Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A Letter to you from Melanie Papalia/Pippa Venturi


To the Gamers..I'm not too sure how to start this letter so I will just say WOW. Everyday of the SAVE ENDGAME campaign has truly moved me. I know I can speak for all the cast and crew when I say we are all genuinely touched. I was a happily surprised to see that our show had spread so far and had been a ritual for so many of your Monday nights. Endgame was a passion project for me from the start. Before I became Pippa I desperately wanted to be her. I had to be her. I got my way. :) This campaign and the persistence you all have to get a season 2 of Endgame has made me remember that I am not really done with Pippa. I still got that Endgame feeling...Plus, arguing with Balagan is preeeettttyyyyyy fun.

I have to say no matter what the outcome is here you guys have been a driving force. If the show were to come back I KNOW you all would be in our hearts and in our thoughts on set. We wouldn't be making a show that we weren't sure if people were going to like anymore. :)

What can I say..you guys rock so hard!! I am so grateful to you all and I know I will continue to be.

Melanie Papalia

Sunday, February 26, 2012

A letter to you, from Patrick Gallagher (Hugo Lum)


Hello Endgamers.....
It's been quite a journey for our little show..one could even go so far as to say it has been a long , hard slog... especially the last year while we have been in 'limbo'... and throughout , you have all been Amazing! I don't think we, the cast and crew and all involved, could really express enough how much it has meant to us. You guys took our little show and kept it alive, when it was all but dead, your enthusiasm and dedication has been a huge part of why we are even still being considered for a second season. And we are finally approaching, well, the endgame, as Hugo would say, (pun intended folks..Hugo's a genius!)
As most of you know, we are now being streamed on Hulu and Hulu+, and we have been doing well..we are close...but we are coming to a tipping point, and could go either way, and we need you again. A big push this week, and a momentum boost could push us over the top! I loved doing Endgame, loved working with the talented cast and crew and writers. I am very proud of our show, and am excited to continue to see where this unique piece of television can go next... and Hugo has to get that russian blowhard Balagan outta the Huxley, so it can regain the status and grander it held before being tainted by his pompous, effete presence!
So we are asking you to go once more into the breach, and watch, share and spread the word again... you guys are really the best best fans in the world. let the powers that be know it, and lets have a season 2
A HUGE Thanks to all of you again, you're the best!

Patrick Gallagher

Saturday, February 25, 2012

A letter to you from Shawn Doyle (Arkady Balagan)


Hey you crazy Endgamers. Our beloved Nikhi wanted me to write a little post about...what? I dunno...the only parameters were "write something from your heart". Hmmm, there's a lot of traffic in there at the moment, but here goes:

It's been a while now since I wandered with cold bare feet across the Huxley lobby to tease Barbara, dupe Hugo, fight with Pippa, question Alcina or flirt with Danni. A lot has happened in both my personal and professional life since then. I was very disappointed when the show was not renewed, very heartened and gratified when thousands of you expressed your love and appreciation for it and fought to save our baby. I've done some interesting work in challenging projects elsewhere and have continued to take risks as an actor (not always succeeding, mind you, but risking anyway!). I've tried to be a good dad to my awesome kid and nurture a new relationship with an amazing woman who happens to be halfway round the world at the moment. Through it all, Balagan has sat in the corner of my mind, uncharacteristically still and silent, waiting for, what?

Waiting for the words, the ideas, the mission, the pain and the joy. Waiting to come back to life. Every now and then I try the accent on in my mouth, just to make sure it still fits. It mostly does, thankfully. And when I feel some of those sounds moving from my throat, over my tongue, between my lips, I remember Ark's wickedness, his joy and fervor, his true child-like fascination with life and what makes people want to go on living in the face of such struggle, confusion or pain.

Then I remember what a gift I was given with that role. One that went beyond some financial gain or popularity or ego-feeding. I was given a voice to express so many of Shawn's questions about all kinds of shit. About life. And that is NOT a gift that comes around all the time for an actor. Or, let's face it, for a person. That's why we need stories, why human beings have needed stories since the beginning of time: to not feel alone, and to make some kind of sense of it all.

And, in the end, that's why I miss Arkady Balagan and all his friends.

We are now at ANOTHER crucial time in our campaign to get Endgame renewed. Hulu will likely make a decision soon, at least that what I think. The show has been doing respectably, but now is the time to push it over the top and prove to them that PEOPLE WANT THIS SHOW BACK. If it is something you want as well, now is the time to do whatever you have to in order to accomplish the mission. Get the petition rolling strongly again. Get more and more eyeballs to Hulu. Watch an episode or two and rekindle that energy. Focused energy makes a difference, believe it!

Thanks for reading my little soppy love letter. I continue to be so grateful for all of you!

Shawn

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What can you do to help bring Endgame back?

Cast and crew of Endgame
Most of us got very excited when we saw that Endgame was being given a shot on hulu.com. This is a chance to see more people come forward and share some truly amazing work in film. it is also a chance to see more people come forward and join the fight to see a second season...and more. There is little to criticize where Endgame is concerned. It is well written, acted and presented. It is intelligent and able to see anyone watching experience a plethora of emotions. What Endgame has accomplished, so far, is not easy. You need the right words, the right cast and the right people behind the scenes. We Endgamers know how truly special this hour of television is, we came together the day the cancellation was announced, and we have done many, many things to see our voice was heard. And, we have been heard. Our little Endgame army is growing, thanks to Hulu taking a chance. That was all we all needed. So now, we go with it.

The world of television is a fickle one. It is a world dominated by numbers- money, viewers and potential audience. While Endgame was faced against anyone in Canadian television's worst night mare, hockey, the fans were still there. They were all over the world, as well as Canada. They chose to download, risked a lot, to make sure they did not miss the latest in the world of Huxley and Balagan's superior Sherlock type skills. Now, more than before, numbers matter. They mean what doors have been opened, and what happens in that room when all is accounted for. Hulu is free to the American viewing audience, so we need to help direct people to the link for Endgame's page on there. For those who live outside of the US, it is still possible to help out, by using an IP hider. They are completely legal to use (in most countries), and actually quite handy in some lines of work. I chose to pay for and use hidemyass.com. There are plenty others out there you can use that are trustworthy, if you check a site like www. cnet.com.

Now you know how you can get in to add your name to the numbers, what do you do when you get there? Watching is a good place to start. You will also want to rate the show, on the title page, and rate each and every episode as it airs. Starting a dialog in the discussion forum is a great help, too. If you see someone who is not willing to give it a shot, because there is only one season, and they do not want to get hooked, well, send them the link to Bill Brioux's post where a reliable source indicates what is ahead. Now more than ever, we need people standing up, speaking out and simply enjoying the dynamic that is Endgame. It comes down to numbers as an investment, and Endgame is one of the very best investments anyone can make in the world of television. We know that, we have to make others aware.

Please, when you share links via email or Facebook or whatever means you use, add a little text. Make your people excited to want to see more. Let them know why it is important to see good, clean and brilliant television on the airwaves. Do and say whatever it is you have to, just please do it. A season two and beyond still depends on what we Endgamers have to say...even though final say is not ours. It is possible, and we can do it. Help save Endgame, it is in your hands.

Be a part of the Save Endgame campaign on Facebook.


Many, many thanks to each and every Endgamer who has kept the faith and continued to stand.

Always,
Nikhi