The 2021 cancellation season has confirmed to be a brutal one, with quite a few exhibits getting the axe: Good Women, Manifest, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, MacGyver — however no fandom is as insistent because the one rallying behind Prodigal Son.
Two months after Fox cancelled the crime drama, the #SaveProdigalSon marketing campaign has trended persistently in the USA and nations throughout the globe. Although the marketing campaign events have modified techniques with tweetstorms scheduled all through the week, it is clear that the cult following will not be backing down anytime quickly.
#SaveProdigalSon started instantly following the information on Could 10th. A petition circulated, an internet site was fashioned, cupcakes have been despatched (and acquired) by executives, and a fundraiser introduced over $5,000 to TWLOHA in an effort to convey consideration to psychological well being struggles. Day by day Tweet Events took Twitter by storm for the primary month and a half; hashtags starting from #BewareTheHeels to #SerialKillerCleanse trending in a number of nations each day. The followers are loud, persistent, and hopeful.
Manifest — which continues to carry a powerful streak of staying on high of the Netflix trending listing — obtained a mean of 15,000 tweets underneath #SaveManifest on the top of their marketing campaign, now slipping down to eight,000. Comparatively,* Prodigal Son obtained a mean of 40,000 tweets a day for his or her first month of #SaveProdigalSon (getting as much as almost 100,000 on one evening). Even two months in, #SaveProdigalSon hits increased engagement milestones than #SaveManifest on their off days garnering 10,000 tweets a day, whereas getting 17,000+ on their celebration days. #SaveProdigalSon is the loudest, however #SaveManifest has been a media darling with distinguished articles printed by The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Selection. It is a disgrace that the HBO Max viewership numbers are by no means made public, as the primary season of Prodigal Son has spent vital time within the platform’s most watched rankings following its debut in March 2021, nonetheless supposedly within the High 10.
#SaveZoeysPlaylist and #SaveGoodGirls initially had loads of consideration and an enormous burst of followers making an attempt to save lots of their present, by no means sufficiently organized watch events or tweet storms, and inside per week of cancellation, each hashtags petered out, they now common lower than 1,000 tweets a day.
Good Women and MacGyver have been cancelled, and regardless of the ardent fanbase of the latter, there is no such thing as a street forward for resurrection as contractual disputes stop any continuation. Manifest, regardless of exhausting their buying choices solely eight days after cancellation, nonetheless hopes to greenlight a film given their exponentially rising viewership (it appears silly to not make it occur). Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist might need launched the solid from their contracts, however Lionsgate continues to search for a brand new residence.
Prodigal Son, alternatively, has remained startling silent. The final official information that was launched was that WBTV was nonetheless buying, regardless of the HBO Max cross up — which they reiterated per week later. With assist echoed by Channing Dungey, WBTV chair within the Hollywood Reporter, everybody appeared constructive and hopeful of the present’s possibilities.
Since then, it has been nothing however crumbs. Even the solid is not sure of the present’s destiny. The closest to official information anybody has gotten in a month and a half is the present’s Govt Producer, Sarah Schechter, sometimes liking encouraging tweets concerning the hopeful success of buying the present. Moreover, sources** inside AppleTV+ claimed within the later half of June, that there have been inner conversations concerning the #SaveProdigalSon marketing campaign. However, right now, it isn’t clear if these deliberations have led wherever, or if there have been any conferences scheduled to debate Prodigal Son with WBTV within the weeks which have adopted.
The silence might imply something; from ending buying with out discover (when each different present has had transparency? Give the fandom some closure!), to negotiations taking longer than anticipated, to briefly shelving it till a streamer has room on their slate — it appears like HBO Max may very well be again available on the market quickly. Following the mid-year earnings of media IP, a re-evaluation of budgets ought to make its method down the company chain and enhance HBO Max IP spending. Continued robust person engagement, subscriber progress, and elevated income streams from ad-sales might see HBO Max return to the negotiation desk within the fall.
So, the query stays…
WBTV, when will we formally hear concerning the ultimate destiny of Prodigal Son?
Have any ideas concerning the standing of Prodigal Son (or every other present left in limbo after cancellation)? E-mail [email protected]!
*Disclaimer #1: I’m an enormous fan of all the exhibits talked about on this article and hope all of them by some means discover a new residence. I strongly imagine that fan campaigns aren’t a contest — I am only a large stats particular person.
**Disclaimer #2: Any insider data, whereas coming from reputable sources, can’t be formally endorsed.
***Disclaimer #3: This article will not be right here to debate the legitimacy of fan campaigns — it’s merely observing the information of fan actions. (Although, I do level you to #SaveTimeless, which undeniably obtained two additional possibilities as a consequence of persistent followers. Cash is the important thing issue, however followers can push it in the best path.)