NBC's Constantine has had a shaky season. The ratings are up and down like a roller coaster, and rumors keep telling us that it won't see a second season.
This is in spite of the fact that its ratings are actually better than most people think (although maybe not okay enough for NBC) and that the series is currently a hot topic on social media.
However, the fate of Constantine's second season isn't known yet, as announced yesterday by show producer Daniel Cerone. In fact, that decision now won't be made until May.
.@Dragonpiece NBC made some early pickups but #Constantine not canceled. We'll pitch them our plans for 2nd season in May. Then they decide.
— Daniel Cerone (@DanielVCerone) February 17, 2015
First the bad news: Rumors that the series might go to NBC-owned network Syfy instead (where it probably would score better ratings) are not true. The good news is that it's not too late to save Constantine from the chopping block and get it picked up for a second season. And we can help. Here's how:
Use social media: Talk about the show on social media and use Twitter hashtags #SaveConstantine, #Hellblazers and #Constantine. Discuss it a lot. Social media discussion accounts into network decisions about series. If a network sees that a show is doing well around the Internet water cooler, it does influence the series' status. It is also very likely that the show's current strong social media presence is why NBC hasn't yet canceled it.
#Constantine finale: Social media volume was highest it has been all season (3 episode track: 16K, 21K, 29K). #SaveConstantine #Hellblazers — Daniel Cerone (@DanielVCerone) February 17, 2015
Watch and re-watch the series on all platforms: Although live numbers generally make up the majority of ratings for networks, watching the show online also certainly helps, especially if you watch and re-watch the entire season. Download it from Amazon, iTunes or any other site that offers TV episodes and be sure to catch the last five episodes on Hulu Plus. In fact, Cerone is working on getting the whole first season of Constantine on Hulu.
FYI, all 13 eps of #Constantine avail to buy on Amazon and iTunes. Only last 5 free on NBC and Hulu. Working to make all free for streaming. — Daniel Cerone (@DanielVCerone) February 18, 2015
Tell your international friends: International viewing numbers are important, too, and the delay in canceling Constantine could be because NBC is waiting to see what those ratings turn out to be. International ratings guaranteed a second season for Hannibal, so get your UK and European friends on board.
.@surprisetruck @AmazonVideoUK Thank you. The more international viewers the better. #Constantine #SaveConstantine #Hellblazers — Daniel Cerone (@DanielVCerone) February 17, 2015
.@mmoroca For a studio there are foreign and domestic sales. Foreign sales can drive a series. Keep it on air. Look at #Hannibal for proof. — Daniel Cerone (@DanielVCerone) February 17, 2015
We've come a long way from letter-writing campaigns, haven't we? However, thanks to technology, supporting shows we love is a lot easier, but we still need to make an effort to #SaveConstantine.
There is, however, one deciding factor on whether Constantine gets picked up for a second season. The network is waiting on pitches for pilots for the fall season. Unfortunately, that's out of our control, but we can only hope that those pitches are dissimilar enough (and perhaps just not that good) that Constantine ends up returning for round two.
