UPDATE BELOW!
There’s been some confusion floating around the blogosphere about whether or not the syndicated fantasy show Legend of the Seeker has really been canceled.
To set the record straight, it has been. I’ve heard it directly from the studio itself. “It is true that we won’t be producing a third season,” they told me.
I didn’t write another article to this effect because I’d already reported the news once and, frankly, I didn’t want to throw cold water on the efforts by fans to encourage the producers and studio to try to find a way to make a third season work.
In short, just because the show has been officially canceled, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be brought back to life, should the studio find another network or channel for it, or another way to make the finances work. It’s rare, but a few shows have been “resurrected” like this before.
The latest good news, a real feather in the cap of the Save Our Seeker effort, is that they’ve now raised enough money to place a second “save the Seeker” ad in a second industry publication. The ad will appear this Friday in The Hollywood Reporter.
The point of these ads, shrewdly conceived and cleverly executed, is to use the entertainment industry media to appeal directly to other financing entities.
Author Terry Goodkind hinted that the fan effort is having an impact. He specifically said in his letter of support earlier this week that, “your words and efforts are getting notice.”
He’s in a position to know.
My personal “read” of all this is that a third season is a long shot, and the more time goes by, the more difficult it becomes, as actors and other talent line up new jobs for next year.
But it’s absolutely not impossible. I’m personally crossing my fingers very hard.
Update (in response to comments, below): Bridget Osterhaus, the show’s publicist at ABC Disney, has just confirmed my story for the third time: “No. A third season of Legend of the Seeker will not be produced.”
Update (5/13): Please don’t shoot the messenger, but in my further discussions today with representatives from the show and studio, they made it very clear to me that, as of today, there are currently no negotiations going on with anyone regarding a possible third season for the show. They say the actors have moved on. The people I spoke with are very, very pessimistic that a third season is possible. They claim that the person who is posting on online bulletin boards claiming to have had discussions about sponsoring a third season is not in contact with anyone with any position of authority at the studio or on the show, and may possibly be a fraud or a hoax.
Further Update (5/13): To clarify, the person posting on bulletin boards (who I made several efforts to contact, without success) has never claimed to be offering to sponsor a third season of the show (though his comments have frequently been interpreted that way, including in the comments here, below). The person, LOTS_Sponsor, has been involved with sponsoring the show in the past and has reportedly been working with the studio to license their logo for promotional purposes; he is not involved in any planned third season for the show. He says he tried to contact me, but I did not receive those emails or phone calls. Still, he has posted a response here.
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I guess it’s really a horrible feeling. A show this magnificant comes along but once in a generation. This is like our Star Trek. The problem is, I don’t know how long we can wait before we get “Seeker: The Motion Picture” or “Seeker: The Next Generation.”
They have this one chance in history to keep this show going. Once it’s over, it’s over. They’re throwing away something amazing, something wonderful. And they just don’t care.
I loved ABC for giving us a great show, and hate them for taking it away.
Thanks for the news… granted it isn’t good news but it’s ABC, it is expected. so far, any good show produced by ABC doesn’t seem to last very long especially since, lets face it here, commericals are limited. if ABC wanted a show to survive you would see tons of commerical for that show (even if it wasn’t good), it’s really up to them. oddly, they don’t like to promote their good shows and wonders why rating for the shows are good but viewers are low. I hope legend of the seeker gets picked up by a better network, enough said. ABC = Already Been Cancelled.
All I see is quotes said by reporters that they received from people supposedly with ABC. I’m sorry but ABC, and networks are very public with their cancellations. IN FACT they devote this month of May every year to announcing cancellations and New Shows for the Fall. I’m never heard of a show in recent years not publically announced by the network of cancellation
(In Fact there are a number of shows OFFICIALLY cancelled and then return next season Seventh Heaven,Chuck,and Jericho to name a few)
Tribune very publically announced they won’t be picking up Seeker,as a first run series but why isn’t ABC anouncing they won’t be producing it?
Is it possibe they are still wanting to produce it? If so then that could mean a possible pick up by a station, which means a possible season 3 and beyod.
I’m beggining to think this whole thing is a publicity stunt to get more viewers, which is gratefully working. But I’m not believing it until there is an official cancellation by ABC company not some random person within it.
I’m not doubting what you have written, that person might know, but only an OFFICIAL announcement is the end of hope.
Yes, Yes, I agree whole-heartedly!! Until I hear it straight from the horses mouth…….
Is there anyway possible to get ABC to make an official announcement about this? I mean they put out very publically about shows they cancel, so why can’t they make a statement, or is it anyway possible they could still be looking at options? After all even the commericals produced are saying season finale not series?
They HAVE made an official announcement/cancellation statement to a number of press outlets, including TheTorchOnline.com. There are plenty of people who are choosing not to believe that, but it’s simply the truth. ABC-Disney currently has no plans to make any further statements.
Thanks Brent for sharing your email replies with us all!
I hope the SOS efforts will be worth while. I’ve watched this series since day-one and I haven’t been this hooked to a show since Buffy! This is seriously my Buffy replacement, finally - after all of these years and it just really would be disappointing to see it go! I hope it gets picked up again by whomever needs to do the “picking up” part.
Heck, if they were concerned about special effects costs - I would be willing to offer some really competitive rates! ;)
Sorry Brent but I just won’t believe you. Why else would Terry Goodkind still show support if there was no hope left. I think he is in a position to know more than you. ;) And you may not believe LotS_Sponsor but maybe the people you are talking to are not in a position to know about him.
Anyway, to all the LotS fans out there: Don’t give up! Keep doing what you are doing! Follow the updates on how you can help and do whatever you can!
Why is terry goodkind involved and coming up with new supporting ideas as of yesterday, if its so hopeless? Why don’t u write an article on how he’s helping, huh?
They did, jackass.
Yeah, what now?
http://thetorchonline.com/2010/05/10/terry-goodkind-speaks-out-in-support-of-the-save-our-seeker-campaign/
Why do you have to be mean about it? Just tell her that they did. it sounds like your trying to make peoplep belive that there is no hope. There’s always hope. stop trying to bring us down! Keep trying everybody, no matter how much it takes! You wont bring us down!