I'm all for saving Studio 60 - my gods, these past few weeks without the show on have been a bore - but only an idiot would think that this poll of EOnline's is legitimate. The Veronica Mars and Supernatural fans are stuffing the ballots like mad, removing their cookies and voting 50, 60, 100 times in a row!

If NBC is dumb enough to believe that her ballot has any meaning anymore, they deserve to be ranked third or fourth.

Not only is it lame that they're tracking votes by cookies instead of IP addresses, there's also the issue of putting S60 up against shows that have been on the air longer. S60 has barely aired 3/4's of a season. Crossing Jordan has been on the air for five years. Veronica Mars has been on the air for three years. They've had an opportunity to build up a fan base. How is a show that's been on such a short time supposed to compete?

My fear is that in this day of blogger power, Kristen will make some smarmy announcement about VM winning and her statement will get picked up by all the bloggers -- further harming any credibility Studio 60 has left. We need to get out ahead of this, send complaints to our local papers (as well as the big papers) about what a joke her poll is. In other words, delegitimize it.

From the beginning I had doubts because she seems to be pulling for VM. We need to have a person to contact from E! online. Any thoughts? We can't just sit around and wait for this to happen.

well, why dont we just do the same thing! how does one remove their cookies and vote again?

Just quit your browser and then open it up again. That's all it takes for firefox.

Sure you can, but it varies by browser. I'm using Firefox on a Mac and it's under Preferences -> Privacy -> Clear Private Data. There's an option to clear cookies there. I've done it here and there, but I'm too lazy to sit here and clear cookies and vote 100 times. I don't have the energy of a teenage Veronica Mars fan.

I haven't had to clear my cookies once, at home or at work. I'm on a Mac at home and on Explorer at work. All you have yo do is quit your brower and then open it up again. Saves time that way.

I have voted about 50 times already this way. not bad for 3 days... I just wish I had the time to vote more often. But, as DirectorSG pointed out before, we just can't compete with teenage VM fans. It's not that I we don't have the energy, it's just that we don't have the time. Most of us have lives....

Which brings us back to how stupid Nielsen ratings are, since a lot of us with our lives tape, DVR, TiVo etc the show to watch later when we are not so busy.

It is pretty silly. For the past couple of weeks...I have done nothing but be bored, nothing good is on television anymore! Studio 60 kept me somewhat sane, but now... Lets just keep hoping it comes back. I did send a hand-written letter to NBC a little while ago. Hopefully it made it.

I just voted like 20 times. But I have a laptop, and my hands are now tired from using the little mouse pad thingy. I'm sick, and soon to be unemployed, so I have time on my hands. But I still don't see us catching up to the VM people. But if we get a strong showing, and come in 5th or higher, I'm sure the execs will still take notice. Especially if we beat out "What About Brian?" which is in the same time slot. It also helps that VM is on a different channel. But I'm flat out sick of looking at Kristen's face (I don't know what it is about her that strikes me as being odd), so I'm going to quit for a little while.

Hey! Lava! You know what? You should run a poll... find out how many other folks think Moliere was an Italian. LOL.

I say do what you can until this Friday when we see where we stand. If we're getting hammered 5 to 1 for example by CW shows, it's silly to do more than try to be the top major network program. I was going to say this week the teens will all be in school and then I remembered, folks with jobs aren't exactly done by 3pm and the fangirls probably go gush about such and such a star from CW and how they simply must trounce some other show and prove their love after which they expect a marriage proposal--I mean so the best show can win (gag).

What I've discovered is say you've got a computer you work on, disable cookies before you vote on it and then open up like 10 (or however many) new Mozilla tabs from the same link after which you now find yourself with 10 polls where upon you vote 10 times and close all but one the first window. Rinse and repeat. 50 comes and goes like that. I really think they should've done IP addresses. I'm kinda mad that they didn't. You gotta know someone's reading these boards and going 'well they're stuffing the ballots, this is crap' but on another level it does show fan obsessiveness winning out and if you're that dedicated to making crazy with the ballots maybe they can work with that. What I think though is our pursuit of things like this, win or lose, is really 3 things: an effort to make our views known, a hug for the cast/crew to tell them 'hey man we like you, screw NBC' and a way of keeping things alive for when they finally get off their butts and air the shows.

Can you imagine if ratings went back up to pre-Friday Night Slaughter levels? I fear that NBC's ruined it to the point that some might not come back but I think we might have some hope of working a silver lining here somewhere. I just heard July 19th is Emmy nominations day and while I think no mention of the show by upfronts except a 'maybe, we dunno' is about as doomsday as you can get, if they stay mum you'd know for sure that they're waiting til that day to see. They might not want to feel silly that they canceled it and then it got stuff. Matthew Perry seems to get the most 'eh not sure about the show but boy did he do himself good here' buzz. At the end of the day though, I suspect we'll know in May.

You know, there was a poll about which show should be saved at eonline, like 6 months ago, and Studio 60 came out as the winner. I hope we'll win it too this time. Keep voting! Don't the previous eonline poll get your spirit down, we have to fight for our show!

I have a pc with IE and it lets me vote several times in a row, just by hitting my BACK button. The thing is, I don't have the time to do that 100 times in a row. And not to knock fans of any other show, but I had never heard of Veronica Mars (don't get the CW here) and so I Googled it. I imagine the fan base of that show, as has been said above, has much more time on their hands. I wish it would be more legitimate where it makes a person sign in and limits their votes. It would certainly give much more credibility to the voting, don't you think?

Everyone knows you can delete your cookies and vote again, but it probably doesn't count. I'm sure they're tracking ip addresses too. There has to be reason why we have to wait a week to view the results. Those Veronica Mars fans are likely just being morons and wasting time.

I'm sure they're tracking ip addresses too. There has to be reason why we have to wait a week to view the results.

No - it's called building anticipation. By having the voting be on for awhile, people keep coming back to her site and clicking around. It increases her hits and hits have become like ratings.

On the ip address thing, there's really no way to know. IF they did track IP addresses, I'd be impressed but I highly doubt they are.

I don't see them tracking IP addresses, either. I know the NFL and MLB do it for their All-Star game voting, but there's a legitimate reason for that. This is more of just a poll, done for fun and site hits. We're lucky if the execs take notice, really. If they don't they're idiots, but it's not like this is a direct impact thing. If it was a voting for a network to take over one of these shows, then I can see them doing it. Not to be a downer.

I have a question if they track by IP address doesn't that mean that if a group of people use a computer in a public place, example a library, only one vote would count even if there were mutilple people voting?

If it is rigged, then I think I'll just have to do my part to speak up for Studio 60. If they track ip addresses, then my time will be spent just as well because at least I was trying. If not though, I will even the score in favor of S60 with all my free time, which, as of late, has increased dramatically. After all, I've already voted 50 times today, and there is plenty of time left before I turn in for the night. Maybe I can get up to 200...

I heard on Kristin's chat that there's about 3% separating first and second or something. Who knows who those are. VM and SN are both going gung ho so maybe them but we could be in on it. You never know. I just wish we knew the on going total number who've voted so we have an idea of scale.

But see, we already know they're not tracking IPs. I, myself, have voted at least 4 times.

It's got to be a vote till you drop thing. Besides, who to say she actually COUNTS the votes anyway. Its just like American Idol, sure 30 million people vote, but we're never REALLY sure the votes count to anything. There is no independent system to keep em honest. This whole thing could just be a scram and she will announce the winner as who ever she wants it to be, who can argue with the numbers since the public can't see them?

Just use cURL to ballot stuff a few hundred times a minute and null the vote.

Hi everyone,
I would just like to tell you that I am a huge Studio 60 fan. I think the show is so well written, and I love the cast. I have been a faithful viewer, and I have a season pass for it on my tivo.
That being said, my real tv love is Veronica Mars. And I think that some of the things that have been said on this board are a little unfair to the fans of that show. I, for one, am a 25 year old married female, I work full time as a bookkeeper and office manager and I also go to school full time. I make time for tv because it gives me an out, and I love to be entertained. To me, Veronica Mars is not a teeny bopper show. It is smart, witty and sarcastic, it shows real relationships, and has great mysteries. If you have never seen this show or never even heard of it, I really reccommend renting or buying each of the seasons.
Obviously my vote is for Veronica. I am extremely loyal to the show. But, that is not to say that there are many other shows on the poll that I don't love to watch as well. Studio 60 is one of those.
I have mixed feelings on this poll, for several reasons. It pits lovers of several shows against each other, and it really makes you choose. That's not fair. Also, the voting itself isn't fair. I don't like the fact that I have to vote 100 times a day. I should only have to vote once. But if I want Veronica Mars to win, I am going to have to vote as many times as it takes.
It should also be said, to give you S60 fans hope, that in Veronica Mars' first season, she won the SOS poll. We rallied the troops and she won. She came back for a second season. So you can do it too.
I guess the point of my post is to give you insight into a Veronica Mars fan, and explain to you why I love this show, and maybe to get you to try it out, and see just exactly why. It's not a foofy teen drama. It is so much more, and if you check that out you can see why Veronica Mars fans are rabid and will do anything for a fourth season. Thank you for your time!

And thank you for yours. Never am I more willing to engage in a conversation with another television fan than when they are as polite and respectful as you were.

I absolutely agree that the poll is not fair to fans of TV, and I definitely think that there should be a better way to make sure that our favorite TV shows make it back. I feel about S60 how you feel about Veronica Mars, and I'm sincerely sorry if this topic has offended you in any way. We may be a tad bitter, but we too, in the end, are desperately trying to bring back our favorite show.

In the end, I think voting once should be the way to go, but like you, I will be voting numerous times to hopefully help S60 to a second season.

just voted 22 times haha
i hope this is worth it!

It's kind of funny to hear some people in this thread saying they are mature and have lives and wouldn't sink to the same level as the "teens without lives" who are Veronica Mars fans.... while others brag about getting 20, 50, 100 votes. I think this shows that no matter how old you are, or what show you are a fan of, some fans will be rabid enough to boost votes for their show. Probably the same % of VM and S60 fans are voting multiple times, there just may be more VM fans. It's a human nature thing in my opinion.

I don't think it's fair of those of you who vote multiple times to say it is only in REACTION to the VM fans cheating. Because really, I think that the people who are voting multiple times all think that everyone who knows how to cheat the system will cheat, so they do it in reaction. I personally think people should just take responsibility for their selves: if you value the poll's integrity vote once and tell others to do so. If all that matters to you is boosting the votes, then join the ranks of the abusers of the system. Then again... maybe you don't particularly care either way about fan polls. *shrug* (Do what you please, I'm not trying to influence anyone either way)


One thing that does make VM fans stand out, is that they've made thousands of posts discussing ways to legitimately and constructively support the show. Ways they've tried to boost ratings and raise interest in the show: write to Lifetime to request it be syndicated, write postcards to CW, buy bumper stickers, post posters, arrange fan viewings in our communities, etc. This is obviously a very deeply thought out campaign, with a lot of work put into it. These fans organizing and participating in these rallying efforts are committed and that should be respected. So some "gung ho" VM fans are engaged in very legitimate rallies. (I'm not one of these active people, but I respect it)


Full disclosure: I am a 21 year old female (with a life). I've voted twice during the length of the SOS campaign. For VM. Really, the second vote was only to see if it would accept multiple votes. Coughy is also my E!Online username.

VM fans are incredibly well organized, I will certainly give them that. I read somewhere they hired a plane with a "Save VM" banner to fly over the CW's offices. As for myself, before I logged onto these boards, I had never heard of Veronica Mars or the CW. We don't get CW up here, and as far as I know, and I could be wrong, no major Canadian network has picked it up.

In any case, I don't think anyone's goal was to insult the VM fanbase. From what I read, the the simple fact is VM is more of a teenager-aimed show, much like Felicity. Yes, older people will like it too, that's a given, just like young people will like Studio 60 even though it is aimed at adults. What people here were saying is that the target audience for VM, by and large, does not have the same responsibilities as the target audience for S60. Teenagers have the time to vote a lot, whereas 30+ people do not. Could the comments have been worded better as to not offend the young among us? Sure, but it doesn't mean they were completely wrong.

Overall, this poll is obviously not the most democratic thing ever invented, and yes, it sucks that people vote many times, but regardless of whose idea it was first to start "cheating", E! allowed for it to happen. Therefore, fans will do what they feel is necessary to save their show. I think everyone will agree it is not the most legitimate poll conducted for that very reason, but they will also agree that their show needs whatever boost winning this thing will provide. I'm sure the Jericho's or Crossing Jordan's or any of the other shows on the list's fans would agree.

Will this poll really save one show? Who knows? Everyone just wants to do what they feel is best for them to get what they want, whatever that may be.