The growing influence of fans in the production of TV shows

In 2013, after a seven-year run, the once critically acclaimed TV show, 'Dexter' aired its final episode to a dejected viewing audience. The show about a serial killer had increasingly lost touch with its fanbase in its latter seasons. The series finale was universally considered by fans as one of the worst endings imaginable. 

Dexter's reputation had become marred by its ending, and for years its biggest place was on the top of lists of TV shows with the worst ending, causing cast members, especially lead actor Michael C Hall, to often express regret for letting fans down.

Fast forward to 2021, seven years after it originally ended, a new, one-season limited series, called 'Dexter: New Blood' was announced, promising to right the wrongs of its past and bring closure to its fans. 

Unfortunately, history repeated itself, and once again, the show found its new series finale on the receiving end of fan backlash.

With two failed endings, one would be forgiven to assume that the final nail in the show's coffin had been hammered. However, more determined than ever to satisfy its fans, producers of the show quickly announced two more shows. 

One of the shows, a prequel showing the events of Dexter's adolescence, started airing in 2024 to positive reception. The other show, set to air in 2025, is a sequel that will pick up exactly where the second failed ending had concluded. Perhaps third time's the charm?

There was a time when fans were considered to be passive audience members who uncritically consumed whatever content they were fed by their favourite show. In recent times, this idea has been turned on its head, revealing new understandings of the role of fans in influencing the source materials of TV shows. 

Henry Jenkins, one of the foremost scholars in the field of media and audience studies, believes fans are now active participants in the production of TV shows. Jenkins coined the term 'convergence culture' to explain the evolution that led fans to becoming co-producers of official content, rather than just passive consumers. 

Due to the proliferation of technology and social media, there has been a cultural shift in how media content is consumed and produced, with media fans coming together online from all over the world and influencing the objects of their fandom through collective effort. In this new era, fans directly interact with and shape media alongside producers, blurring the line between the two.

As fans now consume, critique, negotiate, resist, and even co-produce media content, there are a number of ways in which this is playing out.

Fan-driven plotlines

One of the biggest ways in which fans are able to participate in the production of TV shows is through directly influencing characters and stories of their favourite shows. 'Supernatural' is a prime example of the kind of influence fan communities can possess.

'Supernatural' has always embraced its passionate fanbase, often including elements of popular fanfiction into their official narratives. In fact, their 200th episode, titled 'fan fiction' was a love-letter to fans and their different theories. 

The episode was also the first time the show directly acknowledged that a large portion of their fanbase had always wanted the characters of Dean Winchester and Castiel to be romantic partners, despite the show being against this.

After 15 seasons, near the end of its run, Supernatural finally decided to bow to fans and legitimise the relationship in an official episode. Despite weaving the relationship into the narrative due to fan pressure, it backfired spectacularly.

The actors and showrunners adopted this to appease the fandom, but they did not truly believe in this story, and as such, what came out officially, was interpreted as poorly done, and a slap to the face for the fans, causing great backlash within the community. 

It served as a cautionary tale to creators that altering their vision to cater to fandom may not always yield positive results, especially if the creators lack true commitment to the fandom's vision.

Power of social media campaigns

Social media has not only provided fans with spaces where they can form online communities, but it has also amplified their voices. One way fans have used this to their advantage is by clamouring for renewals of their favourite shows when they believe the shows were prematurely and unjustly cancelled by their network.

Social media campaigns spearheaded by fans have had a significant impact on the fate of some cult TV shows. 'Community' was a show beloved by its fans, but never received enough mainstream popularity, leading to its eventual cancellation after five seasons by NBC.  

However, due to fan demand, and a social media campaign dubbed '#SixSeasonsAndAMovie,' a campaign that both fans and show creators and cast participated in, 'Community' was picked up by Yahoo's streaming service for a sixth season.

Years later, a movie is still in the works, fueled by a desire to fulfil the promises of the campaign that saved the show.

Streaming platforms and global fans

Streaming giants like Netflix have paved the path for many shows that have already ended to find a fresh new audience in the global market. 

As social media metrics, fan engagement, and streaming viewership replace TV ratings as the biggest markers of success by which shows are judged, global audiences who discover their love for a show through exposure on a service like Netflix, bring those shows back to the limelight.

As an example, the TV show 'Suits' has recently gained popularity on Netflix due to a South Asian audience. It was regularly appearing on Netflix's top ten most watched shows in Bangladesh for a number of months. 

This sudden burst of popularity has renewed interest in the show, directly influencing two of the main actors to start a podcast about the show. Additionally, it has also led to the announcement of a spinoff TV show set in the same universe, named 'Suits L.A.'

'Dexter's desperate attempts to create a show that will finally satisfy the fans, even after two failed attempts, may seem illogical, but fans' increasing powers to not only help shape the narratives of a show, but also its financial success and indeed, future possibilities will only lead to more attempts by Hollywood to appease and collaborate with them.