CBS President Nina Tassler: Fans Didn’t Care About Moonlight Anyway…
By fred | July 24, 2008
Okay so first things first : I don’t really know much about Moonlight. From what I understand it was a new series of CBS last season, it got canceled already, and many fans are pissed. Was it actually good ? No idea. What is it about ? Except for that it might be about “a vampire P.I.” I don’t know, because I never watched. These things just happen you know, many new series on the air, choices must be made, and sometimes you just don’t even try one of those new shows…
Anyways, I was just reading about CBS President Nina Tassler comments on why they canceled Moonlight and why it’s alright, where she said that pretty much fans weren’t fans of the show, but the actors starring in it. As she explains it, unlike with Jericho where people love(d) the show, here it was just about people. “I spent a lot of time looking the blogs and the website. Look, I don’t want to say Moonlight fans weren’t fans of the show. They were. But in sort of sifting through all of it (the e-mails, etc.) it was very much about ‘our vampire, Alex (O’Laughlin).’”
I read that, and I just had to ask : are there really any such fans out there, who didn’t care about the show, only the actor(s) ??
I’m asking because that just feels like a cheap thing to say, trying to justify the cancellation. Listen, back in the days there was a show called Ally McBeal, and had it been canceled I’m sure people would have yelled to get “Ally” back, because they wanted their favorite lawyer with the shortest mini-skirts ever on TV. But that didn’t mean they didn’t care about the show, or the other characters, not at all.
Should Fox decide to cancel House right now, I can see millions of angry fans asking for the return of America’s favorite doctor, the great Hugh Laurie. Now don’t mistake that statement as to mean they’d just want Hugh Laurie back on the air, they’d want him as House, they’d want him with all his team members (well, maybe not all of them, but…), they’d want him with Wilson and Cuddy.
We call him House, we call him Hugh, same difference when it comes to what we’re talking about here : it’s the guy, the character he portrays, and the show it all happens in. Just because fans would praise for their favorite vampire slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar, didn’t mean they weren’t really talking about Buffy, the show, not just the character.
Somehow I feel this was the same here, Hell even Tassler said they asked for “their vampire” back. Now unless you go on and tell me that Alex O’Laughlin is actually a vampire, for real, which I would find very cool though demand undeniable proofs before accepting that idea, I think those fans meant him as Mick St. John, the vampire from Moonlight, and by extension they meant the show.
So, am I wrong, are there really any such fans out there, who didn’t care about the show, or the characters, only the actor(s) ??
Moonlight sucked. It didn’t help guide people to critically think like JERICHO did. Plus JERICHO offered great advice, inspiration and it helped people realize that it’s possible to accomplish the impossible when working together and knowing how to love one another even in the worst of times. Moonlight is not a show that could ever compete with JERICHO. Moonlight is the kind of show that helps give the tv name “Idiot Box” just like all the other uninspiring, controversy triggering crime drama shows CBS has.
Fred,
You’re absolutely right. Moonlight was a beautifully crafted show - well written and acted with rich, engaging characters. Yes, it was a genre show, but that certainly doesn’t make it bad! It had a wonderful, angst-ridden romance between the two lead characters (Mick and Beth), humor and snark (especially from Mick’s best friend and fellow vampire, Josef), knock-down/drag out vamp fights, evil ex’s, and even some investigative cases. And if you’re a fan of the technical side of things, check out the incredible cinematography and film noire shots.
The fanbase was across the board, but largely female. Fans online ranged from early teens to septagenarians, with the majority in the 25-50 range. In otherwords, female heads of household - exactly the demographic CBS says they want to attract.
So the question still remains - do we miss Alex O’Loughlin, Sophia Myles and Jason Dohring or do we miss Mick, Beth and Josef? ALL of them. The characters and the show as a whole grabbed us and we became devotees. Because of that, we started to dig into the backgrounds and other work done by the three leads and became fans of theirs as well.
Yes, we’ll watch other things these three do. But I guarantee you….we’d vote hands down to see them in Moonlight rather than other miscellaneous generic junk.
We miss our Moonlight.
Thanks for this article, I completely agree that it appears that Nina Tassler is making a cheap point here, and splitting hairs in order to justify the decision to cancell Moonlight. I may well have thought that Alex O louglin was a hot actor, but that was never my sum total of interest in the show, I liked the show as a whole, the premise, the romance, the vamp bits, all of the characters. I certainly didn’t watch it just for one guy. Whilst my interest will be piqued by any thing he does in the future, I wont automatically tune in just to see him. Bring back Moonlight and you can guarantee I will tune in.
Fred,
Thank you for the interesting article. I am a Moonlight fan, was totally hooked after the fourth episode, Fever. Do I think that Alex O is handsome? Of, course! But I fell in love with Mick St. John, his co-horts and their wonderful story. Moonlight’s ageless themes of fate, secrecy, love, betrayal, and friendship made it a classic in its own right. I couldn’t wait for Friday night to come and I have NEVER felt that way about a television show!
The fans were slammed by Ms. Tassler. She laughed at us when she announced that the show was canceled (at the May Upfronts). Now she further attacks us with her inane remark about the fans being actor-centric. She is truly off the mark, as you have so clearly pointed out.
Hopefully another network will consider Moonlight for a mid-season replacement. We would welcome a direct to DVD as well! There is just so much more story to be told!
And as for Jericho, I just received the complete DVD and am looking forward to watching it. Smart TV never goes out of style!
I would say “with all due respect” to the first poster who is obviously a Jericho fan, Moonlight fans do not go around trashing Jericho and the fans have often helped each other. Getting past his rudeness, thank you so much for this article written by someone who did not watch Moonlight. Why do we love Moonlight? The show was, as the lead actor said in an interview, a character driven story about love and trust where the main character just happens to be a vampire”. Moonlight is indeed a romance with beautiful chemistry between Mick and Beth without graphic sex and without graphic violence. Thus it is a family show loved by young and old alike. There is an inspiring brotherhood kind of friendship between Mick and Josef that is as beautiful as the Mick/Beth romance. At a time when Twilight is huge and so many fans love Moonlight, it was a ridiculous time to cancel this very much beloved story.
You are absolutely right, Fred. What’s the point of dissing fans for being fans, cause that’s what Nina Tassler did. We want Mick St. John back, and Beth and Josef and Guillermo and even Coraline… you get the picture. Nina basically says the response was just about the actors. A few sentences back she complained there was not much response at all. Something is fishy here. We know for a fact that many fans have been writing to save their show since November! When it got cancelled and Nina said she would never listen to the fans, they stopped mostly because of that.
Nina has a very let’s say unique way to defend CBS decisions. You could also call it inconsistent, insensitive and insulting. So, Nina is “in”. In trouble.
I loved Moonlight for the entire package - the wonderful romance between the lead characters, the great supporting cast, the writing, the story line, and the drama. I had never heard of any of the actors before and had never seen any of them before. Moonlight was the best show to come along in a very long time. It was something different. For me, I just haven’t even bothered turning on the television since May 16 after the last episode of Moonlight and don’t plan on turning it on in the fall. Nothing else compares with Moonlight so I will just look for my entertainment this fall with dvd’s of cancelled shows or movies rather than television. I want Moonlight back so that there is something to watch on television that is intriguing and not just the same old boring thing. None of the new fall shows sound even remotely interesting.
For the first time in several years I was finally drawn back to regular television viewing by the CBS drama Moonlight. Finally, something on television that encompassed the total package: drama, fantasy, talented acting, and a flowing story line that drew the viewer in; making them care about that happened to the leading characters. Sadly, as with all things that make sense, and have the potential to grow, CBS canceled Moonlight.
I never knew who Alex, Sophia or Jason were before this show but I will now support them in their careers. I watched Moonlight for the story line and then fell in love with each of the characters.
So I believe Ms. Tassler is incorrect in her assessment of the fans loyalty. We love our actors/actresses but we love them even more as stars of our show!
I’ll agree with the first poster about one thing - CBS’ crime dramas are idiotic and getting more so everyday. And this was the problem… they wanted to make Moonlight into the same. The formula that worked for the show and the fans was an original one, not like those other shows at all. So CBS, in its infinite idiocy, removed the creative writing team and tried to create CSI:Vampire. Tassler is being forced to eat crow by the truckload, and her comments about Moonlight and Jericho are nothing more than a pathetic attemtpt to create a wedge between two campaigns that together have more staying power with the media than they do individually.
When I first saw Moonlight I was fascinated by it because of the vampire genre. I had been a vampire fan since I was a kid (Dark Shadows, Bella Lugosi’s Dracula, etc…)and I’m now 46 years old and found the genre extremely sexy and mysterious…wanted to know if there were vampires that actually existed. While watching Moonlight, I fell in love with the stories that the show began to tell but unfortunately due to the cancellation would never see fruition. I loved the love between Mick & Beth, the friendship between Josef & Mick (they are two characters that you would never see being friends…such an Odd Couple, but are the best of friends…would “die” for the other), the “snarkiness” of Josef and that he loves being a lover and not a fighter (and he’s a vampire), the friendship forming between Beth & Josef, the love between Josef & Simone, the start of a friendship between Beth & Simone, etc… Yes, I admit, that Alex O’loughlin did ooze sex appeal but so did Jason Dohring, and Sophia Myles, and lest we not forget Shannyn Sossamon…she portrayed Mick’s crazy ex wife Coraline who in the end had a heart…she is sexy personified. Nina Tassler is wrong. She just wanted to cancel the show and wanted to find a scapegoat to justify her cancellation.
Thank you sooo much for this article. It restores my faith that there are people out there who can see through ’spin’ and self justification and figure out the truth! Of course Moonlight fans love Alex O’Loughlin, but we love him as Mick St. John - his role in Moonlight!
If all we were interested in was Alex O’Loughlin, why would fans fight for the show itself? We would be out promoting Alex alone for a new project. We love the ensemble cast, the storyline, the wonderful romance and humor of Moonlight. Alex is the lead, and of course a lot of attention is centered on him; that’s only logical. But he’s by far not the only reason we watched Moonlight.
Ms. Tassler has yet to come up with a logical reason for canceling a popular show, and on top of that has put in its place an offensive show about drugs, threesomes and crass behavior that is tanking in the ratings. Apparently it is too much to admit that her network has made a grave error in canceling Moonlight, so she dismisses the people who watched CBS as “actor-centric”. I’m sure other networks will be glad to take on the 8 million fans she does not feel CBS needs.
I can not thank you enough for this article. This was just Nina’s way of dismissing the fact that she messed up royally on this one. Moonlight was an amazing story about unconditional love, trust, and friendship against all odds and we need more shows like this instead of shows that teach people that having no morals and no commitment is o.k. Moonlight was about caring for your fellow man and more people need to adhere to that message these days. Nina could take a lesson from Moonlight. She doesn’t care about the fans and people don’t want to support a network who doesn’t care about them. Who wants a one sided relationship??? If Moonlight is not renewed CBS is going to pay and pay dearly!!
Thank you Fred and for the record, I cared for the show, the actors, and the characters. I also cared for the crew, the writers, the directors, the producers and show-runners. I also cared for the people in need when Moonlight fans donated to the LA Food Bank and I cared for people who depend on blood when I’ve and other Moonlight fans donated to the Red Cross in the name of Moonlight.
And to this day, I’m still perplexed why Ms. Tassler made this statement. The only reason I could come up with is that her first explanation as to why Moonlight was cancelled, the ratings were too low, is coming under fire and you know the saying; “the best defense is a good offense.”
I also suspect that the recent news of Twilight and True Blood might have made recent corporate meetings at CBS very interesting. Picture it…
TPTB at CBS: Nina. Have you read in the trades that critics are saying that Twilight will be the next Harry Potter and our sister network Showtime’s rival HBO will be airing True Blood this Fall? Good work Nina in having the foresight in green-lighting Moonlight.
Nina: But…But…err…But…I’ve cancelled it.
TPTB at CBS: You did what???
Nina: Don’t worry. We have Swingtown!
What confounds me more than Ms. Tassler’s statement is, from the accounts I’ve read, that no journalist questioned her further. The sad truth, Moonlight was not a “critic’s darling” It’s just my personal opinion that it was the journalists who didn’t care about Moonlight nor its fans. They didn’t care enough to pin Ms. Tassler down on her, as you rightly pointed out “cheap shot.” And I guess you missed an account that I read in which Ms. Tassler said, and I’m paraphrasing, that Moonlight fans didn’t campaign as well as the Jericho fans. Nice try lady, but I’m not going to be baited into a manufactured competition to take the heat off your decisions.
And Fred, let me be the first to let you in on a potential NEWSFLASH…I believe a network is interested in Moonlight. Once I get the official word, you’ll be the first to know.
Comparing “Jericho” to “Moonlight” is ridiculous since the two genres are not alike; that said, both shows encouraged deep and lasting loyalty with their fans. I enjoyed watching “Jericho” but I fell in love with “Moonlight”.
I do take great issue that “Moonlight” was liked/loved only because of Alex O’Loughlin. He certainly was/is a major draw because of his remarkable acting, but it’s his chemistry with the other actors and the interesting and literate writing that made the show must-see tv for me. All those things combined into a magic carpet ride of a series. That’s why I’m fighting to bring “Moonlight” back.
Maybe it’s both! They want their vampire back but if that’s not going to happen they want Alex O’Loughlin back! We can’t know what Tassler’s mail said, what she saw of it that is. Or it could be spin, who knows? Bottom line is MANY want O’Loughlin back however we can get him! Nothing wrong with that!
You know regardless if you are a Moonlight fan or a Jericho fan we should ban together because we were both done wrong by CBS. You can’t compare these two shows. It is not apples to apples. I never watched Jericho but I love Skeet and I’m sure it was amazing. Either way Nina has messed up and is trying to cover her tracks. She cares not about fans of any show. Jericho and Moonlight fans should close ranks and double numbers to fight for our beloved shows! Divided we fall!
I didn’t start watching Moonlight because Alex O’Loughlin was in it. Heck, it wasn’t until the show had been on for a month that I could recall his name off the top of my head. I watched Moonlight because of the stories, the acting (of all the performers) and the wonderful combination of emotion and humor in the writing. Given the fact that I’ve written to CBS a number of times to express my feelings about Moonlight and I’ve seen a number of letters others have written I have to say that I’ve yet to see one that was actor centric. I believe Ms. Tassler may be, once again, manipulating the facts a bit.
Thanks for a great article. I have been a fan of the vampire genre for a long time. The reason I tuned in to Moonlight the first time was because it was about a vampire. The show was well written and well acted. It just so happens that Alex turned Mick into the hottest vampire ever. The show had everything- crime- romance - friendship - passion - drama. Loved the MickBeth romance but I also enjoyed the JosefMick camaraderie. I was very disappointed and surprised when it was cancelled. When we ask for our Mick back we do mean the show and the entire cast which of course would include Alex. Without Mick St.John what would the show be about.
Thank you so much for this article,And I have to say that yes, Fan’s Love Alex O’loughlin He was the lead in this amazing and wonderful show,But to say that Alex was the only reason fan’s loved this show was just plan stupid or ignorant on Nina Tassler’s part.Does she know her viewers at all? Is anyone doing research for her? I have to say No to both question’s.fan’s loved this show for the humor, action, romance,friendhip,acting ,writing,fantastic cast and because it was a breath of fresh air from everything else on television,I have not watched television since May 16,and like someone else said none of the new fall show’s even look half way interesting,Well In my Opinion with Twilight hitting the theater’s in Dec and tru blood on HBO in the fall CBS has really missed the boat on what will be the year of the vampire,They had Mick St John and Josef Konstan and would have been credited with leading the vampire craz but they through it out the window when they canceled Moonlight.
Well, seems to me the Moonlight fans are very much in love with the show !
@Rafferty Rulz: Yeah, vampires are a new trend it seems, and it looks odd CBS wouldn’t try to profit from already having a show starring a vampire installed. It’s almost as if Fox were to cancel Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles right now, when a new Terminator movie is coming up… sounds pretty silly for sure!
About the pickup on another network, though I wish for you guys it was the case, sorry to say I seem to remember reading a few days ago the sets were already being taken away, which really isn’t a good sign.
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Anyways, to compare Jericho and Moonlight, since both shows at least share many things : both on CBS, both canceled, both have strongly devoted fans supporting the show…
Given the strong reaction we see online, when it comes to either one of those shows, I can’t help but wonder whether they were of those shows that, I think, might have a (much) wider audience than what Nielsen reports, especially with online viewings and such, and suffer from this…
Fred, you are so very right about what Nielsen reporting being very inaccurate and that good quality programming suffers because of the out dated ratings system. The Nielsen system fails to take into consideration the fact that many people download shows on Itunes or Amazon also. I am just one of the many fans of Moonlight that was not counted because I am not a Nielsen viewer. Many people have watched Moonlight on Itunes or Amazon downloads and are not counted by the current rating system in place. There needs to be a system that accurately reflects the viewing trend of everyone, not just the people that are Nielsen families.
Fred, the sets were taken down around Memorial Day weekend. However, they were placed into storage and photographs were taken of the sets prior to being taken down so that they can be re-created if the show comes back either on another network or in another form. Leeser (the owner of Moonlightline.com) also has had word from her contacts that are involved with the show that Moonlight is not dead, and there is still hope for continuing stories.
Fred-
Thanks for writing this article. I just wanted to add that the sets were taking down and stored in May. They kept the sets up to allow the tour of Moonlight fans to see them, then they put them away. They are not destroyed.
Thank you Fred for this well written article and calling Tassler’s comments into question. The Moonlight fans have been doing this since the upfronts in May.
I have written numerous emails to CBS and Tassler asking for Moonlight’s renewal without ever once mentioning any of the actors. I believe she is doing damage control here.
We do know that the sets were taken down but they have not been dismantled. They were put into storage for such time as Moonlight returned.
A day that we are all working toward.
Thanks for the article Fred! Its about time someone else questioned Nina Tassler’s comments about the cancellation of Moonlight. Her spin tactics just don’t add up.
Her comments about the fans being “actor-centric” are incorrect. I originally caught just a part of the show at a neighbors house then made sure to watch a full episode the following week. I was hooked. As a fan of the genre, it was a different take on what has been already offered on tv. I didn’t know who any of the actors were by name but thought they all had great chemistry together. I even downloaded all of the episodes from Itunes to get caught up. I eventually did my own investigation online at the CBS site and other fan sites to find out more about the show and its actors. I eagerly looked forward to every Friday night and once again became a regular tv viewer. I was shocked when the show was suddenly cancelled at the end of the season. Anything I read online via entertainment news felt renewal was a shoe-in. And I,like so many other fans took to calling, emailing and snail mailing to request CBS to reconsider their decision to no avail. Eventually, those efforts became refocused to start contacting other networks to pick up the show. I want CBS to understand that our efforts are not just about one particular actor of the show but the WHOLE show. Moonlight offers so much on so many levels, CBS doesn’t even understand the interest, popularity, love for of one of their own shows. Try as they may with their comments to cause a rift between the fans,but it won’t happen. The tribe just keeps getting bigger, stronger and more determined to prove CBS wrong.
I enjoyed “Moonlight” because of the storylines and the entire wonderful cast. In fact, some of my favorite actors were those in supporting roles, like David Blue as “Logan”, Brian White as “Lt. Carl” and Jacob Vargas as “Guillermo”. Alex O’Loughlin was a big part of the show, but if the story hadn’t been there, people wouldn’t have watched just to see him. I certainly wasn’t watching just to see him. To suggest otherwise is just plain silly.
Fred, you hit the nail on the head. I couldn’t have said it better myself. We the fans of Moonlight have been fight for another season of Moonlight since before the official cancellation. The show was “on the bubble” for months, as they say in the business. Alex wasn’t “on the bubble”. Our cries have been “more Moonlight please”. We gave from our hearts. We donated money, food, toys and even our blood, all in the name of MOONLIGHT, not Alex. But Ms. Tassler didn’t seem to hear us. She only saw and heard what she wanted to see, to bad it was the wrong thing.
Fred,
Regarding audience, let´s not forget that MOONLIGHT was an international phenomenon. More than 40 countries have watched and fell in love with the show. Next September, Warner Latin America will show reruns of ML upon request of the fans.
I wish some people had the courage to come out and say “I made a huge mistake” instead of blaming it on the fans.
Ana Lucia - São Paulo, Brasil
Fred first off I want to thank you for the article, As a Moonlight Fan who has been in the trenches so to speak actively campaigning to bring Moonlight back I”d like to enlighten on one thing reguarding the sets. Then I’ll get to Nina Tassler’s remarks
The sets bring struck is old news for fans of the show and here is why MoonlightCon 2008 was held in LA that same weekend which was Memorial Day Weekend that thet sets were being struck but They were stored and photos were taken so that if the show is picked up by another network they can be re-created.The reason that this is old news to us because many of the fans were in LA for the con and did get the chance to go to the Warner Brothers studios where they did get to tour the Moonlight Sets. We also knew that the soundstage been booked by which is not uncommon.
My personal opinion is once again Nina Tassler is trying to justify her decsion to cancel Moonlight. First she blamed it on ratings now she is trying to turn it around on the fans which is utter BS and she knows it. But I have to ask what world is she living in ? My God is she that delusional ?
I have just one question If Moonlight is dead why do you people keep writing about it and why does Ms. Tassler keep bringing it up ? Could it be that we are making an impact ? If that is indeed the case are you listening ? I’m guessing the reason she made the comments to begin with is because we as fans must be making an impact and she doesn’t want to see or hear anything about Moonlight because it’s an everyday constant reminder that she made a mistake. Which is something she will not ever admit to so she is trying to divde the fanbase. Nina knows that we are out here and that we are not going away.
Over the weekend I read Nina Tassler’s comments and I took great offense to her comments about the Moonlight Fans Campaign efforts to save the show being actor-centric in regards to our efforts to save this amazing show and she couldn’t be more wrong.
I along with other fans have been out in the trenches so to speak fighting to save this show for several months now I will continue to do so.
Like other fans I have been riding this roller-coater of huge ups and downs ranging from the words of a definite renewal right down to the sudden and unexpected cancellation and through it all never once did I hear that we were fighting to Save Alex O’Loughlin.
Granted Alex O’Loughlin is the central and integral part of the show because he is the lead actor in the leading role and he brings the character of Mick St. John to life with his amazing talent. But that being said is not what Moonlight is all about and it is not the only thing that endeared Moonlight to us. Moonlight to us is not just Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St. John, But it’s also Jason Dohring as Josef Kostan, Sophia Myles as Beth Turner, David Blue, Jacob Vargas, and the rest of the cast of recurring characters everyone of these actors brought their characters to life and & had great chemistry with one another which is a rare exception.
Moonlight to us is also the shows writers, because without them we wouldn’t have the great storylines that we have come to love & miss. Moonlight is also the shows creators & showrunners Trevor Munson & Ron Koslow, Harry Weksmen & Gabrielle Stanton. Moonlight is the entire mixture of the cast, the crew, the writers, etc. Everyone of them working together is what made Moonlight great.
Many of us have families, successful careers and have made the time to fight for Moonlight because of an unjustified cancellation. We have literally given our time, money and blood in the name of Moonlight, because I happen to be a proud of the accomplishments we as fans have made so far and still continue to make in our fight to save this great show.
First off we are fighting to save a show that we believe is worth saving and deserves a second season. Fans of of Moonlight have done alot and still continue to do alot in support of Moonlight and it’s Cast,Crew and Writers.
By that I mean that Moonlight Fans have banded together not only here in the USA but with other fans from around the the world in other countries. How have we banded together well here is how first of we all came together by raising money within a 72 hour period to place ads in The Hollywood Reporter and Variety on Memortial Day Weekend. There are billboard ads coming out in July in LA, Taxicab ads out in NYC and print ads coming out as well in the LA Times, New York Times. Back in on May on Memorial Day Weekend fans who were in LA for MoonlightCon 2008 even had a support rally outside of the WB studios, Moonlight Picnics & Rallies were held the weekend of June 14th at various cities across the USA in a show of solidarity & support for Moonlight & it’s Cast & Crew. Fans have also showed their continued support also by making blood & platelet donations to the Red Cross, signing up to be tested to be bone marrow donars and doing charity blood drives in the name of the Moonlight and even trying do what we can to help the victims of the cyclone in Burma, and most recently trying to help out the victims of the Midwest Floods and Tornadoes, etc At the MoonlightCon 2008 there was a charity auction held in which $6500.00 was raised and all of the 6500.00 when to buying I believe it was 3500 lbs of food items which was donated and hand delivered to the LA Food Bank by Moonlight fans.
These acomplishments are not actor-centric. Moonlight Fans have shown that we are in this for the long haul, we aren’t going anywhere. We will not give up, we will not surrender and we will not let Moonlight die.
As for CBS, well I have blocked it from my home because of the poor treatment that CBS gave to Moonlight’s cast,crew,and it’s fans, and because Ms. Tasslers comments & treatment of Moonlight Fans.
I think you have hit it on the nail. And with all the vampire stuff coming out now, CBS would have been in the driver’s seat. Instead, they look for EXCUSES for their misstep. They could STILL rectify their mistake, but I guess to say “We were wrong,” is not in their vocabulary.–However, I ask YOU to take the time to watch at least 2-3 episodes of Moonlight and then make a comment based on what you see, and then write a follow-up article. I am that sure that when you see the development of the characters and the storyline unfold for yourself, you will know how right you were here.
Okay, so the sets have not been dismantled, they’ve been stored for later, got it! Well, maybe Moonlight could rise again somewhere else then, wouldn’t be unusual for a vampire to rise from the dark when “everyone” thought he was dead… ;)
I have to say, I would love it to see Jericho and/or Moonlight show up on another network and be great success, not for the network they’d be on, but success that would made CBS wish they still had them on instead of, say, The Ex List (no offense, just that one doesn’t sound like a good show to me…)
Maybe then next time they’d think about it twice before canceling a show, maybe.
First Jericho, then Moonlight, I think CBS really doesn’t want shows with a strong fan base, for some reason…
Thanks for the artical Fred, Your right, who would want a show like The Ex List???? Is CBS blind? They wanted a show to grab female audiences and they didn’t realise they already had one!!!! Moonlight should be brought back on another station, it so deserves it. CBS is so behind on what viewers want, with the new Twilight movie coming out and the new HBO program you would think that CBS would want to be apart of it. But I guess CBS doesn’t care about the fans.
Dear Fred,
I’ll try to be succinct in my response, since others before me have said is so well. But, you have completely and totally summarized the fans position with Moonlight. We adore Alex - as Mick. For the purposes of the show, the two are indistinguishable.
Nina Tassler is, as usual, being completely disingenuous and trying to tap-dance her way out of the horrendous and cosmically stupid decision she made to cancel this spectacular show. Moonlight was a stand-out because it wasn’t just another formulaic CSI-style show. No matter how much I admire Mr. O’Loughlin, no matter how much Nina Tassler hopes for it - I and the other Moonlight fans will NOT follow him into a show like CSI. It’s simply not appealing. This is more idiocy like Tassler’s proclamation that since the viewers are largely women in this block of time, then we would want to see more women in the shows, like the forthcoming Ex-List. I still laugh when I think about that. Would I, a 30yr old woman, want to see the uber attractive Alex O’Loughlin? Or another woman my age with the same crap problems that I’m trying to escape when I flick on the television? It’s really quite breathtaking how wide CBS is from their mark. I could pray for their new shows to crash and burn, but they’ll do that all on their own. CBS could not have done more to deserve their upcoming failure - and the Moonlight fans will be celebrating it.
All of that said - thank you from the bottom of this Moonlight-loving heart for spotlighting the idiocy at the heart of this tragedy.
VSRRR!
MOONLIGHT isn’t just Alex - the show on every level is amazing. Everyone knows the show is worthy - but due to politics and the strike, it did not survive, while less entertaining ones with less viewers did. Most media analysts feel it was a BIG mistake for CBS to let this extraordinary show go.
MOONLIGHT resonated with a global audience in a indefinable, unexplainable almost spiritual way. It has spawned support and donations to untold charities, bloodbanks, bonemarrow banks, and disaster victims here and abroad. MOONLIGHT touches us in a very unique way and deserves some serious negotiations to keep it alive.
Nice article Fred, thanks for pointing out Tasslers attempt to justify the Moonlight cancellation. For a new show, only aired on Fri. night it had a great start. A second season on a better night would have earned CBS a solid hit. But Tassler didn’t give it a chance and now she’s trying to cover her “mistake”.
I tuned in at first mainly because I like vampire shows and movies, I stayed because the show was wonderful…great writing that didn’t insult my intelligence and maturity, a beautiful cast WITH acting talent, a great story of true love, friendship along with just the right mix of action and a touch of clever humor.
Does that sound actor-centric?
Yes Alex is hot and nailed the role of Mick perfectly. Jason and Shopia also gave life to Josef and Beth, they all had such great chemistry, which helped make Moonlight the best show on TV in a long, long time. But it wasn’t the only thing.
I loved everything about the show, not just one actor.
Thank you for your comments, Fred.
I think the best proof for CBS that we loved “Moonlight” as a whole, not just the actor(s)will unfold to them as people stop watching the network altogether. If I just wanted to see the actor(s), I wouldn’t be boycotting CBS. I want the show back, intact, period (actors, writers, storyline, etc.)
Fred, As someone commented you really should see the show to get an idea of why we are so passionate. I would suggest seeing the first four episodes as it gets better with each one. By the end of the fourth episode you are really sucked in to Mick and Beth’s world.
Moonlight was an awesome show. What does it have to do with Jericho anyways? Moonlight is not just about Alex O’loughlin, of course we love him just he’s hot and he’s the lead, but we equally love the other actors and actresses!!! The show had the great storyline and the different aspect of vampires it showed…modern vamps..and no demons and monsters to fight off..just vamps and humans..and hope we cope together in our daily lives. I thought Nina was worried about ratings at first…and now she brings up the idea that the cancellation of Moonlight was also caused by the love of the lead. WTF? She’s messing with the fans!! Well alot of fans like lead actors on their favorite tv shows, do they not? Just doesn’t make sense sometimes…
I read thru the comments and I will have to agree with what my fellow fans are saying. There is not too much on TV that I truly enjoy but Moonlight is one of them. We are promoting Moonlight and it was fortunate to have great actors/actress. I have enjoyed many shows that have been cancelled - Men in Trees for example but I am not out there fighting for the show like I am with Moonlight. I am not bashing CBS for their decision but they should take responsibility and just fess up that they made a mistake. Don’t put blame on the fans and say we are not true fans. Nina-if you are reading these comments-maybe you should have a meeting with the “fans”!!.
Thank-you!! Finally, someone who seems to “get it”!
Nina Tassler can say what she wants, and she can say it as often as she wants, but that doesn’t make it true.
Moonlight is a show with amazing cast, and that cast has an amazing chemistry. Which of course means the cast makes the show what it is, and the fans want THAT back! We the fans want our show back with the people who make that show great back - which means, yes, we want Alex O’Loughlin back as Mick, but it also means we want Jason Dohring back as Josef, Sophia Myles back as Beth, David Blue back as Logan - and may God rest his characters soul Jordan Belfi will always be Josh in our hearts even though his character didn’t make the immortal cut.
You cannot dissect the show into “the show” and “the actors” - the two are inseperable.
Ms. Tassler: We want our Vampires back. We want our feisty leading lady back - we WANT MOONLIGHT BACK. Moonlight was great because the people who portrayed our characters made it great.
Vampires are IN - and CBS cut theirs loose. Now would be the perfect time to admit that they made a mistake, instead of trying to put the blame on the fans.
Thank you for an article that talked about the show Moonlight, of which I am a devoted fan. A fan of the show not just an actor. Alex O’Loughlin is a great Mick St. John, but he would not have been without the other cast members, and the wonderful writers that brought him to life. I have always been a fan of the vampire genre, and found this show to be a wonderful way of bringing them to life. I predict that this genre will continue to be “hot”, especially if the Dark Shadows moveie is made with Johnny Depp as Barnabas. Ms Tassler had a winner and she threw it under the bus. TPTB at CBS will miss the revenue the show would have generated as it grew. Another network will reap the benefits.
8 million fans can not be wrong!!!
I adore Moonlight, the show, the unbelievable chemistry it generated. And I respect the work Alex O’Loughlin did as Mick St.John. Of course I miss Alex, but not as much as I miss Mick… and by the way I miss the rest of the cast as much as I miss Mick!!
And after all what US fans did in the name of the favorite show, and to save the show and get the second season, it’s only disrespectful what Nina Tessler said and what CBS did by cancelling Moonlight. They just slaped all fans, showed how miserly they care about us and people opinion.
Fans are addicted to and love Moonlight for the story and the characters. Yes, the great actors do make the characters, but we as fans love Moonlight and everything about it. It is the finest TV romance that I have ever watched and I am deeply disappointed about not seeing the story continue. It is disturbing to see that a TV executive can be so out of touch with viewers. I don’t know Nina Tassler personally so I can’t comment on her personality, but can say that I feel she may not be correct person for the position she is filling at CBS. She has done her network a great disservice. Personally, I can say that I have not viewed any shows on CBS since the last episode of Moonlight and have no intentions of tuning in again unless Moonlight returns. As a viewer, I am tired of the continuous turnover of shows that never really get the opportunity to evolve. I long for the days of MASH and Friends when the stories were told in multiple seasons and the storylines were finished with an announced big finale. The way of TV today is only serving to have viewers tune out and go back to reading. It truly is a shame.
I’m sorry that you never got to see the show. Unfortunately, that is the case with many would-be fans because Nina Tassler decided to cancel it way before it had a chance to garner the fanbase that it should have had. Having said that, Moonlight still managed to attract over 8 million loyal worldwide fans. I said, Moonlight, the show, in its entirety. Including Alex O’Loughlin, who is phenomenal, but also Jason Dohring (Josef Kostan) who is spectacular and Sophia Myles (Beth Turner) who is breathtaking. The ensemble cast,superb writing and captivating storylines are what we fans are continuing to crave. The chemistry amongst the cast was unparalleled on network television. Absolutely incredible acting and dedication by every member of the Moonlight cast and crew. Nina’s comments are a sorry excuse for the biggest mistake of her career. She owes the entire Moonlight entourage (and the fans) and huge apology!
When Moonlight was first being put together, there was a completely different cast. It was obvious that Alex was the right guy as the lead, but the other 3 actors didn’t click with him. They were fired because the chemistry wasn’t there. The 3 lead actors who replaced them, Sophia, Jason and Shannyn, together with Alex had extraordinary chemistry. You can’t fake it,manufacture it, buy it or force it. It was just there. I’d never heard of any of the 4 leads before Moonlight. I watched because I like the vampire genre. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love (from the first episode) to the point of obsession. I’ve given my time, money and blood in honor of this show and I’ll keep doing it as long as it takes to get it back. No one likes to make mistakes; Tassler has not only made a big one, she compounds it with rudeness, evasion and crass lies. We fans will never know the real reason this show was canceled: the story changes weekly and not a reason has been true or made sense. CBS has shows with half the ratings of Moonlight that it has renewed over and over; we are globally still experiencing an AIDS epidemic but Tassler thinks the time is right to have a show like Swingtown. Oh good: sexual promiscurity on TV. Great, let’s compare our STDs. And the Ex-List? Why in God’s name would someone think that women want to see an unattractive 30 something female scrounge through her ex-boyfriends because she’s desperate for a husband? A woman who, in 2008 is consulting a fortune teller about her life decisions? Are they insane? There is nothing on God’s earth that is appealing about that premise.
Moonlight brought magic, humor, drama and romance to millions of lives. I loved these characters–all of them. I looked forward to Friday nights and without Moonlight now, I feel absolutely bereft. Look I don’t know why this show affected me as it has. There are lots of good shows, but none–NOT A ONE–has ever prompted me to donate my rare B+ blood or get tested for a bone marrow registry as Moonlight has done. This show has changed my life. I am a better and happier person because of it. When I say “Bring back my Vampire”, you can be assured that I mean “MOONLIGHT”.
Thanks for your article. Like you, we cannot understand Tassler’s convoluted messages about Moonlight. She reminds me of Br’er Rabbit and the Tar Baby. Each inane comment put her deeper into her sticky situation caused by the network’s bad judgement.
Fred, it’s nice that you’ve provided a sounding board for the wounded moonlight fans. It’s just too bad that this won’t stop them from bombarding every message board of every article ever written!
I love the very touching, brotherly bond between Josef and Mick, and because of that I loved watching any videos between Jason and Alex, showing them as good friends. Moonlight opened me to liking the actors, but it was because i liked the characters that I even considered the actors. And while I may watch other projects, here-n-there, of Jason’s or Alex’s, etc., it will always be Moonlight that united me to them and that will always be my first love for them.
I miss Mick!!! For me, it’s all about Mick and Beth and the romance!!! I wish Alex well, I really do, but I want to see him as Mick. Yes, I love my vampire, Ms. Tassler, but his name is MICK, not Alex!!!
Thank you, Fred for a well-written article with some good hard questions to ask. It seems that Ms. Tassler is trying to lie her way out of owning up to a mistake. Moonlight fans loved the whole package, the actors, writers, set decoration, musical choices…Tassler has been nothing but rudely dismissive of her own customers, the viewers. If I were treated this way at a place of business, I would leave and never return. After decades of loyal viewership of CBS, I have left that network, not only for the shoddy and unprofessional way they treat their customers, but the way they have treated the cast and crew of Moonlight. These people deserved better, and we deserve better. There are more choices out there than the big three broadcast networks now, and more viewers are proving that every day.
I feel sorry for Alex reading some of these comments! How about loving him as him? As a talented actor who made your favorite show come to life! He needs to move on with his career, hard as that is for you to hear.
As much as I absolutely love Alex O’loughlin, and will follow him to whatever his next project is, I must say that when Moonlight began, most of us had never heard of him. I fell in love with Mick St. John and then discovered that Alex O’Loughlin was the only actor that could be Mick St. John. Alex is a wonderful actor and has done quite a range of characters, some I absolutely love, and some you love to hate…but Mick St. John is one of a kind, a character that no other actor could step into. So, I guess we all want the actor back, you are absolutely correct, but in addition, we want Moonlight back with all of its quirky characters and wonderful relationships.
Nina took what she thought was the easy way out… obviously did not pay attention to what the viewing public was interested in, just take a look at what they are trying to shove down our throats now and you will see that she learned absolutely nothing from this experience.
Ashley,
Please don’t take this as being snarky but I just felt I needed to respond to your post.
As an avid Moonlight fan I have come to know Alex and love as Mick St. John. I feel that I know Mick as a person (or vampire), it feels as if I get an insight into his character.
As for Alex himself, he seems like a great guy from what I have read, but do I actually know him? No. From what I gather I think that he prefers his anonymity. I do wish him well in everything that he does but I would be lying if I didn’t say that I wanted to see him in Moonlight more than anything else.
Ashley, no one is saying we don’t love Alex. We all do and we all wish him the best with his career. However, Nina’s comments basically were that it was the actor we wanted not the show as a whole. We are trying to get our show back - Alex had said in interviews it was his little show (no slight to Joel Silver) so we are assuming he would like it to come back as well. Again Alex is a very talented actor. He helped to make our favorite show come to life. But so did the other actors, the writers, the crew, everyone. Alex we love you, but right now our efforts are centered on getting Moonlight back. We certainly hope you are okay with that.
Thanks Fred for your article and comments. I have to echo the sentiments of the other Moonlight fans, because this show is a fresh, intriguing, take on an old genre. The writers and producers have managed to transform a classic, Gothic, tale with its suffering, damaged, main character and add fascinating dimensions to his salvation. Because Mick St. John’s misery and brooding would be sterile without the love and acceptance of Beth and Josef, we (the fans) fully understand how necessary they are to this story, as are all the other characters. The entire premise of Moonlight is based on the character’s reactions to each other and the modern complications of these relationships. I do believe this show had a large viewership that could not have been accurately measured with our current but antiquated rating system. So, to address your comment about CBS not wanting a strong fanbase in Jericho or Moonlight, they don’t have any real idea how many people are watching these or other shows. Since so much money is spent producing and sponsoring shows, greater accountablity is certainly warranted. I applaud the efforts of the fans of both shows, and I hope that CBS will realize that all this dissension and unrest can only mean loss of revenues and reputation. Somewhere along the way, CBS and other networks lost sight of one of the main reasons television has been welcomed into our lives: it is for entertainment. If so many consumers (fans) are entertained by a show, and they consider it a quality offering, why would the choice to remove it be made? Where is the accountablity? What recourse do the consumers have? In this situation, CBS has the perfect opportunity to admit they misjudged the popularity of Moonlight, and tell the millions of viewers that they understand the grievous mistake that was made. I am certain that the fans would much prefer watching and promoting their favorite show, Moonlight, to disrupting their lives fighting to bring it back.
Dear Fred:
PLEASE….as someone who obviously loves good television, you owe it to yourself to watch at least a couple of episodes of Moonlight (you can download them for $1.99 from Amazon, (try Fated to Pretend and Sonata).
You are so very right to question Ms. Tassler’s statement.
Alex is gorgeous, but that doesn’t keep 8+ million fans tuning in every week. The show itself, the relationships, plotlines and writing were what made it such a hit. It is now playing in Eastern and Western Europe and South America — and THOSE fans are flooding Moonlight boards with utter disbelief that it was cancelled after only 16 episodes.
You will need to be familiar with Moonlight to be able to write about television in the future. Moonlight’s uncalled-for axing by the shortsighted programmers at CBS will go down in history as the worst mistake EVER in the industry. When Tassler gets fired (as she should soon considering the bomb that is Swingtown) you will need to know that Moonlight had a lot to do with it!
For god’s sake, shut up about Moonlight.
It was a mediocre show, with a hot lead actor.
Stop acting as if it was a groundbreaking show, with great ratings. CBS was well within it’s right to cancel that nothing of a show.
Make fun of “crime drama” all you want, but when CSI first came out it was like NOTHING on tv.
Go kill yourself with this Moonlight blather.
Stop trying to get your ass kissed by looney ML fans.
Thank you Fred for the very welcomed article. I am from Brazil and decided to write some lines here as a reminder of what my fellow Moonlight fans said before.
Despite loving the fact that Moonlight has vampires (and I love them!) I believe it has a worldwide fan base who adores the show because, in the first place, it is all about humanity: love, friendship, ethics, difficult choices, betrayal, romance, humour. We haven’t seen much of that on TV lately and that’s what we want to see and to feel. We have been following Mick, Beth, Josef, Coraline, Guillermo, Logan, Josh, Maureen, Talbot and the other characters with great interest, always wishing for more - and I’m sure we will have it. In my country I am part of a Moonlight community with more than 5.500 members - and that is only one of them.
Thanks to this amazing show, we got in touch with people from the USA, Australia, Germany, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, the UK, Canada, France and so many other countries.
So, it was very offensive to learn what Ms. Tassler’s thoughts about us fans are. It is so untrue! I agree with what was said before: she just can’t stand the fact she made a HUGE mistake. Too bad for her. We love Moonlight and our love will go on, no matter what!
Thanks, Fred, for pointing out that often what CBS execs say just doesn’t make sense. Does it make sense to cancel a show that wins its time slot, despite being pre-empted by Garth Brooks, Celine Dion, and The Price Is Right for weeks at a time? A freshman show that returns with its audience when other established shows (CSI) lose up to 37% of their audience after the writers’ strike. With the wave of new vampire projects that anyone in the entertainment business should know about-Twilight,True Blood,Dark Shadows-it would seem the smart thing to do would be to give Moonlight a true season with better promotion to grown on its lead rather than start from scratch with a new show and hope for the best. It really makes me wonder who ticked of whom because it doesn’t seem like a smart business decision to me.
Fred:
Just another little note….When you read the ridiculous, boorish comments here from trolls who are jealous of the passion, eloquence and intelligence of Moonlight fans, you can join us in the game of guessing which unemployable nephew of Nina Tassler or Les Moonves has been hired to scour the internet just to make fools of themselves by dissing Moonlight and its fans. Ain’t it a kick?
Thanks again for the article. And watch a Moonlight episode.
As everyone has stated, Moonlight DOES deserve a second chance! I just want to add that my teenaged daughter and son enjoyed the show’s dynamic fight scenes, something you wouldn’t expect in a romantic-drama. And, it appealed to a broader audience because it was SO fresh and unique in its take on the vampire genre.
Alex is indeed a splendid actor, as are Jason, Sophia and Shannon, and all the other cast members. The writers and producers extremely talented in their own right.
Wasn’t television supposed to be entertainment??? And, if 8 Million fans were entertained, or likely… MORE, then how smart do you have to be to realize this show is a KEEPER. Bring Moonlight Back…PLEASE!
hi, I am a Brazilian fan, and I can say I love the show, see a beautiful love story of love, and who does not like it is not. I very much regret the cancellation of the series, I think that had much to give, that penalty unable to exploit a fine show
Michelle Dias - Brazil
I love Moonlight, when I saw the promo I saw a show about vamps and yeah the lead guy was handsome. Finally a bit of eye candy for a gal that was old enough I didn’t have to feel bad lusting over him. I didn’t know that guy was Alex till I watched the show. It was the chemistry of the cast that hooked me. Beth and Mick’s romance was entrancing, Josef was down right funny, and Logan just made you chuckle. Most of us loved hating Coraline and loved the LA skyline. This show was more than just Alex it was the entire cast that I loved, and their storylines I miss. I want to know who sired Josef, where was Coraline taken by her brother, will Mick and Beth end up together as humans or vamps. There is so much more I want to know. It wasn’t fair for CBS to cancel a show that won its timeslot and demo w/o them even trying to advertise it. Its not Alex I miss its Mick St. John, Beth Turner, Josef Kostan.
Bill, first comment…while I appreciate your loyalty to Jericho - I’m not sure why you feel you need to compare it to Moonlight! I too am a huge Jericho fan and the show did make you think -what if. Moonlight was completely different genre, style, theme - forbidden love affair, a man battling the demons dealt to him. You are comparing a top of the line car with a top of the line boat….. they are simply two great shows that should not have been cancelled!!
Now back to the question of show vs actor…of course we loved the hot vampire, Mick St. John but it was the chemistry of the whole cast on the show that brought us back every week. The struggle of the MickBeth relationship, the BFF relations with Josef, all of it!
Fred, I invite you and everybody in your business to check forums of Moonlight, Moonlight line or Moonlight army or Moonlight fans or even the one at CBS. Look around, people is talking about the show,Sophia,Alex and JAson.The romance, the friendship,the caring…You will see what Nina said about actor centric is not true. Just go to any of these places and check them out, nothing to hide. I really loved Moonlight. I never complained for a cancelation before. But a good show with 16 episodes in a 9 moths period, and in the deadly Friday spot…Not fair. We were always loyal to the show.CBS jus mistreated us, and as a loyal cbs viewer for years is hard to understand why.
I love Moonlight for the “combined brilliance” that came from the ENTIRE cast,crew & all that were involved!
Moonlight will never be forgotten because of the characters and the wonderful story they bring to our hearts.
Thank you for your article. It was a great change of pace.
Moonlight fan all the way; & supporter of the Jerico fanbase.
A show about a vampire PI… good start!… a show with a forbidden love… neat! …. a show with a great male friendship that spans the bad as well as the good. And shows us both sides… what a fantastic concept to explore!… Great special FX, a fun noir feeling to the night shots, good story lines with well developed plots… Sounds like a winner… to everyone but the Evil Eye network. Who needs more “reality tv”, that couldn’t be further from “reality”? Who needs another hokey comedy with a canned laugh track? Who wants one more overdone procedural cop show or over-the-top medical drama? Puh-leeze… won’t waste my time walking over to turn on the set. Give us MOONLIGHT!!! All of it… not just the hunky lead, doing one more cop show, procedural drama, or medical show. And no, Nina, even Alex can’t save CSI… It’s had it’s day in the sun… now we need our vamp in the night.
I think that if they wanted us to hate Mick, they should have chosen another actor… Is he sexy? Yes! Do we love to look at him? Yes! But he is part of the show, he is NOT the show… If Nina Tassler thinks that just a great body is enough to make a wonderful TV show, she should come back to the school… We are fans, but we are not stupid… We discuss about the story and not only about Alex’s lovely smile… Hey, Nina, wake up! You’ve made a huge mistake. We’re waiting for apologies and a second season! :-/
Thanks, Fred. You hit it right on. Moonlight as a whole is the package. We want all of them and the writers back. The magic wouldn’t be there if the mix was different. Now, the city could change if a network in New York wanted to pick it up, but Moonlight Fans love our show in total.
Now that first comment you got by the Jericho fan. Oh, yeah, that show was based on reality. Not. Too bad a Jericho fan disrespected our show. By doing that Bill disrespected all of the Moonlight Fans.
I love Moonlight. Everything about the show…the story, the effects, the characters, the romance. All these things brought me back week after week. In fact, it was the only show I watched live, watched every stinking commercial because I couldn’t wait to see it. I would really like to see the show back. I want the actors, crew, and writers to be successful in whatever they do, but Moonlight is special. I haven’t looked forward to a show in years like that. That is a testament to the show, the whole package, not just the actors.
Moonlight is the only show in over 5 years that I have been passionate about. I loved the characters, but the main hook was the development of the relationship between Mick and Beth. The fact that they came from different worlds and yet worked together to help others, to solve crimes and to eventually all in love kept me hooked to my TV every Friday night. Even my husband watched and enjoyed the show. We are devastated without it and would welcome any station that picked up the show again. CBS is no longer on my television.
Nina…. Be gone…before somebody drops a house on you!!!!
hi, I am a Brazilian fan, and I can say I love the show, see a beautiful love story of love, and who does not like it is not. I very much regret the cancellation of the series, I think that had much to give, that penalty unable to exploit a fine show
Vivianne, BRAZIL
So we fans of Moonlight are not important to Ms. Tassler. Well as for me just one of the 8 million viewers who is not important to Ms. Tassler I no longer watch CBS network at all and my TV use to stay on CBS. I dont watch the news, soaps, talk shows, you name it on CBS and I dont watch it anymore. The only way I will even consider watching this network again is if they give us a second season of MOONLIGHT. Swingtown please, all this show is about is everyone sleeping with each other, not that I watched it I read the reviews and listened to what people said about it, no one enjoyed it that I know of. Moonlight had a great plot and it was just so exciting, it was the first show in a long time that I couldnt wait to see. CBS really made a HUGE MISTAKE on canceling MOONLIGHT. I think Nina should have to say to the fans that she is sorry and Moonlight will be back on for a second season.
Thanks for writing the article, Fred. Your comment about CBS not actually wanting a strong fan base was interesting. I mean, they really treated us badly, and we aren’t gonna forget it. They even taunted us at the end of the season…”Only two more Micks…Only two more Beths”…We thought it was a joke and that the show would be picked up, only to find out they were serious about the cancellation. That was really a slap in the face. I think the Jericho and Moonlight fans just feel insulted.
Moonlight is a great show, but I have to recognize that I always liked vampires, but never felt in love with one before. Alex ( or Mick for me there is no diference ) made me love the entire show, besides he is the hottest man on earth, he is a great actor. Would I love the show without alex, I really dont know…Anyway Moonlight DOES deserve a second chance we deserve a second season…I am sure Moonlight is not dead is just resting….for now. Larga Vida a Moonlight.
First things first - to Bill who left the first comment - Moonlight Fans applauded and supported the efforts made by Jericho fans to bring their show back (still are) and you won’t find any of us disrespecting any of you. Moonlight didn’t replace Jericho. We weren’t responsible for its demise. I understand your anger, but you are directing it at the wrong people. CBS cancelled it (twice)! We would be just as happy for Jericho fans to have your show back as we would having Moonlight returned to us.
Second - thank you Fred for writing this article. Despite never having watched Moonlight you “get it”. It’s not just about the show being cancelled, it’s the disregard shown to us by Ms. Tassler. Just when I think she can’t put her foot any farther in her mouth…. She continues to insult our intelligence and is out and out lying about why we watched Moonlight and she knows it. While some may have tuned in originally for Alex, they stayed because this was television at its viewing best. Ms. Tassler doesn’t “get it”! It’s time for her to be put out to pasture…..
Fred,
I join the others who have commented in thanking you for writing about Moonlight in a positive way even though you admit you have not watched an episode. For goodness sake man, go to iTunes or Amaxon Unbox and for $1.99 down load at least the first 5 eposides and watch. You will be hooked - first with MickBeth, then MickGuillermo, then MickJosef. MickLogan comes much later in the series. The writing gets better with each episode, the noir is a wonderful addition, the “vamping” scenes are great, action scenes are on spot and snarky humor to round out the fare. Sure Alex is hot, but so are Jason and Sophia. This is the one show that I looked forward to each week, have given blood for, have donated to charities for, it has changed my perception of the world and how I can help to make it better.
Thanks a lot for your article and for being one of the very few people in the media who write respectfully about our passion. We love Moonlight because it combines a variety of great aspects of TV production plus drama, action, humor, mystery fantasy and romance in just the proper, balanced measure. We love Alex because he is at the center of a wonderful cast, able to bring all this to us. But we understand the huge amount of group work necessary for accomplishing something so well done for the screen.
I think it is also important to acknowledge all the international support that Moonlight and the campaign to bring it back is getting right now. There is awsome hard work going on of millions of American fans who are trying very hard and quite intelligenly to get their voices heard. We, abroad, admire that, thank them for what they are doing for all of us, and are trying our best to help from our more than 30 countries. Moonlight breaks frontiers and connects us in fantastic ways.
Claudia, Bogotá - Colombia
I tell you, I’ve grown disillusioned with TV, because it seems every time a Good Story is presented in Fall - it gets canceled by Spring. My TV was off and collecting dust for 5 years, when I’d decided to take a chance and check out the Fall ‘07 shows. Moonlight caught me within the first 5 minutes and kept me close till the 16th episode. If there’d been 100 episodes I WOULDN’T HAVE MISSED A SINGLE ONE! That’s how good I loved the Moonlight Story! Alex is the LEAD - he’s supposed to shine… but the Story was not all about him - it was about Sophia’s character, and Jason’s character - and the rest of the cast! It was like creating an excellent Stew - all parts played off each other to make this wonderful Story called Moonlight. separating one portion of it to present to the viewers will not replace what the Whole Show was. Nina’s assumption that it was Only About Alex is WRONG!
As an intelligent viewer, I find her offensive comments and insults about the viewers of her FORMERLY successful CBS-Fridays, a bad way to draw them back! If she’s claiming she doesn’t get enough mail concerning Moonlight - it’s because she’s got workers tossing all the sacks in the dumpster without her opening them. I know she’s had the e-mail address used to write her disconnected - so she’s not getting those requests either. When the cancelling forts happened, CBS opened phone lines to take a poll to save Moonlight, and the phones were swamped for days cause the number of fans were burning up her phone lines. Now she’s claiming she didn’t HEAR us! She’s got Moonlight fans and Jerico fans all writing to her to reinstate their shows - and she’s saying she doesn’t see all that? HOW MANY VIEWERS IS THAT - that no longer watch CBS? I know they’ve had lousy numbers the last two months… it can’t be because of the former Moonlighters that left?
The best thing they can do is reinstate our shows - I bet their numbers go up again.
I love moonlight and think it needs to come back.
Like so many of the people campaigning for Moonlight, I have never been so inspired by a programme that I have written to a company, or joined a fan site.
I thank you sincerely for writing your article. Episide 1 will get you hooked. Do watch it, I’d treat you to it if I could!
I live in England, and am so frustrated that CBS could arbitrarily cancel a programme that had so much promise. They, in fact, through their showing of the programme, were starting a new phase in television. A drama that whole families could sit together and watch and discuss afterwards, each person seeing a different aspect of the hour long episode that is attractive to them.
I have seen the video of Jason (Josef) talking about his fantastic ‘bite’scene with Mick and how it, and the music specially played for the scene, touched him and affected him for hours afterwards - like nothing else he had done! That’s Moonlight - it even affected the actors!
I have written letters to the powers that be and will continue to do so. I must, I have no option.
May I end by pointing out that I have been made aware, from what I have read on all the the numerous fansites etc., that Moonlight has committed viewer base of people of all ages who have disposable income, and who are prepared to spend it on the things they enjoy in life. Advertisers should take note here - don’t you also have a say about programmes???????????? If the viewing numbers are down, are YOU getting value for money from CBS. Money talks. CBS should and must reconsider their decision - before things go from bad to much much worse.
I love Moonlight, it was big and stupid mistake the cancellation of the series. I hope somebody with a minimum of inteleigência notices this and make the series again. We continued in the fight. Thank you
That so not true all fans love the idea of the show eveything connected with Moonlight no only our Alex (O’Laughlin) Nina just whant to say something bad …
Nina can spin it anyway she wants-she had the power to take out our Vamps, and if she thought we were just Alex fans she thought wrong. Each story of the 16 were totally engrossing and GOOD TV. CBS will have to dig pretty deep to find another Moonlight, or its loyal fans. Why would HBO spend millions on a new vamp show????
I did’t even know who Alex was before Moonlight. I starting watching Moonlight one night in Dec with a rerun because there was nothing else on tv that night. I don’t like scary things including Vampires, so I was apprehesive to even watch. I had the pillow in my lap just in case.
After watching the show I was hooked the chemistry between Mick and Beth and cool Josef is why I set my DVR to record every show after that night. This is the first time in my life that I have every got involved in “tv” period, let alone fighting to bring a show back.
Being belittle by CBS and people “like the guy who wrote the first comment on this matter” makes me even more want to help change the way that tv shows are counted by viewers. I’m not a NR person and I should count…This is an awesome show and I’m really sad that Hollywood thinks the way that they do about there fans.
Dear Fred and Fellow Fans,
The first time we watched Moonlight, my husband said, “It’s too good -it will never last on network TV.” The truth is we were stunned: it was so well done in all aspects.
We are educated people, not particularly attracted to vampires, and part of the “Silver Tsunami”. We rarely watch anything on the major networks, because they rarely have anything of the quality to attract our attention.
As for Ms. Tassler, I am confounded by her apparent pursuit of some strange agenda that has little to do with bringing in viewers the sponsors can make money from. I would like to point out that M.A.S.H. was one of the longest running shows in television history and would have folded if they had swapped out Alan Alda for someone else, so her comment about actor-centric fans makes no sense. And about the dedication of fans, what could possibly be more dedicated than giving our own blood in the cause?
I have no doubt that Moonlight will rise like the undead and live on. Watch the episodes available and visit the fan websites. Most of the people involved are active, vital people with real lives who have finally said,”Enough is enough! We will no longer accept having no control over the offerings of the networks!”
It is due to the talent of the incredible team of actors, writers, etc., that Moonlight is so beloved, that it came into our hearts. I didn’t know Alex before Moonlight, but he brought such heart and soul to vampire Mick St. John that I will see him in other things, but I need to see him in Moonlight…the show is the thing… and I adore the Mick & Beth storyline, how they are there for each other…. every week I couldn’t wait till the next. CBS has not been on in my house since the last ep of Moonlight aired. And the wonderful Jason Dohring bringing such snark & charm to the vampire Josef. These actors can give a look that say more than a page of dialogue. They have brought the characters to life…. Nina is an idiot and her turn is coming for the what goes around comes around, I am sure.
I don’t understand WHERE Nina got the idea that Moonlight fans were only interested in Alex. Yes, he’s the star of the show and all their promos screamed that in everyone’s faces. Fans love THE SHOW and that means everything from the writing to the sets to the music (I bought lots of songs on iTunes because I heard them on the show) to the lighting to the actor’s chemistry and on and on. Everything clicked on Moonlight and it touched our lives.
You should try the show out. It’s a wonderful romantic show with drama, action and comedy in the mix as well. It it a fun show and when you watch it, you get hooked immediately. You fall in love with the characters and their world.
Moonlight wasn’t given a chance. With True Blood, Twilight and Johnny Depp/Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows movie…vampires are VERY popular right now and it doesn’t make sense to cancel Moonlight.
I do not watch many prime time tv shows. There has not been a series that I have thought was worth my time in watching each and every week until MOONLIGHT. Yes Alex is very attractive , as is Beth and many others on the show, that being said, there are plenty of great looking actors and actress’ on tv. Check any channel for hot actors no big deal. It was the storyline and the chemistry between the actors that made us LOVE this show. Many people did not even get a chance to view the show due to the crazy season(with the strike). Why bother to put on a show if you are not going to give it a chance. I want MOONLIGHT BACK with ALL the actors. It would not be the same without MICK OR BETH. So thanks for a well written article!!
Thank you for a great article! If you have never watched moonlight, I highly recommend you take a break from the stress of everyday life and do so. IMO that will help you understand why we love this show.
As for your question “are there really any such fans out there, who didn’t care about the show, only the actor(s) ??” - not that I’ve met among Moonlight fans.
The attraction we feel toward Alex is just icing on the cake, so to speak!
Thanks for your great article! You were dead on in the fact that it was the show, not just one actor, that we all loved about it. It had great acting, directing, music, editing, etc. It was the whole package. CBS really blew it with this decision.
I recommend that you buy the DVD when it comes out to see what all the hoopla is about. But be warned, you’ll be hooked after you watch it!
When I first saw Moonlight, I told my wife that the cinematography was incredible. I am a professional photographer, so that caught my eye, first. We continued to watch Moonlight because it is great entertainment. The cast, crew, and music are all to be admired. it was one of the best quality shows to be on public TV in years. It should be reconsidered! This show has something for everyone to enjoy. It is incomprehensible, that it was not renewed!
I’m one of the many Moonlight fans I’ve read comments from that don’t ususally participate in a “save the show” effort - usually just accept. Moonlight, however, touched me a an unexplanable way - I loved the show and miss it terribly. Thank goodness I have most of the episodes on TIVO so I can rewatch. Yeah, I loved Alex, but mostly as Mick St. John. I’ve watched other works of Alex and while I liked them, they didn’t grab me like Mick did. CBS was really foolish to end this series in the manner they did. I watch most of my favorite shows via my DVR due to my lifestyle, which means I evidently don’t count on the Neilson ratings, but I refuse to watch anything on CBS now!!! I was a CSI fan for many years, but they’ve beat that to death. Most of the network programming in insulting to my intelligence. I was a Jerico fan also, and hate to see it leave, but it too did not grab me as Moonlight did. CBS didn’t market Moonlight very well, most people I know who watched didn’t know about it until I told them about it - then they too became fans. I’m truly saddened by Moonlight’s cancellation - and although I will follow the careers of the actors, it was the characters that I loved to watch every Friday night!
Thank you very much, fred, for this great article!
First of all I’d like to answer the question, if there really are fans watching the series only because of Alex: In my opinion, no. It might have started with ‘Oh, a series with Alex O’Loughlin’ for some, but every fan I know grew to absolutely love the series for it’s own sake already after seeing a few episodes.
As to speak for myself: I’ve been a vampire fan as long as I can think. They always fascinated me somehow.. and that’s why I began watching Moonlight and it payed out, because it’s such a great show! I didn’t even KNOW Alex before I started watching Moonlight, same for many of the other main-cast characters. So tell me again it’s not about loving the show, but only it’s characters..
Fred,
Thanks for this article.If even you that didn’t watch Moonlight wants to understand why the show has been cancelled, image we fans that so loyally followed it.
I love the love story of Mick and Beth, love all characters.
Moonlight is a feeling; it’s about the common things of life. I’ve tried all ways to understand why the show has been cancelled and still didn’t find a reasonable answer. About Mrs. Tassler’s words… it would be better if she’d recognized her big mistake and be quite.
No matter where the show goes we, Brazilian fans, will follow too.
Kátia Helena - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
Anyone who thinks the fans were only watching for Alex, obviously never saw the show. The show had so many facinating aspects that to cancel it was insane. Those of you who are bad mouthing the show, please, keep commenting because the more comments, the more exposure we receive. I thank you all for your time and support! Moonlight is a terrific show. The actors are wonderful and have wonderful chemistry! IF you’ve never seen it, please go watch it on Amazon or you can find it else where if you don’t mind subtitles.
It is a shame that Ms. Tassler hasn’t truly been listening to the fans or she would know that while Alex is a definite bonus, the show is what we love. The new twist on the vampire mythos coupled with the amazing chemistry and talent of the actors and phenomenal writers is the foundation of Moonlight that kept us coming back for more. This is why we are still here, fighting to find a home for this wonderful show. If it were entirely about Alex, we would simply sit back and wait for his next role.
Last season CBS aired a program that took me by surprise. I’m a grandmother and I tell you it was the most amazing and beautiful show I have ever seen. It was magic. The actors, Alex O’Laughlin, Sophia Miles, Shannyn Sossamon, and Jason Dohring, are sensational, the writing incredibly creative, imaginative, sensitive, loving, feeling and healing. This show is a ROMANTIC FANTASY! Unlike the majority of shows on TV, MOONLIGHT is a FANTASY.
I am writing you because I am very angry and upset at the loss of this program. I strongly question the reason given by CBS since there are many (8 million +) who found Moonlight to be remarkable. This show won numerous People Choice Awards including Best New Show.
Moonlight was warm and beautiful. It showed, in its own way, how there are people around us that have illnesses we don’t understand, they have an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning. People who may not be the same as you or me yet, deserve simple respect. People, even in their differences, still long for love, health and friendship.
In this day of TV viewers disappearing how can the networks not see the GOLD that is MOONLIGHT. It aired but a handful of times before the writers strike and yet it gained more than EIGHT (8) MILLION VIEWERS. It won countless awards. Viewers all over the world are asking for and missing this show.
Do the fans want this show back. You BET!
I remain in the DARK without MOONLIGHT!
Nina T is flat out lying…she knows how much we all love Moonlight the show …yes, we love Alex but also every other cast member. She knows and we all know she knows
The cancelation of Moonlight was not an earth moving event but as a fan of the show I really can’t understand the network cancelling a well written, beautifully filmed, well acted and highly entertaining show that so many people enjoyed. CBS may well have reasons for not continuing the show but so far I have not read anything that justify’s the decision. As for a the network belittling the fans for the way they refer to it surely the fact that they are still asking for it to be brought back 2 months later is far more important. I personnaly liked all the characters as the actors/writers gave them such interesting personna. Please listen to the public and for once give them what they are asking for.
Thanks
The whole story surrounding this show just stinks and continues to smell foul. For a show so beloved by its fans, the treatment it was given, and the way it was not even given a chance past 4 episodes behind the writers return has not made any sense. It continues to baffle us, how this women can be so out of touch with what the show meant to its viewers. Also, for such a costly show to produce to not be given a long term prognosis to build an audience, it just makes me think of a small business owner who does not plan for the long term and starts a business on a minimuim investment unable to build a clientele before closing. They should have backed it knowing it had already build a loyal fan base, and atleast ran the reruns instead of dumping it and putting some piece of crap in it’s place known as Swingtown. One other thing, the fans of this show should have been considered a gold mine, based on the message boards it transcended a large group of educated females of all ages. How many shows do you think get that targeted group. I am not an Advertising guru, but even I can see the money opportunities here, women spend money, they make the choices for just about anything coming into the family pantry, beauty products, where to eat out etc. Come on how stupid can CBS be.
Do we love Alex as an actor? Of course we do! He’s very talented, not to mention pretty easy on the eyes. But why do we love Alex as an actor? Because we saw him on Moonlight and fell in love with his character Mick St John! Moonlight is the vehicle and whole reason we love Alex as an actor now, so to say we didn’t love the show is just a silly statement. Moonlight was and is the best show I’ve seen in years. It was given a ridiculous mandate to achieve on a Friday night in an interrupted season which was then cut short. It was never given an opportunity to shine like other shows on the network, and CBS knows it, hence the ridiculous ‘reasons’ for it’s cancellation.
Thank you, Fred for your objective perspective regarding Moonlight. The Ally McBeal/House analogies were perfect. The comments made by Ms. Tassler are disconcerting to say the least. If anything, her press statements tend to undermine the public’s perception of her ability to strategize and gauge the market. She has made several comments justifying her decision to cancel Moonlight that just don’t add up. Her first comment that Moonlight needed more women viewers was supremely inane seeing as most (although not all, I admit) viewers are women of ALL age groups and socio-economic stratas who tend to spend the most consumable dollars. To say that we are fighting for just Alex O’Loughlin and not the entire Moonlight package is another misnomer that either highlights Ms. Tassler’s unfamiliarlity with the demographics or a staff that is misinterpreting mail, email, board posts, comments, blogs, opinions, polls, blogtalk radio, and personal webpages.
Without a doubt, we adore Alex O’Loughlin, but we also adore, Sophia Myles, Jason Dohring, Jacob Vargas, David Blue, Eric Winter, Brian White, and Claudia Black in all of their various roles. We want Moonlight back in its entirety. It is the quintessential love story that explores many universal themes and juxtaposes several different genres.
We Moonlight fans represent a broad spectrum of viewers who are willing to follow Moonlight anywhere and spend our collective dollars with sponsors who are bright enough to see a consumer windfall just waiting to happen.
We are also hoping that Ms. Tassler is smart enough to see Moonlight in a new light, the impending vampire trend, admit some short-sighted decision-making, and pick up Moonlight. Without a writer’s strike, production upheavals, and inadequate promotions, Moonlight will shine and present a brilliant PR opportunity for CBS, the station that was big enough to rethink a hasty decision. Business 101-(under damage control) admit a mistake and find a way to fix it!
Personally, I think Nina is a little off, if you know what I mean. Why would a network care why a show is popular? Actors, characters, chemistry, just what difference would any of this make to a network looking for successful shows? I think CBS should take that cancellation axe and chop off the true fat at their network…..Nina.
When I started watching Moonlight it opened up a whole world of meeting other people who loved Moonlight, adding my opinions, voting for People’s Choice awards and enjoying a great show. Now it’s gone and I think why? Didn’t the People’s Choice awards mean anything? What does that say about such a large group of fans who took the time to vote? It made me angry and want to be involved. For the first time in my life I was emailing, snail mailing and voting for a show that was really special not only to me but a great group of people. We matter but CBS and this Nina made us feel we didn’t. I even took the time to watch Jericho and found I enjoyed it too. So I was able to relate and understand why those fans went to so much trouble. I had a whole newfound respect for those fans who’d gone thru the same thing we were. I still don’t understand why our boycott is not being reconized because most of the fans are not watching CBS anymore. Why hasn’t that been written about? Thank you for taking the time to write about such a great show and the efforts of it’s fans.
I started watching Moonlight because I LOVE Vampire shows. I didn’t even know who the actors were. I only recognized “coraline”. The SHOW was the best vampire show out there. Vampire fans are huge!!!! Alex filled the shoes with style and the chemistry of the cast was outstanding. So yes I love the actors but the
show just plain rocked!!!!
I find it interesting in the shear number of responses anytime Moonlight is written about or even mentioned. By just the raw numbers it should be apparent that Moonlight appealed to a lot of people and that our feelings haven’t faded or our passions diminished. There’s no way Moonlight got cancelled because of a lack of interest and with a little push the show would have been HUGE, all this occurring in the Friday night dead spot. I also can’t believe that CBS or another network isn’t interested in getting what I see as a hot comodity. The fans have worked hard to reveal the numbers and the depth of the fan base. Call us rabid but we don’t send blood we give it and most of the posts I see are really well thought out. Moonlight is special, it’s very good tv and deserves a season two.