Everyone get off the couch and run to your computers, it's time for E! Online's fifth annual Save One Show Campaign!
This is the one time when anyone can vote for a favorite on-the-bubble television show with a letter being sent to the network executives for the winning show, begging them to keep the program on the air.
Now I'm not saying the efforts will actually do any good, but it's nice to know there is some chance of viewers actually getting what they want when it comes to network television.
E! Online has created four different categories. Code Red means the show is most likely going to be cancelled, Code Orange means it's on shaky ground, Code Yellow indicates the show should come back and Code Blue means it will definitely return for another season.
Several of the season's newest hit dramas are in danger of cancellation, such as UPN's "Veronica Mars." This show about a high school girl who is also a detective investigating the murder of her best friend as well as other cases in the town was cited as the network replacement for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which bowed out in 2003 after five seasons on the WB and two on UPN. According to Rob Thomas, executive producer of the show, in the E! Online column, Dawn Ostroff, UPN president, believes "Veronica Mars" is a show with great potential that could be realized in a second season.
Also in Code Red is the critically acclaimed NBC drama "American Dreams." The show, which won two Emmy Awards, is set during the time of the Vietnam War and follows the Pryor family, with one character fighting in the war and other members of the family spending nights on "American Bandstand" with celebrity guests portraying the musicians and stars of the time. The show, besides enduring a ratings drop this season, has now been moved to Wednesday nights opposite ABC's hit drama "Lost," a move which may not prove successful against the ratings of the adventures of these plane-wrecked islanders.
As for Code Orange, one new show on the bubble is "Kevin Hill" on UPN (there's a reason this network always gets such flack). The show follows a normal lawyer who inherits a baby and now must change his player ways. It recently hit a ratings low, although Ostroff has taken a liking to the program, something that could bring it back for another season.
Another show in this color is the WB's "Charmed," which is in its seventh season. The show follows the lives of three sisters who are witches, the Charmed Ones, and fight demons with their powers. However, airing on Sunday, it is up against other hits such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," causing its ratings to drop in this latest season. A new season is not promising and the executive producer has even signed on to a new pilot about a mermaid trying to survive on dry land (wait, did Ariel's sister fall in love with a human this time?).
In Code Yellow is "Joan of Arcadia," the CBS drama about the girl who hears messages from God. Creatively, the show has reportedly not been up to par, but ratings have remained at about seven million viewers, which is normal for Friday night, a tough night for television. Supposedly, CBS President Les Moonves is willing to give the show another shot or, as the E! Online column says, he will have to "face the wrath of the man upstairs."
Even "The West Wing," the NBC drama about life in the White House, is in Code Yellow. It recently had a season low with only 10 million viewers (come on, should we really be complaining about that amount of viewers?), but still remains one of the network's strongest series. It did win an Emmy this year, but, while it probably will stick around for a little longer, supposedly no decisions have been made about NBC's fall lineup as of yet.
Shows in Code Blue, well, I guess I don't have to explain those because everyone has probably at least heard of them and that's why they are sticking around for a while longer. These shows include "Alias," "Everwood," "Gilmore Girls," "House," "One Tree Hill" and "Smallville" (incredible, four WB shows staying on the air despite the network being second lowest in ratings most weeks).
And now it's time for the moment I'm sure everyone has been waiting for since hearing that some of the season's favorites may be cancelled. The winner of E! Online's Save One Show Campaign is ...
UPN's "Veronica Mars." Whether or not this was your first choice, this is the winner.
So get out there everyone and watch television for hours to save your favorite show or wait for it be put out to pasture, only to remain as fond memories on DVD and in syndication.
