Everyone knows that TV shows live or die by their Nielsen ratings. A month into the season, several shows have already been axed due to their lack of performance in the ratings system, and several more are in imminent danger. Many argue that the system is antiquated, and that in this fast paced digital age people are consuming their entertainment differently. No one I know has ever been, or ever met a member of a Nielsen family.Genre shows like Fringe exist constantly on the bubble, faithful fans watching and worrying every week over those frustratingly ephemeral numbers. It’s nerve wracking, tiresome and not a little bit insulting to feel that our loyalty counts for nothing because we lack a little black box. But things are starting to change: slowly, reluctantly, the ‘statistical sampling’ system that’s served as TV’s judge, jury and executioner for over half a century is at last being mitigated with new ways of collecting data. Networks are acknowledging that DVR and online statistics carry increasing weight in their decision making processes, scrambling to figure out how to account for the shifting landscape of television viewing to the advertisers whose money really drives the business.The networks aren’t actually run by trolls who love to crush the passionate hearts of fans. If advertisers aren’t interested in paying for a show, the network can’t afford to produce it. (See the Ratings FAQ ) And right now, despite the rumblings of change, networks are still looking to the Nielsen ratings before anything else when they put a price tag on their advertising space.That being said however, there are ways in which we legion of Non-Nielsens can let them know we’re here, we’re watching, and most importantly, we’re paying attention to the paid advertising that keeps our shows afloat. This blog is dedicated to Fringe, so of course many of the suggestions here are specific to the Fringe fandom, but most of these ideas are ubiquitous enough to be adopted by anyone wanting to make their voice heard.Here are some things you (yes you!) can do to support your favorite show:What not to do: Don’t dwell on the Nielsen ratings, there’s nothing any of us can do about them. Fringe has hung on this long, and I’m confident that between its passionate fan base, its DVR ratings, and its network support (Fox really does love the show) it’s in no immediate danger. If you choose to contact Fox, or Warner Bros. or any sponsors: be enthusiastic, sincere and extremely polite. Don’t beg. Don’t bother starting ‘save our show’ petitions; they carry no weight at all with anyone, and just appear desperate and pathetic. Nothing is more likely to make someone not want to watch a show that the idea that it’s in danger of cancellation. We’re simply here to promote what we love because we love it, and because the world is so full of people who’d love it too if they knew it existed.