Saturday, November 7, 2015

Steampunk'd Reportedly Canceled By GSN


Sigh. I can't exactly say I didn't expect this, but the longer it was put off the more hopeful I got. It looks like all that wishful thinking was in vain because according to reliable (although unofficial) blog, Game Show Network News, the show is over and done with, getting no second season.


It's with a heavy heart that I post about this news. I reviewed every episode and got some incredibly p positive feedback from not only the fans, but the contestants and some of the judges as well. It was such a fun romp through the amazing world of steampunk, and it really turned a lot of people onto this once hidden subculture. I met a lot of cool people both from the show and simply from the culture thanks to Steampunk'd and I can't believe it was canceled.

From the looks of it, the ratings really plummeted after three weeks. Being right on the heels of Skin Wars, the crown jewel of GSN, it faired well it's first two weeks, but there were so many complaints about the layout of the show that people gave up quickly. I also feel like the elimination order (IE purposely keeping on Miss Morgan so there would be more drama) had a lot to do with the decline in the ratings. They simply forgot their target audience, which were the steampunk makers themselves, and instead tried to mold it into the current format of reality television competition. 

I sincerely believe that had they gotten a second season there would have been major revisions to the format, but it looks like GSN wasn't ready to take that leap of faith. I hope that this doesn't discourage the network from green lighting other reality competitions. Skin Wars has done inexplicably well using the same format and is just as niche a topic as steampunk is. 

I would like to thank everyone who spoke with me and help me promote my reviews. Special thanks to Ave, Tayliss, Eddie, Karianne, Charles, Tobias, James, and Thomas, all of who liked, reposted, and commented on my reviews and Facebook postings. You were all very instrumental in my understanding and enjoyment of this show, and the growing culture that accompanies it. You are all stars in my eyes, and one season or ten, you were there from the beginning, and opened up so many people's eyes to what steampunk truly is. And for that, I thank you.

3 comments:

  1. thank you for this post! It's well written and has given me closure (:

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  2. I think its really sad i really liked the show

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  3. So heartbroken that Steampunk'd is not returning. It was truly an amazing show about art in so many different forms with the most important element of repurposing one man's junk into skillful beautiful treasures. The network threw away a gem before giving it a true chance.

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