The season-two finale of UPN's cult show Veronica Mars airs tonight, and many fans are wondering if it will wind up being the series finale instead. With the The CW streamlining the UPN and WB's shows into one schedule, low-rated Mars might not make the cut.
Today, a group of Mars fans is attempting a novel tactic to express their love for the show: an airplane banner. The banner reads "Renew Veronica Mars! CW 2006!" and will fly over parts of a Los Angeles freeway during the evening rush hour.
The three fans, Anna Smith of Atlanta, Kelley Spada of Boston, and Chicago's Mark Israel, met while posting on the TV fansite Television Without Pity. In an interview with Media Life magazine, they talk about how they hatched their plan and what else they have up their sleeves to try and save Mars.
"Most fans send flowers, send postcards, write letters...but what we wanted to do here was collectively come together as a united front and do something that would require the executives to take notice," Smith says. "The plane is just a jumping off point for us... We've had over a hundred people donate cash and countless others donate DVD sets to their hometown libraries [to encourage new viewers to watch the show]."
The three say they raised more than $7,000 from other fans and that they are planning other events to catch the eyes of CW executives.
Veronica Mars, starring Kristen Bell as a teenage detective, has never fared well in the ratings. The show was in danger of being canceled last season until a massive letter-writing and online campiagn saved it.
The CW is being formed from the ashes of UPN and The WB, and several of the shows on those networks are still on the bubble. Presumably, the fate of Mars, Everwood, One Tree Hill, Eve, One On One, and All of Us will be decided at the CW's first upfront presentation in New York, scheduled for May 18.
If this is to be Mars's last episode, she is going out with a bang. In today's Boston Herald, TV critic Amy Amatangelo says "the season finale is a fantastic thrill ride."
Comments (46)
I am from Australia and I love Veronica Mars, I have only seen the 1st season, cause we are a bit behind here, and it was on at a really stupid time slot! I can't wait to see the 2nd season (I ordered the DVDs online cause it will probably take a while or never air in Australia) The show is different to other shows on and has really interesting story lines. I can see why it doesn't rate that well cause if you miss a couple of episodes it is a bit hard to catch up. Anyway, veronica mars rocks and should definitely come back for more seasons! :)
go verinica mars!:)
I have been driving around with signs in my car windows for the last few weeks to help people catch. I never thought of renting a plane! GREAT IDEA!<br />
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Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CW_affiliates for the local CW station in your area and help keep VM going strong!
So what channel is CW going to be on, because I love Veronica mars and can't wait for season 3
hi,<br />
i love veronica mars, one of the few good shows on the old upn, worth the time and money. good stories and good crew to watch. new season we should see Veronica Mars on the new CW!!! <br />
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Please!!
I love the WB and It's shows, I watch all of them.... One tree Hill, everwood, gilmore girls, smallville, 7th heaven,related, pepper dennis, and the bedford diaries..... So you get the picture. But If Given the choice, I'd cancel all of these shows, just to have one more season of Veronica. Starting with 7th heaven and smallville.<br />
So I'm sure no one with any pull is reading this, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it
I really hope they keep this show around. There haSN't been a show this good since buffy.!!!!!!!<br />
just one question, why do they call it a cult show? is there a VM bible or something?
I really hope Veronica Mars comes back for a third season. All these shows getting cancelled need to givin a chance to become over populated. Most of the shows i have watched in the past it took my a while to come across them until the fourth season or something then i would go back and watch them from the start and Veronica Mars I feel needs to be around for a long time and I can see it becoming a on-going show for years now. This show attracts all ages and has a bit of everything in it so would eb a real shame to see it end. Please bring it back!!!
Gotta see Veronica with Logan!! There has to be a season three since the writers spent all season two waiting to get them back together.
To answer Nataliej1602's question about what shows from The WB and UPN that will be guarenteed to be on the new The CW network are America's Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, WWE Friday Night Smackdown, Gilmore Girls, Smallville and 7th Heaven.<br />
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It has been said that the network MAY renew Girlfriends, Veronica Mars, Beauty and The Geek, Supernatural, Everwood and One Tree Hill.<br />
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The network would also like to pick up Invasion, but it doesn't look good for Reba.<br />
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The new network has already created new shows for the network as well, including Mercy Reef, Palm Springs, Runaway, Spilt Decision, Ultra (a former CBS pilot), She Said - He Said, The Game, Aliens In America, Flirt and an Untitled Go Gos-Bangles Project.<br />
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Of course, Charmed will not be returning a long with Eve and All Of Us and What I Like About You.<br />
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There were rumors that said that the new network would be picking up Firefly, but Joss Whedon said that there is a possible there may be a TV Movie or Miniseries, which he would create for The CW.moreless
The season finale (hopefully not series finale) was amazingly well written and captivating (as with nearly every episode in the series). It will be a tragedy if this show does not get to air a season three. Kristen Bell, will you marry me?<br />
One tree hill forever, il faut pas arrêter One tree Hill ca serait un choc pour les francais!<br />
Cette série est aimée de tout le monde et on vous le prouvera quand les dvd sortiront cette semaine ils seront en rupture de stock !!<br />
On va vous prouvez qu'on aime et qu'on ne veut pas voir la série se finir comme ca, ca serait horrible!<br />
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One tree hill en force
Have you guys heard? They are bringing 7th Heaven out of retirement and Veronica's chances are looking bad again?<br />
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Mind boggling.<br />
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Anyway, here's a pic of the plane<br />
http://pics.livejournal.com/spadada/pic/000deyxd<br />
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Please credit ©The WB/Mitch Haddad if you use it.<br />
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And here is a map showing where the 135 sets of VM DVDs have been donated:<br />
http://www.watchveronicamars.net/dvdmap.php
Clearly one of the best shows on TV these days.
I just started watching VM this season. I really like it. I can see why it does poorly in the ratings though. It's on up against a lot of other popular shows. If I wasn't able to record a lot of things at once, I wouldn't be able to record VM as well. As it is, I end up recording it on Sunday night off the east coast feed. <br />
I hope it comes back & is on at a less competitive time.
its a different kinda story n ppl like it very much . glad if it airs bak in sep
This show deserves to survive, plain and simple. Gilmore Girls will probably only last for another year and then what will the CW have?
Veronica Mars is by far the best show out there and is highly underrated...I'd much rather watch Veronica Mars then One Tree Hill or any other show from the WB. With the merging of these two networks one would hope that shows like Everwood, Veronica Mars, One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls, and Smallville will not have to compete but compliment one another with being on the same network. I guess not, it seems the people at the CW are basically taking America's Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris and keeping the same tired old WB format, shows with no message, no racial diversity, shows that do not speak to the masses and shows with ill plot lines. If the CW is smart it will not give up on a show that has more then perfect potential they will chose to renew Veronica Mars and give her a real fighting chance at surviving.moreless
one of the best shows i've every watched
This isn't the first time this tactic was done. It was first done last year for American Dreams. I have feel insulted on their behalf that the VM fans are taking credit for the idea. <br />
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http://www.wndu.com/entertainment/052005/entertainment_41996.php
I also hope VM will not get canceled. I'm from Germany and they started to air it over here last month. The ratings over here drop fast but it got a very bad slot (2pm on a Saturday; this is only stupid).<br />
Thanks to all the capture groups I've been able to watch it from the start (but I entered the show after 10 episodes have already been aired). After watching the first three episodes in a row I was addicted.<br />
I'm also watching the show aired in Germany...sometimes it's hard to understand the meaning (slag, unknown verdicts or a sentence got mumbled).
The show got off-track in season 2, showing that the creator only had one season figured out. I don't expect any better in S3, so maybe it would be best to end the show. The cliffhangers for the end of S2 are very minor compared to other shows, and you can figure out enough happy endings for them that it would make it easier to cancel the show now rather than when the show has gone absolutely crazy with plot twists.
No way this show doesn't get picked up. Bottom line, it's a good show with a good cast. They have at least four more years -- VM's college years.
Love the show, would be a huge shame if it got cancelled. Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, and Jason Dohring are such amazing actors. It would be a shame to see their chemistry wasterd. CW can't leave us hanging like that!! Go Veronica.
nah the show should be layed to rest. It had a very good finale, but progressing the show would be kinda difficult with all the life-changes that were portrayed.<br />
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Realistically speaking however the show has little to no change to be picked up.<br />
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I enjoyed the show for as long as it lasted and embraced it and recommend that you do the same.
Best show on television.<br />
Period.
Top show hopefully it will get picked up!
Please don't take Veronica Mars away from us veiwers. It's a show I can't wait to watch every week, and I am so hooked on it, please keep it on air for another season!!!!
If you want to help the campaign, you can donate a little money like 5 bucks on their Paypal account. They will have distributed something like 100 Season 1 DVDs all around big libraries in the US soon!<br />
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http://community.livejournal.com/cloud_watchers/tag/donate click on the donate at the bottom of the page.<br />
I don't think Veronica Mars isn't going to be in THE CW, It's a very hit show and they have to considerate that.
VM must not end!<br />
Only 2 seasons and already has fans all a cross the world!
Kristen Bell is an awesome actress and needs to be seen. Veronica Mars needs to be on the new CW network it has to continue
Look, this is one of those shows you just can't stop watching. It's got all kinds of hooks, story lines, and long plot arcs - like a soap opera formula - but it is no soap opera!<br />
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It's got a mystery almost every show, but it is not just a detective show.<br />
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The star is really cute and nice-looking, but she is kind of hard - yet never cold or completely insensitive.<br />
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This is an amazingly well-written, well acted, well-shot show. This series can go 6 or 7 years easily.<br />
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What address to we send our pleading, begging post cards to?
I also think it's one of the best shows and it's getting better, theh shouldn't cancell it.
i think it is one of the best shows on UPN and WB combined... i think it will not be good for the network CW to cancel VM.
go veronica! :)
Awesome!
go VM!
it better not be canceled! I will cry. I love this show soo much.
I really really hope Veronica Mars makes the CW cut. Its one of the best shows on tv ever.
Go Veronica Mars!
I hope it does come back.
veronica mars must be saved its like the best show ever made!!!!!!
has any of the wb or upns shows been guarenteed to air on the cw???
Thank you so much for the coverage! The plane is flying over Los Angeles as I type. (P.S. Anna, Mark and I did not create the Television Without Pity website, we just hang out there.)
Great show- would be a bummer if it got canned- but that's what networks do well, can good shows.