Update: I don't buy it, but as of January 27, 2009 -- keep hope alive!
Our most recent update is that the show has been cancelled.
Update: the New York Times chimes in that reports of demise look premature:
Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, said Monday that NBC will now definitely finish the 13 episodes that the network originally ordered — it has 4 more episodes to run — and may order more if the show “grows more.”
The series has always been among the best-rated among high-income households, which NBC likes.
we'd heard rumors last week that the reports of the demise of NBC's Lipstick Jungle were premature, but we figured that was just a bit of gamesmanship until the show wrapped it's 13th and presumably final episode. But now, there may be some fence sitting. James Hibberd has some details:
Yet NBC's stance on the show has indeed moved back on the fence. As demonstrated here, the outcry over "Enemy" being canceled was nearly nonexistent while the outcry over "Lipstick" was impressively vehement (fans are mailing tubes of lipstick to the network). Sources say "Lipstick" backers are doing a full court press -- public and private -- pushing NBC to order more episodes. So Shields' comment is less a reflection of reality then part of an effort to make a reality.
Few of NBC's shows have received this kind of outpouring of positive fan reaction. Does it really want to cancel an underperforming show that's getting such a passionate response?
Another key factor is Friday's episode. It went up 17% in the adult demo from the week before. And last week's episode went up 20%.
Those are big gains ... but they're big gains from small numbers.
Get the full skinny on thrfeed.com, there's also some discussion of NBC only currently having one more airing of LJ on the schedule insead of the five that would be remaining.
My bet is it's cancelled, sorry Brooke.
The show is canceled. I think he says it all with “Shields’ comment is less a reflection of reality than part of an effort to make a reality.”
She wants to save the show. Nothing really new here.
Will we ever move past a time when fans will send ridiculous things to the networks?
Perhaps when the networks start sending them back!
Edit: Brooke is likely quite busy with the VW Routan commercials. Don’t feel too sorry for her.
Lipstick tubes was a good idea its sends the message quite well.
They would stop if the network did this:
“We’re canceling Lipstick Jungle because our mail room was swamped with lipstick from fans. We can’t support shows that treat us so rudely.”
Do that a few times and it will stop.
I’m hearing that NBC is selling those lipsticks to pay ‘Heroes’
Apparently an insider of NBC said (i know i could be wrong) but that this weeks episode could decide the fate of the show. Apparently the main actors think the DVR numbers will save them but surely NBC makes less money from DVR numbers than live.
Fin, sending anything to networks to save a show is stupid.
if the main actors think the DVR numbers will save them…they obvously don’t read our blog.
My spirits are crushed.
I guess all these fans will help with merchandise so it could even out for Liptick Jungle… Remember if this ‘fan base’ does exist surely it would be able to bring back Lipstick Jungle with DVD sales. But then i guess sets would have to be remade i guess.
I WASN’T saying it was intelligent Julia but it was a ‘good’ idea to send lipstick tubes instead of letters; it sends a stronger message if you ask me. And how is sending anything to networks stupid????? Fan reaction has pushed some shows through bad ratings to a full season sometimes. But an e-mail would have been better
The only time fan reaction has “saved” a show was Jericho. The result of that was embarrassing and no network is going to make the same mistake twice. Letters actually are a better idea. If you have something to say, SAY IT! Don’t use a prop to speak for you. If you can’t articulate what it is that drives you to care so much about a show, is it really worth fighting for?
Hope this is true. I really like this show.
Julia, I think Roswell was given a second life on a different network (UPN?) after fans sent in a bunch of hot sauce bottles.
Yeah, I think they may have started it all. And didn’t it only last one extra season anyway? So, again, failure.
Yeah, there was no outcry at all over My Own Worst Enemy. Who does James think he’s kidding?
Boston Legal was brought back to life after being cancelled a few years ago by fan reaction / letters / petitions. Please keep Lipstick Jungle on!!! I love the show!
Jericho isn’t the only other example of a show being saved largely due to viewer protest. I’m pretty sure Cagney & Lacey is another example, though that was a long time ago. But it sure is rare, and for good reason. Where are the viewers when the show NEEDS them? They have to watch “live” to make a real impact. That’s just how it is.
I think LJ is terrible, but I enjoy watching it simply because it entertains me. Do I want to see it stick around? Sure. I don’t think it will, though.
If shows leave on a cliffhanger, like Jericho did at the end of the first season, they should expect such passionate support for more episodes. But when it is nicely resolved like all final episodes should be, i’m content, and i’m sure many other people are.
Julia, I take offense to your declaration of the “Jericho” NUTS campaign bringing “embarrassing” results to CBS. Thanks to the impact of passionate fans, CBS agreed to produce only seven more episodes. After several months off the air, the network premiered the new eps while TV viewing was down, in general, due to the the writers’ strike. CBS also placed the show in the Tuesday at 10 EST timeslot that, to quote Matt Roush of TV Guide, “has killed every show since Judging Amy.” When ratings weren’t what CBS had hoped (although better than LJ or MOWE on NBC this year!), CBS hid behind the Nielsen shield to cancel the program altogether.
On a side note, CBS finally has decent total viewer numbers in that Tuesday slot-o-death. However, with the demographics considered, “Without a Trace” has been hanging around the Renew or Cancel Index. I think they’ll cling to WAT for dear life, as it’s the only CBS show since…well, since Judging Amy!…to break 10 million viewers in that timeslot.
Lastly, I do not consider “one more season” a failure, as you apparently do. Any series that is brought back for closure, due to passionate fan support, is a modest success. Don’t think advertisers don’t notice that a loyal fanbase is more likely to support them then your average couch potato will. I believe Nielsen has tried to quantify this notion, but it’s been too expensive to attempt to see the projects through.