In February 2019, Emily Andras, showrunner of sci-fi, western TV series Wynonna Earp, posted to twitter, implying that the future of the show was in jeopardy. Within minutes, the fans, self-proclaimed Earpers, were tweeting with #FightForWynonna and got it trending; a week later they began buying billboards in Times Square to bring attention to the show. For the next 132 days, the Earpers tweeted relentlessly until the show began production on season 4 again. This billboard campaign and outpouring of love is a testament to the incredible and unique relationship between Wynonna Earp and its fans, which is largely due to Andras.
The show itself is about the great great-granddaughter of Wyatt Earp, Wynonna Earp, and her friends working to break the Earp curse, which has plagued the family for generations. And, while the premise of Wynonna Earp is unique, the bond between the show and the fans is what makes it truly special. This relationship has been developing since the early days of the show, when Andras made an unprecedented promise to fans; midseason, she vowed that both of the LGBTQ women on the show would survive. This came after the deaths of “more than 50 queer women on television” in just a year and a half, making fans “scared to fall in love” either woman or the show. By making this promise, she began to build the trust with the fandom, which is largely queer women. Since then, Andras has been active on twitter, often live-tweeting the show when it airs, and she frequently responds to fans. She even named a character according to the their wishes. Her creativity when it comes to her fans, her relationship with others, is a big reason that the Earpers have played an essential, active role in getting the show renewed for more seasons; unlike with many other showrunners, the fans feel that Andras treats them “like people.” She makes sure the Earpers know that she cares about them.
The work Andras puts in with the fans benefits her as well, especially when it comes to actually writing Wynonna Earp. She understands what the fans want from the show, and she incorporates those wishes into her writing process as well as she can. As an experienced showrunner, she looks to have “an energy…of democracy” in her writers’ room, as the differing perspectives and ideas make the characters more recognizable and relatable for the fans. Her dedication to the Earpers in every part of the process of creating Wynonna Earp is what has inspired them to fight so hard to keep the show they love.
I believe the relationship that Emily Andras has fostered with her show’s fans is an example of little-c creativity. The way she interacts with the Earpers is distinct, and it affects the way that she writes for the show. However, I do believe it has the potential to inspire pro or middle-c creativity, as “’networks are definitely paying attention’” to the way the fandom interacts with on twitter and how it has benefitted Wynonna Earp. Andras’ bond with her show’s fans is rather unique in the world of television, but as this domain continues to change, her approach may become more common.
The loving way that Emily Andras chooses to treat her fans is incredibly unique. We've seen too many examples of celebrities/popular individuals treating their fans like utter trash (you could simply google "celebrity meltdown towards fans" and be inundated with results). This symbiotic-like relationship between writer and fan seems like a breath of fresh air emanating from the toxicity of Hollywood, one that I hope increases in its occurrence!
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