Behold! ABC Family has canceled yet another fan favorite television show.
It was only a matter of time before they spoke up and confirmed the rumors that they would not be renewing Twisted.
Now, let's be honest, it's taken them this long to decide because the show deserves a second shot. However, the real reason was probably because it earned itself a few nominations at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards.
Twisted was up against mega-popular and long-running shows, Switched at Birth and Pretty Little Liars—so its chances of actually winning were always going to be slim to nothing, considering it only had one season under its belt.
As with a lot of shows, it takes a while to pick up on the views and build a strong fan base. The second or third season usually does the trick, right? Or what about after the shows go off air? People find themselves scrolling through Hulu or Netflix, in search of a hot, missed series to binge watch. Actually, it's exactly that. These days, a growing number of people, especially millennials, don't even watch live TV—they watch shows on-line, and often after they've finished airing—which means the show IS being watched, however, that's not reflected by the antiquated ratings system.
But that's show business folks! It may not make any sense to us viewers, but, I guess we just have to leave the decision making up to the professionals. If they don't see the potential in a show due to disappointing ratings, then they have good reason to cancel it.
Unfortunately though, when that does happen, legions of fans are just left hanging—desperate to know the outcome of plot lines that were not resolved at the end of the last season of their favorite show.
A few months ago, Popdust spoke with Jenay, who's heading up the Renew Twisted campaign—and, earlier today, we spoke with Jenay again, as well as fellow Twisted devotee, Sherry—two huge fans, dedicated to ensuring the show's survival.
For months, their campaign has brought fans together, in the hope of raising awareness and changing the minds of ABC Family (which, sadly, didn't turn out as planned). But, they're not taking "no" for an answer—and, the Twisted fight doesn't end here! The campaign continues and they already have over 3,000 people signed up and backing them. Pretty impressive work, girls!
Both Jenay and Sherry spend a good chunk of their time carrying out research—and through that they've discovered other instances of heartbroken fans, left distraught after ABC Family cancelled their favorite show. And, just like Twisted, each of these canceled shows had only aired for one to two and a half seasons. The Lying Game and Ravenswood are two such examples—both shows were not renewed by the network following their first/second season.
Meanwhile, Jenay and Sherry have vowed not to watch any of the shows on the ABC Family network right now—and going forward—because, they explain, they don't want to be left hanging if a favorite new show is suddenly canceled [but how can they NOT tune in weekly to watch The Fosters?!!!]
Now, that's true dedication for you! I mean, ABC Family always has all the best shows for teens and young adults. But, Sherry and Jenay are sticking to their principles—and, despite confirmation that Twisted will not be renewed, the girls are continuing with their campaign. And, it's no longer just about Twisted, they plan on speaking up for ALL fan favorite shows that face an uncertain future.
"It's called fan satisfaction," Jenay tells Popdust, "and fans are not satisfied when shows are not continued and are left with a cliff hanger."
Girl, you can say that again—nobody likes a cliff hanger!
For the past few months, fans have come together to send in fan art and are constantly contacting ABC Family and Netflix. Next in line, they're looking to contact MTV and possibly Hulu. It's not just because they love the show so much, they want to make a change for future shows and the television business in general. They also want to support the Twisted team. A few of the cast members as well as the writers are supporting the campaign 100% and want them to keep it up.
You can follow up with the Renew Twisted campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Every day, fans gather together to complete specific task. The tasks are as follows:
Monday - Contacts Nextflix' Head of Content, Ted Sarandos, via email.
Tuesday - Reaches out to Netflix with the power of social media (Twitter). Tweets the official Netflix accounts with the hashtags #NetflixRenewTwisted and #RenewTwisted
Wednesday - Sends snail mail to Netflix' Head of Content, Ted Sarandos.
Thursday - Stream Twisted on Netflix, rate it 5 stars, and leave a nice comment (plus, encourage them to renew the show).
Friday - Sends the "Renew Twisted" petition to Netflix via Twitter.
"The daily tasks just started this week (Aug. 18). We are planning to keep them going for 4 weeks," Sherry elaborates on the daily tasks, "then re-evaluating if needed." The ideal goal is to convince Netflix to renew this show, and to get fans to come together. They're a doing a superb job and hopefully Netflix reaches out and renews the show.
This is not the first time that ABC Family has left Twisted fans feeling disappointed, originally season 1B was supposed to premiere in January 2014, however it got pushed back to making its debut in February 2014. "There were no advertisements. It was too long of a wait to wait to see the next half of the season. Also, there wasn't an explanation, why Twisted got pushed back a month before airing again. Fans were left confused and disappointed," Jenay says.
The fans don't just want the show to continue for the sake of the cliff hanger, but also because it's a kick-ass show! "The show offers different things to different people. It's just a fun show to watch either alone or with your family," Jenay shares. Viewers get to see a lot of different character perspectives also, "last season, we watched how a character had reacted after accidentally killing his father--we acknowledged his grief and guilt that he felt. We also got to see how certain characters reacted to certain events that happened in their past. There are a lot of different events that happen throughout the season--including, reuniting with friends, starting a new relationship while learning to regain their trust, and more. It's a fun show to watch, so yes, we want it back."
Back in April, when Popdust first spoke with Jenay, the petition to save the show, originally had over 2,000 signatures—today, it has reached its goal with over 10,000 signatures. Fans are hoping that this will stand out to potential companies who can pick up the show. They won't take "no," for an answer.
Avan Jogia, Kylie Bunbury, Maddie Hasson, and the entire cast, deserve a second shot at this show, and the fans think that they can help the show pull through and succeed. Luckily, both Jogia (playing Tut) and Bunbury (playing Sahud) have both landed roles in the new Spike TV miniseries, Tut, to be aired next year. Tut is based on the story of King Tutankhamun.
Twisted deserves a second chance and it's possible that the fans will save this show. Best of luck to the Renew Twisted campaign.
For more updates on Twisted, stay tuned to Popdust.com. Also, feel free to follow @Popdust and @vivianxo67.