This is a letter to the editor in response to an article by Darren Sumner entitled, Let's Stop Spoiling Stargate, submitted on July 5th, 2004:
I'm writing this letter in response to Darren Sumner's column, "Let's Stop Spoiling Stargate." To put it in a nutshell, Mr. Sumner hit the nail right on the head.
If we want an example of the detrimental effect that spoilers have on a series, we have only to turn to the Star Trek franchise. Shows such as "Star Trek," "Star Trek The Next Generation," Star Trek Deep Space Nine," and the several successful movie adaptations of the original and next generation series set the tone for the scifi genre for decades.
That was then, this is now. Today, the Star Trek franchise has, to say the least, faltered.
Yes, you can point fingers at people such as Berman and Braga; but really, they are just part of the problem. The other part of the problem is the obsessive fan base that demands to have foreknowledge of each and every upcoming episode in that franchise.
Every episode is foreknown, picked over, critiqued, bad-mouthed and, ultimately, "spoiled," by fans who just "HAVE TO KNOW" what is going to happen next down to the last jot and tittle of the script. You think it's tough being the President of The United States? Try living your life under the microscope of millions of obsessive fans who pour mail and email into a studio at the slightest rumor appearing on the Internet. At least the President gets to make a mistake first before being nitpicked and lambasted. Writers, directors, producers and actors, unfortuantely, do not have that luxury.
With the ascendency of the Internet, spoilers have become widely available and easily obtainable. The complete storyline of Star Trek 10, for example, was known to fans at least a full year before the movie was even released. Before one scene was filmed, fans were already pouring over sections of the script, line-by-line, like a dog worrying a bone. It was then that I realized how bad the problem had become.
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Article comments
1 - Nyx
Yes, stop the spoilers. Leave us alone so we can make bad tv like we always have. All these fans picking over the show just means we have to work harder and make good scripts. We don't like it. What? You think we became tv writers because we're good writers? If that were the case we would all be writing books. Sheeesh. You would think the opinions of fans actually matters.
2 - David Flanagan
You would think the opinions of fans actually matters.
Well, to put it simply, without fans you don't have a show and not listening to those same fans would be foolish. With that said, spoilers do little to enhance the success of any given show.
I believe they do far more damage than good, because they ruin any sense of anticipation as to what might be happening in upcoming episodes. Instead, fans already know the script and have formulated a series of opinions on what they can expect, what they like, what they hate, and what they think SHOULD have been done.
When these "spoiled" fans DO see the show, they are almost always disappointed. And thus begins a negative cycle which does nothing to help the quality of the show but manages to assure that the show's producers have many more headaches to deal with than just producing the show (a daunting enough task as it is).
Fans can and do have opportunities for input. Some fans even write whole episodes and submit them for consideration. But fans who read scripts from an episode before the thing is even in the can then proceed to critique it in tortuous detail are basically self-appointed armchair critics.
They have no idea what they are talking about, no understanding of the production process, but they think they can tell the producers of this highly successful show how to do their jobs. Yeah, that'll work.
It's worked beautifully for the whole Star Trek franchise, hasn't it?
David
3 - Nyx
I would say that half of the fanfic is better than any Star Trek show since Next Generation.
Stargate sucks. It could only be improved by fans. Mostly because it couldn't possibly get any worse. And yet it lingers on and on when shows like Firefly and Angel get cancelled.
4 - David Flanagan
Stargate sucks. It could only be improved by fans.
Well Nyx, thank you for your insightful commentary. I'm sure all those millions of Stargate fans will be very disappointed to learn of your findings. Its so good of you to speak up on our behalf.
Keep up the good work.
David
5 - Nyx
Was that supposed to be sarcasm? Either it wasn't or you just aren't very good at it.
Maybe you should just stick to the straight lines, ok?
6 - David Flanagan
Maybe you should just stick to the straight lines, ok?
No problem. Let me restate in plain english...
And we should take your opinion of Stargate seriously because? No, sorry, that is sarcasm again.
Who the hell cares that you don't like Stargate? You are entitled to your opinion, more power to you, but this show has millions of loyal fans of which I am one.
As for good scifi shows that were cancelled, one of the best in the past two decades, "Space: Above and Beyond," was cancelled after just one season! Life is tough.
David
7 - Nyx
Yes, Space: Above and Beyond was a great show. I loved it...still waiting for the dvd.
But as for opinions, who cares about mine? Well, who cares about yours? This is a discussion about opinion, after all. I thought that's what we were talking about, opinions. If you want to stick to just the facts then you should never have posted in the first place.
8 - chris mankey
Well Nyx, thank you for your insightful commentary. I'm sure all those millions of Stargate fans will be very disappointed to learn of your findings. Its so good of you to speak up on our behalf.
Keep up the good work.
David
Gee ok! Stargate is kind of like the episode of the original star trek when they ran into apollo but week after week for nine boring years. Keep up the good work!
9 - J
I think you should check it over for typos.