The Fans
As the old saying goes, patience is a virtue. Very few people know that better than television fans, and among those fans, some of the greatest experts of all are the fans of Veronica Mars. It has been over six years since the cult favorite series was cancelled, and fans have held on to the consistently dimming hope of a movie ever since. Now, that patience and loyalty are looking to be rewarded handsomely. But the campaign isnt exciting just for fans of Mars. TV fans of all stripes are buzzing about the possibilities raised by this success what could it mean for other shows cancelled before their times, like the oft-lamented
Firefly, Pushing Daisies, and the like? In short: Not much. The Veronica Mars Kickstarter was in a unique position from the get-go, with established creative and star power behind it, as well as an incredibly strong fanbase with six years of pent-up desire under their belts. This isnt to say that there arent other strong fan communities out there for a variety of shows and projects, because there are. What most of them dont have, and probably wont achieve, however, is the particular blend of audience, behind-the-scenes influence, and promise of distribution that VM was fortunate enough to have in place. Despite this, the success of the Mars effort is an exciting shot in the arm for TV fans, many of whom are (sometimes rightfully) cynical about the state of network programming and the way their favorite shows are treated.
The TV landscape and the way we access that entertainment is changing. Original programming like House of Cards and the upcoming fourth season of Arrested Development are available on Netflix for the first time ever. Web series like Felicia Days The Guild and Jane Espensons Husbands have gained both interest and respect in the internet community. New trends like these are becoming the order of the day, and it may be that Kickstarter campaigns like this one are simply another step in that process. The most exciting opportunity for fans lies not in looking back at cancelled shows but in looking forward to the future of entertainment and storytelling. The advent of internet series and crowd-sourced projects allows for more fanbase input into projects than ever before. This presents a new iteration of the rights and responsibilities debate: sure, viewers can demand the right to watch quality shows, movies, or what have you, and criticize networks or executives for being out of touch when they dont get what they want. Now, though, it is time for fans to put our money where our mouth is. If we want to see more science fiction or fantasy entertainment, we have to find creators who feel the same way and support their efforts. Want more ethnically-diverse storytelling? Seek it out online or through Kickstarter. Better yet, think about doing it yourself! If the VM effort brings anything to light, its that you dont need multimillion dollar budgets or summer-blockbuster style studio backing to tell a great story and find an audience for it. Creators, writers, filmmakers, and artists of all stripes should seize the opportunity to prove that the success of the VM venture is no mere fluke.