Save Balki

To:  Nick at Nite and Viacom

On September 21, 2003, the classic Miller/Boyett sitcom "Perfect Strangers" was removed from the schedule of the cable television station Nick at Nite.

In the past, this hilarious, brilliant, heartwarming situational comedy had aired in the 4:00 AM / 3:00C AM time slot, and garnered incredible ratings for a time slot of such traditionally low viewership. When it was announced that "Roseanne" and "Full House" were to be added to Nick at Nite's schedule, it was soon learned that Perfect Strangers would be moved back an hour, making it even more inaccessible. This, however, was a small price to pay for fans of the series, who were just happy to enjoy a nightly half-hour with their favorite Chicagonian neurotic and Mypiot sheepherder.

This, however, was not to be. Following famed "Problem Child" actor John Ritter's tragic death, Nick at Nite decided, appropriately, to move his famed sitcom "Three's Company" forward an hour so it would be appreciated by a wider audience. As nice as this was, it sounded a death toll for our beloved "Perfect Strangers". Several days later, it was removed from the schedule entirely.

We understand that Nick at Nite is a self-proclaimed home to many classic sitcoms, but the current scheduling of the network is hypocritical, ludicrous, and downright irresponsible. Taking the previous "Perfect Strangers" timeslot, Nick at Nite has added the exact episode of "Cheers" that aired two and a half hours prior. This, while inexcusable in its own right, is not the source of the crowded Nick at Nite scheduling. Bill Cosby's two television series have all but taken over what is presumably a station for a wide variety of classic television. Each nine-hour Nick at Nite block has two hours of "Kids Say the Darndest Things" and two hours of "The Cosby Show". It's clear to see that any one of these shows could lose a half-hour of programming to make way for a single nightly episode of the genuinely funny, family-friendly, well natured and brilliant "Perfect Strangers".

This petition to renew "Perfect Strangers" on Nick at Nite will be sent to both Nick at Nite's corporate offices and to Viacom, its parent company. As fans of the show, new and old alike, we would greatly appreciate having a chance to see "Perfect Strangers" on Nick at Nite once more.

It's our lives, and our dreams. And nothing's gonna stop us now.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Save Balki Petition to Nick at Nite and Viacom was created by and written by Chad McCanna.  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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