For those who feel like they should have more of a say about which TV shows should stick around and which should go, a 31-year-old lifeguard has created a Web site that allows Internet surfers to vote on the current TV schedule.
On Dec. 6, Christopher Burrell launched SaveThatShow.com, thanks to his frustration over the cancellation of the Fox series "The $treet," NBC's "Titans" and CBS' "The Fugitive."
The site allows TV viewers to voice their opinions about their favorite shows, before they're yanked off the air, via a short online form. Burrell then prints the form in letter format and sends it to the appropriate network.
SaveThatShow.com also features series reviews and polls showing whether viewers think a show should be saved as is, or with some retooling. The poll results and suggestions for change are also sent to network executives by e-mail on a monthly basis (although he has yet to hear back from anyone). In less than a month, the site has pulled almost 500 hits.
While broadcast networks typically use Nielsen ratings as one factors behind a show's success, SaveThatShow.com appears to point to the growing feeling that Nielsen numbers may not be so representational of American viewing patterns.
Burrell, who is preparing to attend law school next fall, is currently manning the site full time.
The site only covers new fall season shows at the moment; however, Burrell says he is starting to get requests for older shows, such as UPN's "Roswell" and ABC's "The Mole."
Fans attempting to corrupt the results should beware. Users are allowed to vote only once per day, eliminating ballot-stuffing.
The Web site's top shows to be saved so far are both on Fox the drama "24" and comedy "The Bernie Mac Show."
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