9 Huge TV Industry Ramifications Of Ripper Street's Amazon Instant Video Resurrection

By Natalie Stendall /

7. More Power For Fans

Following the announcement of Ripper Street€™s cancellation, fans launched an online petition. 14,000 signatures sent a clear messages to broadcasters that Ripper Street would not easily be forgotten. It€™s not the first time fandom has resurrected a show €“ DVD sales contributed to the recommissioning of both Futurama and Family Guy €“ but it is the first time a deal has been struck with a subscription service in the UK. As fans become aware of their potential for swaying subscription services towards a deal, will we see increasingly active and vocal fan-bases? Of course the writers and cast have to be on board for a resurrection to happen - in the case of Ripper Street there was general consensus that gas still remained in the tank. "We all thought that it had legs. We didn't feel like it was petering out," said cast member Matthew Macfayden. Meanwhile executive producer Will Gould told BBC news, "We had more to do, It feels right to be going back. There are stories left to tell". If fan appreciation can contribute to saving a show, will broadcasters give fans more of what they want to see? Could we see fans gaining more ownership and control over their favourite series as writers listen to their views more closely in efforts to extend the life expectancy of their programmes?