(This is what I’m mailing to Kevin Reilly of Fox Broadcasting today to save ENLISTED in case you need some inspiration to write YOUR letters)
Dear Mr. Reilly
I do not write letters often to save shows as they are often futile. In the case of “ENLISTED” I feel like I it is worth the effort. I know you (or your decision-makers) felt the show was worth a shot. Shows like “Us and Them” that were shown in the May 2013 upfronts never made it to air. Everyone knows the ENLISTED pilot had problems. The energy that has been put into the show both by the network and the cast has been amazing–hiring a military consultant to get some things corrected that bothered our military viewers, the principal cast going to Boot Camp to experience what our soldiers go through and bonding over it just as a troop does, the phenomenal app that shows exclusive videos, but mostly the cast who week after week engage the fans in live tweeting events that blow my mind. There are individual cast members of other shows who might take one week in a rotational schedule to live tweet but never the sheer numbers we’ve seen the cast and crew of ENLISTED do. It is TROOP SPIRIT. They have done so many interviews. They have done some wonderful things for our military families. Here is the problem: It was put into the Friday death slot. Then it was interrupted by the Olympics. None of these things are your fault. I imagine Friday was the only slot you could give it. But it deserves a second season and a time slot where it can flourish, such as pairing it with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The comedy is similar–it’s smart, it’s unique. It deserves to have a Tuesday comedy slot. If after a season 2 it doesn’t do well, then I can understand if the network decided to cancel it. But it deserves this chance. Every week the scripts have improved.
I would like to point out that this past week I helped engage the fans to promote the advertisers of the show. Fans had a healthy discussion with Applebees and Charmin people. Charmin is not yet a sponsor but after the response they got from the “Parade Duty” episode, if they were given a season 2, they might consider it. Many people on Twitter have already promised to switch to Charmin and they haven’t even signed on to advertise yet. People have said they will go to Taco Bell this week. Others have said they will go eat at Applebees (because they hosted on the Fox.com viewings). Fox commissioned a study about the power of Twitter on advertising.
The network is ahead of the curve by not just looking at the standardized numbers of the antiquated Nielsen’s system. With “The Following” for example, Fox looked at viewing across all platform media. People rarely have time to watch things live anymore. Binge-watching is becoming more common. I don’t understand appeal of the demographic of an 18-year-old male who in this job market likely is living at home with his parents, unemployed, with zero buying potential. I am a 50-year-old, white woman, born in Brooklyn, NY and now living in Texas who has tremendous buying power and understands the economics of television broadcasting. Perhaps that 18-year-old was married already 30 years ago, but that just isn’t the reality of our modern times. Taking the cues from Bart Smith who suggested to Maureen Ryan that instead of us buying useless tokens to flood your offices (like fans of Jericho did with CBS by flooding the office with peanuts) fans make a donation to the Wounded Warriors Project, I did and you should be receiving that confirmation letter soon.
ENLISTED is a show the entire family can watch (and there are not many shows out there where people can). It is about love of country. In a world where people are brainwashed into thinking they need to be rich to be successful, the show sends a message that you can have a job that is less glamorous but your job is important in the big picture and you can do that job with love and joy. Not only is it about family (whether you are related by blood or together by other forces), but it also is about supporting each other. It is about choosing happiness in whatever job you have to do, even Doody Duty. Women adore strong female leads and Angelique Cabral does a wonderful job as Staff Sgt. Perez.
X-Files had an initial cult following, an audience that grew and benefitted the network in many ways. ENLISTED seems to also have a cult following for now, but with a better time-slot I see it growing.
Decision time is upon you with the upfronts coming in May. Please take our pleas into consideration. Thank you for your time reading this letter and have an amazing day.
Respectfully submitted,
Hilda Bowen
AKA @PBMOM on Twitter
AKA Call Sign Ninja Mom
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To readers of this blog: If you need addresses or ideas to help save this ENLISTED, please see my previous post. Click here.
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