As far back as the 1960s, people were demonstrating what fan power could achieve. In 1968, grassroots Star Trek fans, prompted by rumours that Paramount Studios was about to can their beloved space opera, mobilised to save it. Admittedly, their letter-writing campaign was only partially successful Trek would endure for just one more season.

By the 1980s, fans were finally getting somewhere. In 1983, plans to cancel the cop drama Cagney and Lacey were undone after superfan' Dorothy Swanson organised the mass petitioning of CBS. The result was dramatic turnaround: rescued from TV purgatory, Cagney and Lacey would run for a further five seasons and bag a clutch of Emmy Awards.

Emboldened by her success Swanson established a lobby group, Viewers For Quality Television: it would later secure a stay of execution for another of her faves, Hill Street Blues.

In the 21st century, fan power is alive and well. When it was announced four years ago that the sci-fi saga Farscape was to be cancelled, fans raised thousands of dollars to pay for 30-second commercials across America. After the failure of the ad campaign - which featured Farscape diehards explaining to camera why the show. should continue - fans upped the ante.

Rather than simply lobbying for Farscape's continuation, they declared they would shoulder the costs of production. Considering that each episode cost the Sci Fi Channel around $1.6m, it is reasonable to assume that fans hadn't done the sums.

Finally, as hope began to slip away, Farscape junkies opted for extreme measures: they started bombarding the headquarters of the Sci Fi Channel with brown sauce bottles and empty cracker boxes (both in reference to plot lines from the show). Alas, all was in vain. Within a few months, Farscape was gone from

Lot at stake: Buffy fans are bloody loyal; Spock and the Star Ship Enterprise were rescued by Trekkies; and the Daleks are looking after Number 1 the airwaves, never to return.

Equally impassioned - and just as unsuccessful was an attempt to keep ailing Star Trek spin-off Enterprise on life support. Echoing Farscape's followers, Enterprise fans offered to bear production costs, going so far as to raise $3m. But there was no swaying Paramount. All things considered, Enterprise was flop and it would be made take that long lonely walk into space.

Still, fans should not despair. Occasionally, they can achieve results. Consider the case of Firefly, a well-regarded sci-fi show scripted by Josh Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a series that had spawned its own army of loyal fans.

Despite favourable reviews and positive ratings, Firefly's plug was pulled after a handful of episodes. But when fans made the show a massive hit on DVD, Whedon's superiors reflected on the wisdom of their decision.

Rather than giving Whedon his series back, though, they proposed going one better: Firefly was to become a movie. Consequently, Whedon got to make Serenity, one of 2005's biggest sci-fi hits.

Science fictions fans aren't the only ones with the wherewithal to organise en masse. Soccer fans, too, can raise. ruckus when required. In the UK, supporters of Sunderland led a Sugar Puffs boycott when Honey Monster, the breakfast cereal's shaggy mascot, appeared in a television ad wearing the colours of their deadliest rivals, Newcastle.

Overnight, sales of Sugar Puffs plunged by 20% in the north east of England. Honey Monster has not been seen wearing any football strips recently.

In Italy, meanwhile, a spat between supporters of Rome's two senior sides, Lazio and Roma culminated in what came to be known as the 'cappuccino wars'. The war erupted after Lazio president Sergio Cragnott signed star striker Christian Vieri.

Coinciding with Vieri's move to the club, Ciori, a food conglomerate owned by Cragnott, raised milk prices. Believing they were being asked to bear the cost of signing Vieri by paying more for their milk, Roma fans called for a mass boycott of cappuccinos in the city, thus harming Ciori's revenues.

Elsewhere, fears of a fan backlash in Glasgow have led to the city's two main soccer clubs, Rangers and Celtic, sharing a sponsor. At play here is some simple. logic: if the teams were to have separate sponsors, there is a risk fans of the other side would boycott. the brand in question.

This has already happened when Rangers switched to McEwan's lager, fans of Celtic stopped drinking it. Indeed, several 'Celtic' pubs refused to serve McEwan's altogether. Not long afterwards, both clubs signed a deal with cable company NTL and have shared sponsors ever since. Dr Who fans must wait until Sunday to find out whether their number one campaign is successful. Whether or not they triumph, they would do well to consider that fan power is not always a positive force.

Following the news that Daniel Craig was to be the next James Bond, for example, outraged Bond lovers vowed to picket the film. In light of subsequent events the new Bond has breathed life into the franchise and even melted the hearts of critics - one wonders if they aren't feeling a little silly.

Spelling correction: Joss Whedon

A show of force... how superfans save the day

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