Following the cancellation of yet another queer show, the fans are now fighting back
Ican’t count how many times I’ve heard “It’s just a show” in the last few months. And it is precisely this sentence that shows how big the problem is. The cancellation of Station 19 is not “just about a show”. This is about so much more, it’s about representing so many people who otherwise don’t feel represented on TV. It’s about our safe place. To put it concretely: Station 19 saves lives with its stories, mine is one of them.
Representation of diverse races, genders, sexual orientations and lived experiences from the cast and crew of Station 19 is rare and much needed on television today. Station 19 provides a safe and welcoming place where audiences young and old can feel seen and represented. In a time when our rights are threatened at every turn, finding a home where we can reflect ourselves is crucial. For many in the worldwide viewing audience, it is the only form of appropriate representation. Additionally, the series explores the socio-political issues surrounding these different identities. The sixth season’s discussion of systemic racism earned Station 19 the Sentinel Award from Hollywood, Health & Society this year. Female and queer identities are also at the heart of the series. Likewise, Station 19 highlights the difficulties queer couples face when trying to start a family. In addition, season six dealt with the topic of first responder mental health – a topic that didn’t get much representation on network television in the past.
At a time when LGBTQIA rights, among other things, are increasingly under threat, Station 19’s role in fusing current political issues and culture is invaluable to fans. In January 2024 it was announced that Station 19 was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. This nomination also shows how wrong the cancellation of Station 19 is.
Station 19 also tackles heavy topics and has a knack for dealing with these topics without making them feel too heavy. It brings up a painful subject but gives hope without overdoing it. Now one might think that perhaps the cancellation is justified by too few viewership numbers or too high costs. Both can be denied. The crew and cast were also completely unprepared for the cancellation. They only received the information about the cancellation a few hours before the public during lunch on set, on their third day back filming for season seven. Furthermore, the series had just moved to a new production facility a few weeks earlier for several million dollars and the cast has valid contracts for further years. The cancellation is therefore still incomprehensible due to many circumstances.
If you look at the viewership numbers from before the cancellation and also the numbers for the current season (ABC at 10 p.m. EST on Thursday), then this is absolutely no reason, nor is the cost of production, considering that ABC is currently producing another series purchased with much higher production costs. According to the official ratings, Station 19 was in first place in terms of viewership of scripted shows in the 22/23 season and third in terms of demographics on ABC. Despite the new, unfavourable 10 pm. time slot and almost no advertising from the channel, the start of season seven had the highest +35 day multiplatform viewership since October 2022. The question remains as to why the series was cancelled. Everyone can now make up their own minds about the reasons for cancelling another series with a WLW couple as one of the main characters.
The fans are currently leading an unprecedented fight, which will only end when Station 19 receives additional seasons on ABC or another interested broadcaster/streaming platform and therefore save our representation. Under the Hashtag #SaveStation19, the fight has been taking place online and offline for the last 5 months to save Station 19 and thus 300+ cast/crew jobs. In addition to the petition, which currently has almost 90,000 signatures, aeroplane banners, newspaper advertisements, banners and many other campaigns have also been found in LA, NY and around the world in recent weeks.
As I said at the beginning, it’s about more than “just a show”.
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