It's time to say goodbye to Dr. Zoe Hart and the citizens of Bluebell, Ala.— or is it? Sure, The CW's Hart of Dixie may have been canceled, but in these modern times, viewers should know better than to think what's canceled is canceled forever. Hart of Dixie's Season 4 finale airing on Friday night and there's still no official word its fate nor any plans to continue the series anywhere else — yet. But Dixie fans shouldn't lose faith that a streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, or Yahoo Screen might pick up the show and save the day. It's no longer the days when we thought Family Guy, Arrested Development, Twin Peaks, Community, Veronica Mars, and The X-Files were lost forever. So, don't close out your tab at the Butterstick just yet.
The Killing has come back from the dead so many times that I really doubt any show is ever truly canceled anymore. So, how are they doing this and what can be done to perhaps bring back Hart of Dixie, too? Well, it doesn't seem like there's just one thing — like a social media following or critical acclaim — that makes a streaming service or another network say, "We won't let that series die." I think it's a combination of different things, along with — of course — the right timing.
Timing isn't something that can be helped (I wish it could), but there are ways you can make your voice heard and maybe enough voices can make it happen.
Have Older Episodes on Netflix Already
It's widely known that the streaming service's ease of binge-watching also leads to revived interested in older TV shows like 24, Gilmore Girls, Friends and now The X-Files . People who missed it the first time around get to see the shows for the price of their Netflix subscription and die-hard fans get to relive the memories all over again.
Luckily, Hart of Dixie already has its older episodes on the service. Now, you just need to get all your friends to watch 'em.
Have a Social Media Following
While Community lacked in actual TV ratings, the show has a fervent and devoted following on the internet, including users of the hashtag #sixseasonsandamovie. NBC canceled the show in 2014, then Hulu toyed with picking up the show, and that didn't work out. But, when we almost lost hope, Yahoo Screen came into the picture and saved the day.
Yahoo Senior Director of Programming Ian Moffitt said he was attracted to reviving Community because the show had a very young and vocal audience. "That younger audience is coming to us in droves, largely in part because of Community and other shows we’re doing," Moffitt said. "It was about finding the perfect show to demonstrate what we’re trying to do, and it was perfect."
Hart of Dixie fans, get thee to social media and use that #savebluebell hashtag.
Mourn Your Show
It may seem counter-intuitive, but it works. For years, critics and fans alike mourned the too-soon losses of Arrested Development, Family Guy, The Killing, and Veronica Mars. They were taken from us when they were just hitting their stride. They had so much potential. Then guess what? All of those shows came back. Not quite better than ever, but they returned in some form or another with varying quality.
As much as it hurts, mourn the loss of the Bluebell gang fully and talk about how the show was taken from us all too soon as often as possible. And maybe, one day, there will be a TV executive who feels the same way and will want to revive the series. You never know these days.
Images: Greg Gayne/The CW; Giphy (3)
