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May 25, 2013

Is 'Fringe' in Danger of Cancellation?

by Jean Bentley, posted Feb 16th 2011 2:30PM

FringeThe words "death slot" were unavoidable from the moment Fox announced 'Fringe' was moving to Friday night.

How could the beloved sci-fi show survive airing in a time slot known as the place where Fox's cult-favorite genre shows go to die? It happened with 'Firefly,' 'Wonderfalls' and again last year with 'Dollhouse.' Could 'Fringe' be an exception to the rule?

Now, after three weeks in the seemingly doomed time slot, the prognosis for 'Fringe''s future is leaning toward the positive ... we think.

"I'm so psyched about it," Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly told Entertainment Weekly. "It does go to show you the loyalty of the genre audience when you get the right show. I'm so grateful to that audience, I'd like to shake their hands. We have a lot of passion for that show here."

Of course, that statement was made before 'Fringe''s second ratings dip in a row. Friday's episode scored a dismal 1.4 rating in the 18–49 demographic, down from 1.6 the week before and 1.9 the week before that, according to TV by the Numbers. We know the network wants the show to succeed, but it's hard to justify keeping it on if the ratings continue to slide at that rate. On the upside, a Fox insider pointed out that after the live plus three-day DVR numbers, 'Fringe' jumped 57 percent in the 18-49 demo -- more than any other show on a broadcast network this season.

Executive producer Jeff Pinkner told TV Squad's own Maureen Ryan after the Friday announcement that he wasn't worried about the time slot.

"No, I don't think it's a death slot at all," Pinkner said in a December email. "Ironically our audience was begging Fox to move us off Thursday night (a death slot of its own), and now they are freaked that Fox is sending us to the guillotine. Truth is, we have a hardcore group of fans there at Fox, and we (and they) are really excited about the stories we have coming up (and not just for this season).

"If our audience follows us to Friday, we may make a home there for a long time. I think I've said this to you before: We never intended to make this show for a massive audience of intermittent fans. It's not that type of show. Not everyone likes licorice -- but people who like licorice, really like licorice. That's who we're making the show for. The licorice lovers. And what better way to start the weekend than with licorice?"

Tell us: Did you follow 'Fringe' to Fridays?

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Eric Brooks

There is a petition to save Fringe at http://www.petitiononline.com/FringeTV/petition.html

March 19 2012 at 11:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric Brooks

I watch it online. As I am certain thousands of fans do. Science fiction attracts fans that use modern technologies, not clunky old TV broadcasts that appear in inconvenient set time slots. Nielsen's should be abandoned for diverse niche marketing and directly following cookies and mouse clicks. The only thing I still use the television for these days is to watch local government broadcasts (because I work in politics) and to watch the progressive network Link TV, which doesn't live stream or webcast its programs.

March 19 2012 at 11:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
aj4jj

No - WE CAN'T LOSE FRINGE!

May 11 2011 at 1:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ishaan Bakshi

i would love to see more of Fringe but im sure if theres a choice between Human Target ,Lie To Me Or Fringe .i would surely only want Human Target

March 09 2011 at 11:05 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
marymb4451

yes, i will follow fringe no matter what day its on!

March 04 2011 at 8:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jdrizzle117

Once it started to compete with Supernatural, there was never a chance I would watch it live...I've actually liked alot of shows Fox has put in the death slot(s) --- TSCC, Dollhouse, Firefly --- but the result is always the same. DVR numbers didn't save those shows (the first two) and they won't save this one, which is really too bad

February 27 2011 at 8:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rosa

Love that Fringe was moved to Friday's. As a big fan of CSI also, it was quite conflicting to try to watch both... I think that Fringe is one of the best shows on TV todate. It has filled a void left by the X-files when it was discontinued. Love the show, the charecters and the whole concept.. I hope it stays on for a very long, long time....

February 27 2011 at 9:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shalin Mangar

Fringe is one of the best tv series I've seen. I'd hate for it to go away.

February 23 2011 at 7:44 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Sntsmith

we love Fringe. Most people go out on Friday and DVR whatever is on that night. Why should the show be canceled because Fox is stupid?
The characters are well rounded, the acting is supurb and the sets are well done. Best thing since Firefly (they were stupid enough to move that to Fridays too!) Use product placement if it's about the money for cripes sake

February 21 2011 at 8:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tserve1135

It would be a shame to cancel Fringe because of the move to Fridays. I love the show and when ever I can't watchit during its normal broadcast,i DVR it. As it is,I record every episode off the internet and then I watch the entire season all at once over the course of the number of consecutive days/nights it takes me. I do this with all shows I like. The X-Files pulled it off. I remember fridays were our date date and we had to move everything up,so we could come home and watch X Files on Fox,and then Homocide;Life on the Street on NBC. Thats the only problem with Fridays for that target Demographic. 18-49 look forward to Friday all week,to blow off steam from the week,so they are not home watching TV. I find that I usually don't FF through the commercials like I thought I would when I DVR something because then it screws up the timing of the live shows and other recordings that I watch at the time along before or after what I recorded. That was the networks big worries about people recording shows. I know some systems automatically blip commercials,but thats what product placement is for,and Fringe is good at it,maybe they should increase it during their filming to make up for the sponspors concerns.

February 20 2011 at 9:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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