Here are some sample letters.
Address Labels
Mr.
Herb Scannell
President, Nickelodeon
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
April 29, 1999
Dear Sir:
When I first heard of your new network, TV LAND, I was delighted.
You were advertising your intent to air shows "seldom seen on
television." Immediately I began phoning and writing my local
cable company, asking that they include TV LAND. I couldn't
wait to see shows like MANNIX, which I hadn't seen since the
seventies.
Unfortunately, your network has not lived up to its promises.
The schedule has been jammed with endless repeats of sitcoms
that never left the airwaves. Good dramas such as MANNIX have
been ruthlessly edited, scheduled episodes skipped, and rarely
do we see a complete run of any series. You show 60-second sitcoms
and multiple promos at the expense of the programs you have
so loudly touted. Often the same self-promo is aired every break!
These practices have left the baby-boomer crowd you solicited
bewildered and disgusted at the juvenile selections of the programmers.
My friends and I are dismayed at the cancellation of MANNIX.
Mike Connors has been a fine spokesman for your venture, and
Joe Mannix is a timeless hero. The show was well crafted, and
is still enormously entertaining after all these years (Unlike
many others on your playlist which have only limited nostalgia
value.) It is clear that TV LAND had access to the other 63
episodes, yet chose not to present them.
Given the frustration involved in watching TV LAND: knowing
that I will never be able to see all of a program I find enjoyable,
that episodes shown one week might be repeated two weeks later,
and that I will be bombarded with the same silly jingle-ads
every break until I'm ready to scream, I am pulling your plug.
De-programming your channel from the set. Let me know when you
bring back MANNIX, or when TV LAND grows up a little-whichever
comes first.
Most Sincerely,
Your
Name
Address
Phone Number
Ms.
Diane Robina
President,
Programming TV LAND
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
May 6, 1999
Dear Ms. Robina:
Imagine my dismay when I found your network had discontinued MANNIX!
I was a fan of that show when it first ran, and now I have become
addicted to it again. In my opinion, few series airing today on
any network can compete with this one. It offers a good story,
fast-paced action, and a remarkably warm and appealing hero. Unlike
many of your other programs, it does not insult my intelligence.
TV LAND has been available to me only a short while, but I will
greatly miss my daily "Cup-A-Joe." Won't you reconsider this judgement?
With so few adult programs on your schedule, you really should.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Address
Phone Number
cc: Mr. Herb Scannell
President, NICKELODEON
Mr. Larry Jones,
General Manager, TV LAND
Ms. Cynthia Turner
Vice-President, Programming
Mr. Herb
Scannell
President, NICKELODEON
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
May 6, 1999
Dear Mr. Scannell:
When TV LAND debuted, I thought we would finally see some adult
programming. I was thrilled with MANNIX. Someone forgot to renew.
You didn't even show all the episodes! How about letting your
viewers with IQs higher than their shoe size see the rest of this
great show? Bring back MANNIX!
Sincerely,
Your Name
Address
Phone Number
Mr.
Larry Jones
General Manager, TV LAND
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
May 6, 1999
Dear Mr. Jones:
They tell me the rights to air MANNIX on your network have expired.
I understand Paramount administers those rights. Both your organizations
are owned by VIACOM. Seems to me you could work something out.
This show isn't diminished by time. Joe Mannix is still a hero
I can be proud of. One I can show off to my kids. It is a series
I can enjoy without feeling my brain rot. Much of your schedule
is littered with garbage, so I have to wonder why you would cancel
this program? Especially when over sixty episodes went un-aired.
My family and I are tired of so many repeats and seeing the same
ads for TV LAND appearing multiple times per day. Bring back MANNIX!
Please?
Most Sincerely,
Your Name
Addresss
Phone Number
Cc: Mr. Herb Scannell
President, NICKELODEON
Ms. Diane Robina,
President, Programming TV LAND
Address
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