Freeform made a jab at the #SaveShadowhunters campaign on Twitter, sending the show’s fandom into a rage, according to Deadline.
The channel tried to add a little humor to its “POPKnowledge” version of Toy Story,which aired this past weekend during its annual 25 Days of Christmas special scheduling.
The episode—taking notes from VH1’s Pop-Up Video series (if anyone is old enough to remember that show)—displayed fun facts and trivia that popped up on screen during specific scenes of the film.
This particularly shady one aired when Andy’s mom yells up the stairs to tell Andy he can bring one toy with him when they go out. Woody asks a Magic 8 ball if Andy will choose him for the ride. The question, “Will Freeform save Shadowhunters if I keep tweeting about it?” popped up on the screen during this moment. Then, the answer “Don’t Count On It” appears in the Magic 8 ball.
Shadowhunters fans didn’t take the mocking lightly, but headed to Twitter instead to duke it out with the Disney-owned channel.
Freeform later apologized via its @FreeformTV Twitter account for the joke, but few fandom members could accept the apology.
The campaign blew up on social media as a way to convince Freeform to keep airing the drama series, which the channel plans to cancel after three seasons.
Fans have gone as far as booking a plane with a #SaveShadowhunters banner to circle Netflix’s headquarters in LA, rented two billboards in Times Square, raised more than $20,000 to the Trevor Project, and created a petition on Change.com.
Shadowhunters’ final season Shadowhunters: The Final Hunt will air next spring with 12 episodes.
