Prime Video’s sci-fi masterpiece would not have had the same lasting legacy if it wasn’t for the epic fan campaign that revived it after cancellation.
Fan campaigns do not often succeed. Although fans of canceled shows try to get endless petitions signed and take it to social media to vent their frustration about their beloved show’s cancellation, their outcries are often ignored. Every once in a while, though, a fan campaign is so loud and influential that it effectively manages to revive a show from its deathbed.
One of the best modern sci-fi shows, which is available for streaming on Prime Video, was brought back to life by a similar fan campaign after it was canceled way before its natural conclusion.
The Expanse Was Revived By One Of The Greatest Fan Campaigns In TV History
Image courtesy of Everett Collection
The Expanse earned immense critical acclaim from the beginning itself. However, despite winning over viewers and critics, the show was canceled by SyFy in May 2018, just three seasons into its run. This triggered the inception of one of the greatest fan campaigns of all time.
Driven by the tag #SaveTheExpanse, fans of the show called themselves “Screaming Firehawks” and crowdfunded a plane to fly a banner reading “#SAVE THE EXPANSE” over Amazon Studios’ headquarters in Santa Monica. The plane flew with the banner for four hours (via Space.com).
Over 100K fans even signed a petition on Change.org, requesting the show’s return after season 3. Many influential figures, like European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Patton Oswalt, and George R.R. Martin, also came forward to support the series and campaign surrounding its revival.
The campaign took an even crazier turn when fans of the show raised $4000 and decided to use it to send a 3D-printed model of the Rocinante to the edge of space (via Inquisitr). A picture of this was also posted online (via Reddit).
A fan campaign of this scale was bound to succeed, and it did. Not only did Amazon Prime Video ultimately take over the production of the show’s seasons 4, 5, and 6, but even Jeff Bezos came forward to praise the series. He said (via Forbes),
“I just got word that The Expanse is saved. The show is extraordinary, and these guys are unbelievably talented.”
The Expanse Wouldn’t Have Been Half As Iconic Without Its Revival
The Expanse was incredible even in its first three seasons and was starting to establish a solid legacy for itself in the sci-fi genre. However, compared to its source material, the Prime Video sci-fi show still had many more stories to tell and was only halfway through its runtime. If it wasn’t for the relentless campaign and the eventual revival, Prime Video’s The Expanse would have become another canceled sci-fi series cut short of reaching its full potential.
After its return, The Expanse did not disappoint and delivered one memorable season after another. The sci-fi show also ended its run on Prime Video on a satisfying and conclusive note, ensuring that the campaign did not go to waste.
In this day and age, many incredible sci-fi shows like The Expanse lay dead in the graveyard of premature cancellations. The Expanse’s revival on Prime Video after the intensive campaign gives hope that passionate viewers can still, sometimes, control the fates of their favorite shows.
