TVSquad

Ladies and gentlemen and vampires, the winner of the TV Squad Nuttiest Fans Award 2008 is... Moonlight!

Punches were thrown, names were called, hearts were broken, but the TV Squad team has made its decision. Not only did Moonlight win the Readers Choice, but we decided that the fans of the show are the most scarily hardcore out of the five nominees.

This was a tough decision, with both the fans of Jericho and members of the Colbert Nation putting up a fair fight. All three groups have done considerable work for charity and have made their dedication well-known through various bizarre acts of fan-love. However, the overwhelming excitement for Moonlight has been compared to the likes of the the Beatlemania era. For a show that has lasted only one season, that's pretty darn impressive.

I experienced some of this manic fanaticism first-hand. As I have mentioned before, I attended the Moonlight panel at this year's New York Comic-Con. I spent the majority of the session in the secluded balcony seating, as I was genuinely a little freaked out by the shrieking horde below. Luckily, I had made it up there before the stars of the show, Alex O'Loughlin and Jason Dohring, appeared onstage. My eardrums would have burst otherwise, I swear. However, even that couldn't compare to the intensity of the crowd's reactions during the clips from the show itself. Words cannot describe the shrill, absolute glee that filled the room, especially when Shannyn Sossamon got a chair leg through the chest. It's stuff like this that drives the Moonlight fans crazy:



Fans have also teamed up with Red Cross in organizing dozens of blood drives across the country. Over 3,000 fans promised to donate a pint each in an effort to show their support for a possible Season Two. Even show star O'Loughlin joined in, serving as the official spokesman for the effort, as the drive followed him through various promotional appearances.

What is it about vampire-themed things that make fans extra nutty? Anne Rice's work has had incredible followings, the mediocre Twilight series has an unusually large fanbase and Sesame Street's Count has groupies lined up 'round the block. I guess ladies can't resist broody, pale men and their sharpened canines. If you need some convincing, check out some full episodes at CBS.com and reviews right here on TV Squad.

(S01E16) "Leeroy Jenkins!!!!"-- Logan Griffen

I deliberately chose a humorous quote to help us say farewell to Moonlight, rather than a more somber one. But other quotes in the running were: "Can my code name be Lando Calrissian?" and "It's going to be a freaking vampire apocalypse." It is not a spoiler but a fact that CBS decided earlier this week not to pick up Moonlight for a second season. The fat lady hasn't finished quite singing yet, though: Our own Brett Love reported that Nikke Fink thinks the CW might pick up the show after all. So, keep your eyes pealed for that possible announcement.

In the meantime, however, we have the season (and, thus far, series) finale to contend with. I don't know whether the writers suspected that the series would be ending, but surely they knew (along with everyone else) that the show was on the bubble. So, they ended the season in a manner that would provide some closure for us all, while also keeping things open in case it was continued. I, for one, appreciate that.

This is it, Moonlight fans. Vampires might be immortal, but this cult favorite is not. Today, sources at CBS have confirmed (though this is "not truly official" yet): The bubble has been popped, and the network has decided not to renew the series for a second season. You can't say the fans haven't tried to save this show, hosting nationwide blood drives and showering the network with garlic cloves. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, the show couldn't sustain viewers after Ghost Whisperer on Friday nights. Rabid, repeat viewings by diehard fans don't really count as multiple viewers, I guess.

This will cast a pall at this month's Moonlight Convention, I'll bet.

As a fan of the CBS series Moonlight, I've been keeping an eye on news about the show lately to know if it would be renewed or not. Lately, most articles made me optimistic since they said that the show had a good chance of getting a second season. Actually, some people said it was almost a done deal because the CBS Friday night lineup was doing very well. But, as people keeping tabs on the upfronts know, things can change in a split second.

(S01E15) "What do you think of Elliot for a boy?" Beth to Mick about their imaginary future children, kidding.

This was a great episode, with a twist! But the twist can wait until after the jump. One of the most interesting things about this episode was how Mick's longing to be human (with Josef hilariously teasing him about blood oranges and how confusing that must be) was the bread at the beginning at the end that sandwiched the rest of the episode. His longing has always been there, but it has become more pronounced in some ways because of his short stint as a human, and also because of certain revelations from this episode.

We also got to find out Josef's one regret about being a vampire, which I don't think he admits to very often. But first things first: There is a little boy missing, and Mick is going to find him.

(S01E14) "Then you know how I'm going to handle this." Josef to Beth about Dean Foster

Things are really starting to heat up in important ways. I know that a lot of fans thought last week's episode was phenomenal, especially because of the scene between Josef and Mick, but this episode was even better. There are two reasons for this: First, that the plot really worked, moved quickly, created suspense, and second that the plot actually had ramifications for Mick's future (and Beth's, and their possible future together). That's called synergy, and I like it.

Let's also talk about what was better this week: Jason Dohring wasn't stiff at all. He was both funny and dangerous, just exactly what he needs to be. Eric Winter was also better, pensive, and not such a prick. But everybody looks stupid with those bluetooth earpieces. Why can't all actors wear the wired earpiece like Jason Bourne? I am just not even going to comment on Beth's wig apart from saying that I suppose I am just going to have to live with it. I am going to be Switzerland about the wig.

(S01E13) "Forgive me." Josef to Mick (for you-know-why)

Whew, boy, a lot going on in this episode! Mick might have to consider going to see a shrink for vampires to wrap his mind around all of the whirlwind changes in just one episode. There was a lot to like in this episode-- Mick as he dove into a chili dog, Mick eating a strawberry on the beach, Mick devouring a doughnut, and we'll talk about more things after the jump. But there were also some things that just bugged the hell out of me. And I am going to talk about those too.

Mick is human now, and it's all the more precious because it is fleeting. He doesn't take for granted the things that we all do: orange juice and coffee in the morning, sleeping in beds, mortality. I don't think that most of us walk around with a strong sense that our lives are fragile simply because we are mortal: We simply have no choice. If we thought about it too much, it would cripple us.

Everybody's talking about CBS's vampire private investigator show Moonlight. Moonlight's fans are sending garlic to producers and conducting blood drives in an attempt to force executives to knock the show off the bubble and into a second season. AOL's Kelly Woo had a chance to interview Alex O'Loughlin and Jasoh Dohring (Mick and Josef) at New York Comic Con recently, and both stars reported being overwhelmed (in a good way) with fans' dedication to the show. Dohring reported that he's sign up to give blood himself, because it's such an important thing to do anyway.

I got a chance to talk to Jason Dohring, who plays 400+-year-old vampire Josef on the show, last night when he appeared on Shaun O'Mac's internet radio show on BlogTalkRadio (Bob Sassone from TV Squad appears on the show each Wednesday evening to talk TV, and Shaun is a great host-- you should definitely check out the show!).

Okay, I'm finally back from the New York Comic-Con and I still smell like the Javits Convention Center. Fandom seeps into the deepest layers of one's skin and take at least a few weeks to wash out. It's a scientific fact.

The first panel I attended wasn't even TV-related. Worrying that the Battlestar Galactica room would fill before I could even step into the line, I sat through the preceding panel for Wall-E and Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian to guarantee a seat. As it turns out, the theater is absolutely huge and two big screens were on either side of the stage, so my worry was kind of pointless. I was reminded of what I already knew: Wall-E looks insanely cute, Chronicles of Narnia has a greasy-haired new guy and the Jesus lion again. However, this is when I began to play a game that lasted throughout the entire weekend: Analyze the differing levels of scary devotion throughout various fanbases!

Yesterday I went to Warner Bros. studios in Burbank to visit the set of CBS's Moonlight. I must admit... with the exception of the pilot, I actually haven't watched the show. But after talking with the cast members, seeing the set, and hearing about the four episodes that will air starting April 25th, I think I might be a fan of Moonlight.

And I know for sure there are some Moonlight fans here at TV Squad. You are going to love what I have in store for you after the jump. Read on and find out about my day at Stage 9 and Stage 14 of Warner Bros. and my interviews with Jason Dohring, Eric Winter, Sophia Myles, and *swoon* Alex O'Loughlin.

Beware. There are some spoilers...

Okay, here are the similarities between Mick St. John, the vampire private detective of the new CBS drama Moonlight, and Angel, the vampire private detective of Angel: both are vampires (which I said already), both live in Los Angeles, both need blood to survive, both drive classic convertibles (which, being unable to use during the day, boggles my mind), both have long coats that flap in the wind while they stand on rooftops, and they are both fighting for the innocent person.

Here are the differences: the show that Angel was in was so much better than the show that Mick St. John is in. That, and Mick sleeps in a freezer instead of a bed.

CBS is on a good run, being the most watched network for the last five years, but they have taken a bit of heat for the formulaic way they have gone about doing it. Not arguing with success, the whole family of CSIs, and their crime based cousins, will be back, but the network is trying to branch out with some edgier programming. Most notably, Swingtown, Viva Laughlin, and Moonlight.

Returning: The Amazing Race, Cold Case, 60 Minutes, How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Unit, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Survivor, CSI, Shark, Without A Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, 48 Hours Mystery.

New: Viva Laughlin, Swingtown, Moonlight, Cane, Big Bang Theory, Power of 10, Kid Nation

Out: King of Queens, Jericho, The Class, Close To Home

Moving: Without A Trace moves back to Thursday at 10. Shark heads to Sunday at 10.