Update: 19th November - The article has received a big update including exclusive cast quotes for SpoilerTV, campaign progress, an interview with Xandy Moser who has been pioneering the rally to save the show AND some potentially good news. You can see this at the end of the article.
On November 4, 2014, Lifetime decided to cancel popular show, Witches of East End. What followed next has been remarkable. Campaigns and petitions have started that has caught the attention of celebrities everywhere. I know what you're thinking, petitions never work and it's just all a desperate attempt for fans to resurrect a show that's now joined other cancelled shows in the TV Graveyard. Remember Drop Dead Diva? Lifetime cancelled that show in 2012 which also upset many fans as it was left on a cliffhanger, much like Witches of East End ended on one. Fans rallied for Lifetime to renew Drop Dead Diva with campaigns that attracted much less press attention than Witches has. A month and a half after cancelling Diva, Lifetime renewed the show for a fifth season, and then a final sixth season.
Since Diva's campaigns and petitions weren't half as popular as Witches has been, a growing hope has resonated with fans. This isn't just desperate fans grasping at straws, this is the amazing fanbase of a show gone too soon reaching out to a network known for making a hasty decision to then backtrack and do the right thing. Fans of this amazing show need more episodes. There are so many stories left to tell that even if Lifetime give us a final season to resolve cliffhangers and give us a proper series finale, that's really not enough. Witches has enough material to last several more years, three seasons just wouldn't be enough.
In 23 episodes, so much happened on East End that it's hard to believe the journey has been cut short. With over half a million fans on Facebook, the cancellation pretty much came as a shock to everyone. Here's the ultimate show survival guide, hoping that Lifetime will listen to the fans and #RenewWitchesofEastEnd!
If you haven't already, sign this petition to renew the show. It's attracted so much attention from everyone and it's breaking every goal it sets every day. With almost 65,000 signatures at the time of this article, here is the link to the petition. Also, when you can, use the hashtag #RenewWitchesofEastEnd and tweet it to @lifetimetv and/or @20thcenturyfox. The campaign is on fire.
1. Witches is Popular
Ratings don't reflect the popularity of the show and boy, is Witches popular! This isn't fan excuse bingo. Lifetime UK aires the show and every single week, Witches is the #1 show of the entire week on the network. Lifetime UK is a subsidiary of Lifetime, and lets be honest, Nielsen ratings in the United States alone are so unreliable. Take into account how many fans this show has and how vocal they are, especially on Facebook and Twitter, there are literally millions of people who simply adore this show. A lot of celebrities are fans too and even they have been vocal about people signing the petition, from the Charmed Ones to Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself. Stars of classic cult favourites love the show too - hear them roar!
2. The Storylines
When you have a show that's literally worth watching every single week, that's when you know you have a true gem on your hands. Even in its weakest moments, Witches still outshined most television shows. Fortunately, weak moments were rare and only happened when the show needed to wind down from something major that had just happened. And wow, the show had major life-changing moments. Can we just go back and remember that time when Ingrid (Rachel Boston) and Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) were hanging from a tree in their back garden to have Joanna (Julia Ormond) and Wendy (Mädchen Amick) find them? Chills. Witches worked best when it had those moments of pure magic and devastation, which almost happened weekly. The show amplified just how great it could be, pushing the envelope in season two. I don't even think the show has quite cracked its potential yet, so we need to have about five more seasons at least to really let this show thrive. 23 episodes is not enough to leave us with, especially with exciting storylines we're left hanging with (for example, Wendy in the Underworld with Helena, Dash swapping his soul and putting it in Killian, Ingrid is pregnant! etc.)
3. The Romance
When it comes to great loves on television of the past decade, one of the most thrilling has been Freya and Killian's (Daniel Di Tomasso) epic love story. It hasn't been an easy ride and the couple still haven't managed to actually be happy together for five minutes. Now, Dash (Eric Winter) is inhabiting Killian's body which Freya hasn't even noticed yet! For those who have criticised this because Freya can see Killian's soul so she should have been able to tell, my theory is that she can't see Dash's soul because they're not star-crossed lovers. She can see Killian's body but she can't see Dash. If she takes one look at Dash (who is now locked up and will probably never be visited by Freya) she will see Killian's soul. Dashian (who I am calling Dash in Killian's body) will have to fight hard to keep Freya from seeing his real body with Killian's soul inside or it will blow the whole thing wide open. Can you imagine how fun this storyline will be? Anyway, the love in this show is epic and with more seasons under its belt, this love could be just about Piper-Leo epic but with a dash more excitement. Not even sorry for that pun.
4. The Strong Characters
It's rare to get relatable, strong characters on television these days. We have some amazing shows out there with great characters and what helps Witches thrive is the colourful cast of characters. We have Joanna who is an experienced, bad-ass witch, Aunt Wendy who, let's be honest, we all want as our aunt. She's the polar-opposite of Joanna but, being sisters, they always come to a mutual understanding and work together and when they work together, well, magic happens. Freya is beautiful and strong and Ingrid is clever and courageous, both sisters echoing their mother and aunt to mirror image the sisterly bond that is the underlining theme of the show. This show is about sisters and the strength of family. It's about female empowerment and standing up for what you love. Well fans are standing up for what they love and we want to see this family grow and develop. We love this family and we want to forever be a part of it.
It's not all just about the women though as we have Dash and Killian, two brothers that juxtapose the sisterly bond that Ingrid and Freya have. They are basically brothers at war and we see two males struggle to love and protect each other. The development of them both as wedges come between them has been amazing to watch. We want to see what happens next with these brothers and really root for family to win in the end.
Lest not forget Joanna's bisexuality. These characters are complex and totally three-dimentional. Best of all, they're real. If they could explore those characters more and have this influential LGBT presence in the show, then we seriously would have a strong cast of characters.
5. The Villains
Come on! Witches has already had a plethora of amazing villains already and one thing that we can be sure about if Witches gets more years is that there will be more to come. 2 seasons and 23 episodes we have had Penelope (Virgina Madsen), the Mandragora (Anthony Konechny), Isis Zurka (Rachel Nichols), Mason Tarkoff (James Marsters) and King Nikolaus (Steven Berkoff). That's just to name a few, and we even have some mini-villains that presented some conflicts for our main characters, such as Eva (Bianca Lawson) and Raven Moreau (Sarah Lancaster). Season 2 ended with Wendy in the Underworld surrounded by fire where Helena, Wendy's and Joanna's sister, presents herself. Could she be a villain? There are so many magical beings and creatures that could become villains in season three and beyond, so we need to see these while resolving current villain situations a.k.a. Tarkoff being stuck in the past and is the King really gone for good?
6. Star Power, Possible Charmed Reunion?
Countless celebrites have backed this show to be renewed and have displayed their disgust at its cancellation. From Hollywood heartthrob Channing Tatum to Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar, William Shatner and Snooki, there is a very long list of star power backing the show. And if the campaigns do work, we might have a Charmed reunion on our hands. On Twitter and Instagram, Holly Marie Combs (Piper from Charmed) posted a screenshot from the Charmed episode 'All Hell Breaks Loose' (an episode I covered a couple of weeks ago for Throwback Thursday) of Prue and Piper when they find out they've been exposed as witches on television with the caption "Witches be like... they cancelled what?" Rachel Boston replied asking her and Shannen Doherty (Prue) to play with them on East End if the campaign works, and Holly is definitely up for it. Since Holly and Shannen are best buds and Shannen has also been vocal about renewing the show, we could potentially see two of the most influential witches on television show up in East End for season three. Who the hell wouldn't want that?
7. The Cliffhangers
I already touched on Dash and Killian swapping souls and Wendy ending up in the Underworld with Helena, but what about the other cliffhangers we were left with? Joanna has just lost her sister, not long after losing her children before they were resurrected. What is she going to do next? This loss must be a devastating blow for her and it paves way for some very dramatic, emotional scenes going forward. Not only that, but she doesn't even know Frederick has been stabbed by an unknown assailant! Who killed Freddy, and is he really dead? Is the King really gone for good? Ingrid is pregnant too, but who is the father, Dash or the Mandragora? Can you imagine what will happen when Freya finds out Ingrid slept with Dash? Also, how is Tarkoff going to get out of the past, or will he die when his time is up? Will Freya find out about Dash's betrayal, and will Wendy get out of the Underworld? These questions are killing the fans, literally! We don't just want answers, we need to see them unfold! Just from these questions alone we can sense that season three could be the best season yet. At the end of season one, we weren't left with as many mind-blowing questions, but season two delivered above and beyond expectations and season three could continue that upward trend.
8. The Wendy-isms
A lot of the time, some of the best parts of an episode came from Aunt Wendy. Mädchen Amick has never been funnier, nor more beautiful, than in Witches. She's a phenomenal actress and the show is definitely not wasting her talent. She helps provide some comic relief to some pretty tense situations without ever turning Wendy into a clown. She was never over-the-top. You know when you watch a character and you just know they're trying too hard to be funny? Well, Wendy was the opposite. She didn't even have to try, the Wendy-isms just rolled from her tongue. She was just as bad-ass as Joanna, if not more so, and we have a lot more to see from Wendy. Now she's in the Underworld, we can expect some pretty great things from her. Come on Lifetime, let's not waste a truly remarkable character here. Everybody loves Wendy!
Joanna: This morning I was watching Frederick sleep...
Wendy: Okay, that's not creepy
Brutally honest and so true.
9. The Best Witch Show Since Charmed
Not very many shows are solely focused on witches. Right now, I guess we only have Salem on WGN America, but that's more like a historical look at the Salem Witch Trials but insanely fictionalised. I do love Salem, but Witches of East End provided the true magic power of empowering witches. They had magic spells and magic potions and magic books and it was magic, magic, magic. There were recurring villains as well as one-time enemies that really made the show come to life. There are similarities to Charmed, of course, but Witches was unique. It had everything you needed in a witch-y show and more. It was the absolute perfect replacement to Charmed and there is a huge gap in the market for witch shows. I'd love to see more materialise, like how quickly superhero shows are cropping up, but if we could have Witches of East End back, that would be all we'd need. While I would also absolutely love my beloved Eastwick back too, it's a little too late for that considering the last day of filming Eastwick was on November 16, 2009. The cast and crew have moved on (though I still haven't) but it's not too late for Witches. The cast still want to do more and the crew, oh the crew are so proud of their show and so they should be that they would love to give the fans what they want for years to come. If Witches could get more seasons under its belt, it seriously could be up there with Charmed as one of the best witch shows of all-time. 178 episodes of Witches of East End would be a dream come true (and still not enough episodes, in my opinion).
10. The Wonderful Writing Staff
Witches has always been praised for its stellar cast, but what about the people who work so hard to make those characters come to life through the scripts? Led by the incredible Maggie Friedman, the writing for the show has increasingly become better over time. Season one was amazing, no doubt about it, but season two was just mind-blowing. If they continued to write a third season, we'd probably die from how amazing it would be by the end of it. Not enough credit has been given to the sensational writing power behind the show. I will never forget the interview I had with Maggie Friedman (which you can read here from August) as she shed some light on what it is a writer does for the show. They put their all into each episode they write and they shouldn't be stopped at 23 episodes. They love what they do for the show and we love what they do for the show. They have come up with some of the best scenes shown on TV this year as well as develop their characters in a way some other television writers can't seem to do. A huge thank you from me and the fans to the writing staff of Witches of East End. We give you our gratitude for an amazing job well done.
To name names: Maggie Friedman, Richard Hatem, Turi Meyer, Al Septien, Debra J. Fisher, Shelley Meals, Darin Goldberg, Akela Cooper, Yolonda E. Lawrence, Josh Reims, Ron Milbauer and Terri Hughes-Burton. They all wrote at least one episode of the show and they all did an incredible job.
11. The Show (and Fans) Deserve So Much More
Don't we just hate it when a show we love gets cancelled and you realise that is literally all you're going to get from the show? It isn't so bad when a show has ten seasons under its belt and hundreds of episodes, but Witches is just getting started. We can already tell that the show is nowhere near done and there needs to be so much more. The fans love the show and its characters so we deserve more. The cast deserves more. The crew deserves more. If Lifetime won't house the show, then the show deserves a home where we will get so much more. I can imagine the show lasting a nice long time on Netflix considering how popular the show is online and abroad. Can you imagine all 13 episodes of season three premiering at the same time for you to watch straight away? Then we'd get a fourth season, fifth season etc. Man, I'm just so excited to imagine the possibilities! There are other networks that could broadcast the show, but my number one ideal home for Witches is Netflix.
12. The Positive Role Models and Ideals
The show delivered a very positive message. Love your family. Stick by them through the good times and the bad. Be there for them when you need them most. Be there for your friends and always help them out whenever they get into trouble. The main female characters were role models - Joanna, Wendy, Ingrid and Freya - as they loved one another and always did their best to help each other and their friends. We need more shows like that on our screens that showcases the good side of human nature. We have so many shows with bad role models that might be entertaining to watch, but they don't send out a positive message. Witches was all about family and sisters and friendship. It had the magic and the excitement, but the roots of the show will always be staying true to the roots of your family.
13. Renewing the Show is The Right Thing To Do!
I could talk about Witches of East End all day long. Nobody can say Witches of East End should have been cancelled. Story-wise, the quality was outstanding. There is story and material worth dozens more seasons that makes this cancellation all the more heartbreaking. There is too much potential to just be wasted here. This isn't just a love letter to the show, but it's yet another plea to Lifetime to renew the show. With so much buzz, executives high up are really hearing us fans. We are making a difference with every passing day and this is my contribution to help save the show. Remember, it's not too late to revive the show. It can be done. I am absolutely amazed already at the amount of love shown the past week from fans worldwide. We can do it. We will do it!
Don't forget to sign this petition!
Updates to the Ultimate Guide
Within the past week, so much has changed in the Witches of East End community that I had to update my Ultimate Guide, otherwise it wouldn't really be that ultimate. This is the definitive article regarding everybody's favourite magical show and since this article went viral on Twitter last week and has amassed tens of thousands of views already, including views from cast members Rachel Boston and Jenna Dewan-Tatum, it was time to update this article.
Since I originally posted this article on November 13, the petition has attracted 10,000 more signatures in a week. The support and love from the fanbase has continued to shine brilliantly and those fan efforts have not gone unrewarded - German fan Xandy Moser (you can follow her on Twitter here) has rallied fans relentlessly, including myself, to really get involved with the major campaigning that is really helping to save the show. Xandy attracted the attention of the show's stars and released a video that perfectly demonstrated the love felt by the fans as well as what fans are doing to save the show (you can view this video on YouTube here). I interviewed her to get insight on the campaigns as well as the effect the show has had on her which you can read further down.
Plus, there's been some major progress in terms of the campaigns including some ominous but potentially positive news for a possible renewal. Keep on reading witches!
Exclusive Quotes from the Talent Behind the Show
Stars of the show have been so vocal of their show on social media platforms, from joining in the hashtag campaigns to reaching out to the fans that are doing all they can to save the show. In other words, they're proud of what the show achieved and are grateful that so many fans are dedicating their time to petition and campaign. We seriously could not have asked for a more wonderful cast and crew. They have thanked the fans countless times for their support, but it's the cast that need to be thanked too - they're reaching out to us, they're interacting with us and without them, we probably wouldn't be as noticed either.
With the help of Xandy, SpoilerTV managed to get some exclusive quotes for the site as the cast demonstrates their love and gratitude to the fans. A huge thank you also to Melissa de la Cruz, the writer of the Witches of East End books, for compiling the quotes together for use on our site and providing us her own gratitude.
"The love and support from the Witches of East End fans continues to blow us away and renews our faith that storytelling matters, strong female characters matter, and messages about faith and hope matter. I love this family. I love this story. And to be part of a show that has inspired and touched so many people's hearts is a true blessing." - Rachel Boston
"The support from the fans has been overwhelming and amazing. This show is special to me and it makes me so happy to witness their passion!” - Jenna Dewan-Tatum
"I think we're all blown away by the #RenewWitchesOfEastEnd campaign. The passion and commitment of the fans is humbling.” - Daniel Di Tomasso
"I would love it if the fans were successful in getting our show picked up because not only could I continue to work with this incredibly special cast but it would be a testament to how important and powerful fans are!" - Mädchen Amick
"We all know television is a business but we are also in the business of telling stories that inspire the human spirit. And although it may take a little time, it’s important to have faith that the audience will find you if you keep telling these stories. The support and passion of the Witches fans from around the world shows that there is a huge audience out there ready and waiting. I’ve heard that our numbers did not truly reflect our viewership, since we had one of the youngest audiences Lifetime ever had, and our viewers were not being counted correctly. A few industry veterans told me they have never seen such a strong and passionate fan response to a cancellation. Many shows that became pop culture touchstones like My So Called Life and Freaks and Geeks were canceled after one season and we were lucky enough to have two. There aren’t that many shows that focus on the lives of women and the bonds of sisterhood. It was a show that was dear to many of our hearts, and if Lifetime does not pick it up, hopefully it will find a new home somewhere else. We have a strong and dedicated fan base, won’t someone adopt us?" - Melissa de la CruzIt's evident through these statements from the cast and Melissa for SpoilerTV that these are passionate people working hard to give the fans exactly what they want. Mädchen hit the nail on the head when she said a renewal would be a testament to how important and powerful the fans are. We have worked so hard to be noticed by the people in charge to get this show picked up and if we do get a season three, it will be because the fans and cast have worked their asses off to make it happen. It shows just how important that interaction with the fans can be and that a show is basically nothing without them.
Melissa was also insanely correct about television being in the business of telling stories. How can a network be so narrow-minded to not consider the millions of fans that watch the show from all around the world that don't reflect the initial dated Nielsen ratings? After all, as I mentioned earlier, the show is #1 every single week (for the entire week) on Lifetime UK and continued to be until its series finale. We watch a show for the story, for the characters, yet even when a show is as popular as Witches, when a network cancels it without resolution or warning, it's just rude to not even consider that fans actually need closure. To cut short a show that's blooming creatively and so early in its prime was the major slap in the face that the fans did not need.
A wonderful thank you to Jenna for tweeting out the article last week and calling it awesome. My deepest gratitude to Rachel who reached out to me following the publication of this article to show her appreciation and helping the article become viral. I want her to know, and the rest of the cast and crew, that I will do anything and continue to do everything for them and this show. They mean so much to me and the millions of fans worldwide.
Is There Seriously Hope for Season 3?
A big fat YES to that! Fans are continuing to rally and support their favourite show. So much so that it has caught the attention of the big executives. How do we know this? That's all thanks to the continuing contact Mädchen Amick has with her fans on Twitter. She mentioned a little while ago that the big executives were watching, which sparked a flame of hope in the hearts of fans everywhere, motivating us to really do our best to get this show renewed.
But, just recently, as in only several hours ago, Mädchen tweeted some ominous but hopeful news.
#Coven gathering...& we heard some promising rumors, all becuz of ur hard work! Keep it up #witchEEs theyr watching!! pic.twitter.com/PDA70ulhI1
— Mädchen Amick (@auntwendythecat) November 19, 2014
Can I be the first to run out of my house naked and scream at the top of my lungs at how absolutely amazing this tweet made me feel? This is amazing progress, even the cast are excited about it! Do you know what that means? We're making an impact. We are keeping hope alive and it's all thanks to the acknowledgment of the cast and crew. They really are watching and you know what, considering Longmire has just officially been renewed by Netflix for a fourth season, we really do have something to be hopeful for. Longmire's petitions reached around 4,000 signatures. Witches is on nearly 75,000! Mädchen also tweeted not too long ago about there being hope and nodding to the Longmire campaign. I mentioned earlier that Netflix would be the perfect home for Witches of East End and if the tweet Mädchen sent out about the "promising rumors" has anything to do with a possible pick-up from Netflix, then I and the millions of fans worldwide will rejoice and celebrate and be the happiest fans in the whole entire world. I'd also be able to say "told you so", but I swear I'm not that kind of person... well...
Long story short, fans have something to be hopeful for and their hope is completely justified. We may just need a little more patience, but if Netflix can pick-up Longmire, then they surely can pick-up Witches of East End too. It would be the perfect Christmas miracle for everybody. To Netflix, if you're reading this, please pick up this remarkable show. It would mean the world and more to everybody involved - the cast, the crew and the millions of adoring fans.
The Campaigns and the Fan Behind Them
Meet the woman who has helped the show in more ways than most. While every single fan has helped this show by tweeting, signing the petition and so much more, there is one who has been one of the most vocal and influential in the fan community. Her name is Xandy Moser. Originating from Germany, I first interacted with her on Twitter after she uploaded her inspired video on YouTube. She included my article on her video description as well as supporting my article when it circulated the Twitter fandom. All in all, this woman is incredible. She has helped keep the spirit alive in a lot of the fans as time has passed on since the show's cancellation, helping find new ways to campaign for the show's survival and providing much-needed morale for everybody.
It was no surprise that Xandy received recognition from some of the cast for her efforts. She deserves to be recognised for her continued support efforts, from coming up with brilliant new ways to get the campaign noticed to being an inspiring figure for us fans. She caught the attention of Mädchen Amick and Rachel Boston, both supporting and showing her the love she truly deserves. I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with Xandy to provide some much-needed insight into the campaigns. I also delved into what the show means to her and ways that you can get involved in the successful campaigns.
SPOILERTV: When you received the news that Witches of East End was cancelled, what ran through your head?
XANDY: Well, when I received the news I was pretty much half asleep. I woke up and saw that I had a message from a friend on Skype. I opened the conversation and it only said “I've got my torches and pick axe where are you”, and at first I didn't really know what was going on. But then I had a really bad feeling, so I checked Tumblr, which is pretty much my best source for news like this. And I immediately saw that I had been right about my bad feeling. The first thing that ran through my mind was a very strong “No”. Simply that. I'd already had a bad day the day the show got cancelled and I had watched the show on Netflix to cheer me up, like I do a lot! So hearing, or rather reading about the cancellation had me upset and devastated. I pretty much went on a very long rant to the friend who delivered the news and threw arguments at her why it shouldn't have been cancelled. Everyone had been so optimistic and we both just simply couldn't believe it.
SPOILERTV: What made you get involved with the campaigns to try and save the show?
XANDY: The show is something that over the past year has become something incredibly important to me on so many levels and in so many ways. So when I saw that the petition to renew the show had about 2,900 signatures, I began spreading it like wildfire. I sent the link to all my Skype contacts asking them to sign, I made a huge post on Tumblr, called other fanbases to spread it and help us, mentioning how it could be THEIR favourite show and how they would like people to help them if that was the case. I spread it around, I put it into different inboxes as well, hoping people would be willing to help and spread the post and sign the petition. And they have! As of now, the Tumblr post has reached about 650 notes and I am very proud and grateful for that.
SPOILERTV: What have you done so far to try and save Witches Of East End?
XANDY: So much! I started with spreading the petition around. After that, I was part of Twitter rallies to try and get the hashtag #RenewWitchesOfEastEnd trending. Shortly after, I began planning rallies myself, which have all went pretty well so far. People then started reaching out to me, asking me if I had any more rallies planned. Just today I organized another one. I then reached out to fans via Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, asking them to send me a selfie or short video of themselves for a video project I was doing to put the whole campaign together in one video, which I finished a few days ago. I spread the projects and rallies around on the different social media websites, as well as keeping fans on Facebook and Tumblr updated on the progress. I've sent a few pretty long letters to Lifetime and Netflix as well as to another few networks, hoping to gain their attention. I have called Lifetime myself and spoke to Nina Leberman on the phone, who was extremely surprised that I was calling from Germany and told me that Witches Of East End fans will have to call the viewer relations department and leave a message about the show ((212) 424-7122). I am an admin of the Bring Back Witches Of East End Facebook page and I have now started working on a blog/website about our campaign, which should be up by the end of the week. I have organised another project where I asked fans to send postcards from where they live to the Lifetime viewer relations department, showing them we come from all over the world and that there are so many fans who truly care about this show. For all the projects, rallies and now for the website, I have been working on graphics in Photoshop, and I have also set up a press kit about the campaign, where I list every article, every rally, every project and everything that has to do with the campaign altogether. All in all, I have worked very hard every day since the show got cancelled and I am not planning on stopping until either there really is not a single spark of hope left, or until we succeed, which I am hoping will happen. I have been encouraging fans who have been on the edge of losing hope, telling them to not give up and that we can do this if we believe we can. All in all, I have a very good feeling about this.
SPOILERTV: How has the support been from Witches of East End fans since you began helping out?
XANDY: Absolutely amazing! Everyone has been so supportive and we have truly become one big family, trying to save something we all really care about. They spread the word about rallies and projects, they cheer me and each other up when they're close to losing hope. They truly have been wonderfully sweet and absolutely amazing and super supportive! As soon as a new project or rally is announced they work on spreading the word like crazy and they really all do their very best to help out in every way they can. Many of them reach out to me and ask me if I have more things planned and keep being super supportive and tell me that if I need anything or if they can help me in any way, I should just reach out to them. Same with friends who don't even watch the show. So many friends have been supporting me. Of course there are also some people who are not as happy for me and get jealous and try working against me — if you are good at something or successful, there will unfortunately always be those people, no matter what you're doing. But those really are the minority and I am very happy about all the support and love the Witches Of East End fans are spreading.
SPOILERTV: You mentioned that Rachel Boston (Ingrid) and Mädchen Amick (Wendy) have both reached out to you. How did that feel and what is it they did to contact you?
XANDY: To be fair, I was the one reaching out to Mädchen first. With my video project, I gave out an email for people to send me their videos and selfies to and I got an email from Mädchen's sister, expressing her support for everything I am doing. I have to admit, as thrilled as I was, for a moment I was sceptical, because there are just so many people out there who like to mess with people. Over the internet, someone could send me an email saying they're Angelina Jolie and I wouldn't be able to really know if it was them (which honestly, that wouldn't really happen, let's be real). So I reached out to Mädchen to ask her if it truly was her sister who emailed me and she eventually confirmed it. However, eventually Mädchen directed me towards someone who had done a lot for the “LongLiveLongmire” campaign, where Netflix is currently in negotiations about picking up the show [Update: now officially picked up] after it got cancelled. She directed me to them for guidance to get the most out of the campaign, so I also messaged them and really got some very good tips.
With Rachel, however, it was very different. I was extremely surprised when she reached out to me and followed me. I mean, how often does it happen that two of the main actresses of your favorite show follow you on Twitter? I was thrilled and yes, nervous. I couldn't exactly believe it to be completely honest with you. I kind of waited for the moment where I would wake up and realise it was all a dream. But that moment didn't come and sometimes it's still hard to believe. However, both of the actresses have been extremely supportive and wonderfully encouraging. Their love towards their fans really is something that keeps me going day by day and shows me what I am doing this for and why I am doing this. Even if I never got the chance to really speak to them personally, knowing that I have had some kind of effect on them really is something that makes me extremely happy and proud. It shows me that no matter what, something good always comes out of something bad. And should the campaign not be successful, I at least know I did everything in my power and know that Mädchen and Rachel and maybe also some other cast members know that as well.
SPOILERTV: What’s next for you in terms of campaigning?
XANDY: Oh, trust me, I keep coming up with new ideas! Haha! Well, just today I have set new dates for new rallies, and ones those are over, you can be sure I will be planning new ones. Other than that, I am working on a blog/website where I am putting everything about the campaign together. Plus, I am still helping to keep the Bring Back Witches Of East End Facebook page alive and running and I am constantly searching for new project ideas! So if anyone has one, they should totally feel free to send me their suggestions via e-mail (savewoee@gmail.com) or tweet me so I can continue organizing. We won't let Lifetime get off the hook that easily, that much is for sure!
SPOILERTV: Is there anything you would like to say to the people who have helped you and the show receive the much-deserved publicity it has received?
XANDY: Yes. A big 'Thank You' to everyone who has been so supportive! I may have organized and worked very hard on things, but it's also a fact that without each and every one of the fans, I wouldn't have been able to do that. They are truly pulling together like one huge family and it really warms my heart to see so much love within the whole fanbase. So thank you, WitchEEs, for making this a one of a kind experience. And please remember, no matter the outcome, something good always comes out of something bad. No matter the outcome, we became one big family and that alone is something I am incredibly grateful for!
SPOILERTV: What does Witches of East End mean to you?
XANDY: The most important things are always the hardest to describe. But to say at least, it means more to me than any other TV show ever did before. Everything about this show has inspired me and helped me on a very deep level. I suffer from Clinical Depression, I'm on medication against that, and have been going through an extremely rough patch in my life. And it may sound silly, but this show has cheered me up, kept me going and showed me that there is always something to live for and always someone who cares about you. It showed me that family bond is something incredibly important and that trust and love can get you through so much and through so many rough patches. It cheered me up when I was down; it always brought me back up when I was feeling extremely discouraged or insecure. Every single one of the characters has those special traits that just kept me going. May it be Wendy's constant snark, Ingrid's adorable way of being the little nerd of the family, Freya's constant love triangles or Joanna's way of rolling her eyes or being all-in-all very, how would most of us fans say, badass. Every Sunday I looked forward to a new episode - it was always the highlight of my week. Witches Of East End is without a second thought and hands down my favorite show and something incredibly special and unique. It's a one-of-a-kind show and it truly has everything. Strong female characters, trust, love, hope, magic, an amazing bisexual main character, family, friendship, as well as loss and grief. Witches Of East End is a show that had me on the edge of my seat every single week with every new episode, it had me excited when something good happened to the characters, it had me in tears when something bad happened. It had me hoping it would all be alright in the end. There was a lot of pain involved, but it was okay, because Witches Of East End always made up for it with jokes, quips and a lot of familial love. It has so many fans all over the world and I am sure I am not the only person this show has helped a lot. It deserves so much more than only twenty-three episodes in two seasons. I am so very thankful for everything this show and its cast has done. They truly deserve more than just a huge thank you for everything the cast and crew put into this show to provide us fans with such an amazing experience to go through with all the characters. As I already said in my video — sometimes we just all need a little magic. That was exactly what the show gave us and that is why I won't stop fighting for it.
A huge thank you to Xandy for her interview with SpoilerTV. And just a footnote, every single fan has helped in some way. You all have been inspiring and amazing. Thank you to you all.
Just Some Closing Words
Just to finish off this jumbo article, I wanted to quickly say my gratitude for the support and love shown to me by the many fans of the show since I first published this. I was overwhelmed by the tweets demonstrating the sheer gratitude of you guys. I got such lovely messages and I was so happy to hear I somehow managed to spread hope and love too. That was exactly what I hoped for - to make an impact in order to help the show and to give fans a flicker of hope that they are not alone. United, we can do this. You guys alone made this article a viral success! With the help of stars Rachel Boston and Jenna Dewan-Tatum, we really put SpoilerTV on the map for backing this wonderful show that meant so much to a lot of people. I didn't write this article because it's my job, I wrote it because I love this show too and I want to do everything humanly (or witch-ingly) possible to give the fans, cast and crew what they deserve - more Witches of East End.
Thank you for reading my article and be sure to do all you can to support this campaign.
Our voices are being heard! Spread the love and let's get Witches of East End renewed! Be sure to leave a comment and share this article with fellow fans.