Hellatus Check #2
Since I’m only planning on four Hellatus Check articles one could infer that we’re halfway through…well, almost folks. According to the fabulous news from the CW we only have nine weeks remaining to the premier of Season 5. We are actually eight weeks through Hellatus, so we’re definitely gaining ground.
So what’s been going on out in the realm of Supernatural? Well, there were conventions in Europe and I believe in Australia so, if you haven’t dabbled in some reports and videos from those, might I suggest a trip to Supernaturalwiki and follow the links. There’s plenty of news and vids and pics there to occupy you and give you something to settle your nerves.
At the end of this month our very own Alice is traveling to California to attend the Comic Con…under her own press pass for The Winchester Family Business. She has promised reports! And if that is not quite enough for you, mark your calendars for the convention being held in Vancouver at the end of August that our very own Tigershire is attending – Tigershire, reports please (as in MIRACLE NOW! Kinda please)
Have you voted in the Portal Awards? Supernatural is up for Best Episode: The Monster At The End Of This Book; Best Actor: Jensen Ackles; Best Series and Best Website…no, it’s not us – it’s SupernaturalTV. Voting began on June 25th and goes through July 25th and, if you’re so inclined, you can vote one time each and every day. You have to vote in each category (there’s about 10 categories) for your vote to count so don’t skip around. You can vote one time daily only but you can go back again the next day and do it again. I voted…once, and then I forgot. *hangs head*
There’s an organization (see link below) that tracks internet fan interest in a show. At last check (July 4th – yeah, even on the 4th I took a few minutes to work on this article) Supernatural was holding its own at 5th place. I’m pasting in the article and the link below:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) –
Web site creation service Wetpaint has launched a measurement system that tracks fan interest in popular TV shows.
Billed as the first measurement tool of its kind, TV Fandex tracks the level of “fan engagement” of popular programs on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Webpaint’s own network of 1.5 million user-created fan sites.
“It’s clear there is a fundamental decentralization under way in how consumers experience TV programing, but the measurement tools have remained substantially the same,” Wetpaint CEO Ben Elowitz said. “Fans now have the tools to connect and evangelize, and they are using them with gusto. The TV Fandex provides networks and producers with the first gauge of the winners and losers in creating and retaining an online audience.”
The first week of public Fandex rankings shows HBO’s “True Blood” receiving the heaviest online engagement, followed by CBS’ “NCIS,” Fox’s “House,” Showtime’s “Weeds” and Fox’s canceled fan favorite “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Fandex.com plans to release weekly Top 100 rankings.
There are existing ways to measure a brand’s online popularity, including BuzzMetrics from Nielsen, the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter. Fandex is billed as the first system built specifically around providing an apples-to-apples comparison of TV series interest among social media networks.
“We need to solve the problem of which shows have fan enthusiasm, not just across the TV dimension,” Elowitz said.
Broadcasters recently have seemed more willing to extend the lives of struggling shows that have heavy online fan interest. NBC’s “Chuck” and Fox’s “Dollhouse” received renewals after demonstrations of intense fan appreciation, though Fox’s “Terminator” was unable to garner a pickup. According to Wetpaint, the most engaged viewers spend up to five hours a week discussing a single episode of a program.
Although networks have largely been unable to monetize online popularity, a show having strong Web buzz generally results in more traffic for a network’s site, higher DVD sales for the program’s studio and a deeper level of brand engagement that can attract advertisers seeking integration opportunities.
And the link:
Casting calls and spoilery stuff—or shall I say teasery stuff (Thanks, Alice!):
No, I’m not going back on my promise to not post spoilers here…there be no spoilers here.
However, if you’re looking for them, you’ve probably already seen them. (Smart, ‘eh?) There’s been casting calls for characters for the first two episodes as well as titles of those episodes released. Cool. I’m allowing myself casting calls, they don’t say much other than the character’s name (which may or may not be true although for one I’m hoping it is and hoping it’s well written and well acted) and the date that the episode will be filmed.
There’s also three interviews out there, a brief one with TV Guide from Eric Kripke himself, a longer Q&A session with Sera Gamble that WinchesterBros nabbed and an interview Robert Singer gave to Red Alert. All three give enough to whet my appetite and have me stoked for the fifth season and confident in how things are going to go. I sent an e-mail to Alice right after reading the Sera Gamble Q&A hoping there was work on one with Alice coming up and Alice said so far niet, but in truth, WinchesterBros asked all the right questions and what else could be asked. True enough. It’s a good bit of info without giving away any real info. If you want to check out those interviews you can do at least two things (probably more) first, read Alice’s article, “They’re not Spoilers, They’re Teasers†she’s got the links to two of the articles there, as for Eric’s little bit, go to Supernaturaltv, it’s still on their home page. Eric’s is very short and simply explains a bit of the why’s of a character – that’s all I’m saying for I shall not spoil anyone who is completely spoiler/teaser free. More power to you!
There’s rumors out there as well regarding some recurring/returning characters that have me pretty excited. All but one has been confirmed either by announcements regarding the actors involved or by Eric and Sera regarding the return of some characters…there’s one really cool one out there that so far has no confirmation to it that I can find…wait and see.
So, until September 10th we’ll wait and watch and read and write and drool as some attend conventions and then report back. The crew has been back filming and by posting of this article (on or about July 9th) they’ll be almost through with the first episode. Awesome.
So snuggle up with whatever fanfiction you’re enjoying…I’m reading something Gaelicspirit is working on, pretty good. I’ll be more careful this July when the next issue of Supernatural magazine is released. Either I’ll do the time honored thing and stand at the newsstand and skim it or I’ll lay out the bucks and buy it. May’s issue I waited too long to decide to buy it (or for that matter even scan through it) and by the time I went, there were none left. So, live and learn, I’ll not miss it this time.
Still haven’t ordered my Season 4 DVDs…standing in solidarity with my SPN sis Elle who so far is not able to pre-order. I’m still standing strong with you, Elle. (‘course, come August 30th that all changes and you’re on your own. Still, I’m with you!)
Enjoy the next nine weeks and don’t wish them away too fast, time goes so fast as it is and once it gets speeding along there’s no stopping it and, if we build too much momentum, we’ll speed through the first batch of episodes and be stuck in another hellatus. Oh, the horror!
Enjoy the summer.
Thanks for reading.
Omg..I can’t believe I already survived 8 weeks! This site helped a lot
Elle2, I have never heard of the Portal Awards. I wanna vote, so I googled it, but I can’t find it (which is an extremely rare phenomenon for me)
Wow – 8 weeks already? Thanks goodness for all the wonderful goodies to pass the time.
Narcissus, I’d never heard of the Portal Awards either until now. I found the link to vote though: http://www.airlockalpha.com/genre-awards/2009/index.php
Thanks for the solidarity, Elle2.
Just an update: as of this post (which I meant to include in my above post but got to eager with the “post” button”) – still unable to order. 🙁 Pretty soon I’ll be forced to send an inquiring email to the nice people at amazon.ca saying ‘WTF????’
Having never been to a con before, I have no idea how successful I’ll be in getting all the details HOWEVER, I promise to do my best in Vancouver. GRIN
Thanks for the link Elle 🙂
To Alice and Tigershire and all you lucky, lucky gals out there going to conventions and stuff, have fun!
Lucky Sods … Enjoy! Bring us some cake ( and reports, lots and lots and lots of reports … )
I like Engagement … It sounds so much better than Obsession … 😆
Hi, Narcissus, Elle, Tigershire and Suze,
Amazing isn’t it? Eight weeks have already gone by, wow.
Elle, thank you so much for finding and posting the link, I just read the article (always do once it’s posted and then cringe at the typos that slipped through 😳 — and of course the lack of the link was one such blooper.
For those so inclined to vote, the SupernaturalTV website has a thread in the forum devoted entirely to awards and voting opportunities for the show. There are actually some others that I discovered just yesterday, including the sourcies (as in the CW Sourcies) who have a slew of categories that they are passing the hellatus with votes. Apparently Supernatural won the category of best new comers with Castiel stealing away with 64 % of the vote, the current category is best fight which Sam and Dean are up for for their bro-down in When The Levee Breaks against three others — some dumb stuff from some of the other CW shows. These are all CW shows that the Sourcies do voting on.
So, if you’re not a member of supernaturaltv’s forum it’s easy. Sign up, that’s it. Nothing else required. Then go into the forum and find the link for the awards, (it’s under the “General Supernatural Discussion”)
BTW, the link to the sourcies is on the supernaturaltv front page so it’s really easy to find. Our boys are kicking but with 69 percent of the vote…still it’s a great few moment of fun and they’ve got a new link up regarding the latest voting category. So get to it…voting ends on Sunday or Monday for this latest.
As for Tigershire’s concerns about coherency and what to do and how much to capture…I recommend you soak up and enjoy it first and foremost. You can take some notes along the way but soak up the atmosphere,the fun, the craziness that some people indicate occurs and just enjoy. Then stay up all night each night and write, write, write everything that comes to mind — well, all right, maybe just write a little bit (stream of consciousness little bit) and then catch a few hours of sleep, yeah. I’ll be kind.
I’m really happy for you, you’re very brave. 😎
Suze, I agree, we are ‘engaged’ fans, not ‘obsessed’ fans…yeah, has a nicer tone to it.
Elle hang in there, sooner or later they’ll cough up the goods at Amazon…tick, tick, tick
Another fun way to follow the SPN season currently shooting is to “friend” Jim Beaver on Facebook. He gives daily updates for the eps he’s in but with no spoilers. He’s in the season premiere episode, which by today’s post is still shooting.
Canadian SPN: Season 4 DVD News:
I couldn’t think where else to post this, so here it is. I just emailed amazon.ca inquiring about SPN: Season 4 and they do have it available to pre-order. Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001FB4W0C
Allegedly the answering rep searched “Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season” and found it easily. Since this turned up nothing for me, I have my suspicions about this process. Nonetheless, yay!
Special thanks to Elle2 for show of solidarity! Go order your season 4 DVDs!
Hi, Elle,
Is it true? Can you preorder? If it’s true, I’m ordering mine!!!!! ’cause preordering always makes the time go faster. 😉
However, you’ve given me the go-ahead and I’m going ahead!!!
Awesome! 48 days until S4 DVDs arrive!!!!!
It’s true! 😀 I’m pre-ordering mine asap!
If anyone is ordering the DVDs, click on an Amazon ad on this page and order them, and 6% of the proceeds to go to “A Dog’s Life” as part of Support Supernatural’s fundraiser.
Hey Alice,
I tried to go through the link on this page – but I can’t order them through amazon.com without being charged an international shipping fee – any way you can get the link to the amazon.ca up there with the same 6% to A Dog’s Life at all?
Hi, Elle,
I preordered! Whee!
😎
I have an Amazon.ca Associates link – how about I offer up what Alice is? I’m willing to do that for the dogs.