Popular Fox Series ‘Fringe’ in Danger of Cancellation Without Fan Intervention

Hate it when perfectly good shows get canceled? Me too. That’s why when I found out the popular Fox series ‘Fringe’ was dipping into the red, I decided to take up the cause. If you’ve never seen it, or are only a casual viewer, you’re missing one of the best shows on tv, with high-concept plots that are inventive, interesting, and really bring the Sci-Fi series into the 21^st century, avoiding the I’ve-seen-this-a-thousand-times-before blahs.

The series centers around mad scientist and former evil genius Walter Bishop (John Noble), who heads up a fringe sciences team, investigating cases that cross into the paranormal, with the aid of his son Peter (Joshua Jackson), and under the supervision of F.B.I. Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv). Walter, who is unpredictable and child-like, after having pieces of his brain removed and many years spent in a mental institution, is desperate to recover what knowledge he has lost. His frustratingly spotty memory keeps anyone from fully understanding the lengths he and former partner-in-crime William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) went to in their experiments, including the consequences of traveling to a parallel universe, or the full extent of his relationships with Peter and Olivia. Stuck between two universes, and trying to fill in the gaps in his mind, in this case what Walter doesn’t know could hurt everyone.

The way the writers combine realism with the surreal, paying close attention to the technical aspect of both physical and metaphysical sciences, while also speculating about the future is like an hour-long wet dream for any Sci-Fi nerd. In addition to the investigations, and the running storylines of the eccentric characters and their sketchy, shared pasts, nearly each scene features clues, and easter eggs, all meant to misdirect you from completing any theory you may have devised. The mystery, humor, and action will keep you captivated, and yelling at the screen, wondering what effects this episode will have on the next.

So why should such a high-quality show with a faithful fan base, and an 8.8/10 star rating on imdb.com be in jeopardy of being canceled? The problem seems to be coming from the top. Fox’s decision to move it to Friday nights, coupled with long hiatus’, makes it appear that they have been taking steps to sabotage the series. There could be numerous reasons for this, anything from pressure from advertisers to loss of interest in the show, but there is still a way to get the series back for a fourth season.

First, forget anything you’ve ever heard about TV ratings. Unless you’re part of the relatively small Neilson test group, tuning in live for any show isn’t going to make much difference, and if you’re like me, you DV-R everything anyway. Keep in mind that the networks serve us, not the other way around, so it’s important to be vocal with them about their programming. The best ways to keep the show on the air, is to join the numerous fan communities online, and email Fox, urging them not to cancel the show. Some hardcore fans are mailing the network Red Vines licorice, but for everyone else, an email will do. That way, if the series does survive the cut, then we can say it was all our doing.