<< Dear Good Omens producers

fans are deeply saddened to have learned that the story they love, and that was developed over two series of six episodes each, will be concluded rather hastily by a ninety-minute film.

We ask you to consider the possibility of doing something more for various reasons:

   - support for the amazing creative work of all those involved

   - support for the values that the series conveyed, such as feelings of love and acceptance of the most disparate diversities

   - last but not least, consideration for the feelings of the fans

The fan base still dreams of a full six-episode series, but if that's not possible, they've imagined a number of alternative proposals such as:

   - three ninety-minute films

   - a two-three hour film

   - a ninety-minute open-ended film with the promise of a sequel.

Respectfully,

The Good Omens fandom >> 

 

Season 3 could be effectively converted into 3 feature-length films. This would bypass the need for a showrunner, but most of all allow the crew to deliver the narrative without needing to compromise due to time constraints. The films could be produced in time intervals pending availability of the cast and crew, and released one at a time, prolonging audience engagement with the franchise and thus translating into bigger profit for the broadcasters. 

 

THE SERIES 

Good Omens is the story of Aziraphale and Crowley, an angel and a demon who want to save the Earth from Armageddon because they enjoy being on our planet. 

They like the physical sensations that come from having bodies. But most of all they appreciate the fact that, while Heaven and Hell are ruled by abstract principles and stringent rules, life on Earth is not black and white, it is made of a lot of shades of grey. “Sometimes you’ve just got to blur the edges” Crowley says. 

Having both been on Earth for six thousand years the two have met many times. Gradually they have come to understand, appreciate and even love each other despite all the differences separating them and the fact that they belong to opposite sides. 

 

THE VALUES. THE HUMAN STRUGGLE, THE DIVERSITY, THE LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE. 

Good Omens is important because it is not just a story, it is also an exquisite portrait of the human condition, of our struggles. 

Aziraphale and Crowley are caught between the agendas of Heaven and Hell and the empathy they feel for human kind. They have doubts, questions: why the suffering, what is God’s plan? It’s our doubts, our questions. 

The series also represents a beautiful example of inclusivity as it seeks to portray all of humanity with as much diversity as possible. Needless to say, that meant a lot for so many people who have been finally able to identify with what they saw on screen. 

In the show there are many examples of this, starting from the main characters. Some people saw in Aziraphale and Crowley neurodivergent traits, respectively autistic and ADHD. 

They are also basically gay, considering that they are supernatural beings but they mostly choose to manifest as males and they clearly love each other. Crowley possibly being gender fluid, given that he has manifested as a woman at times throughout history. And other couples in the second series are gay or lesbian couples, Nina and Maggie being the most obvious one. 

Also if you look at the other angels you see that a variety of disabilities are represented, the most evident one being Saraqael, who is in a wheelchair. But there are others, for example the angels in the background in the Job episode, when Gabriel and Michael come to Earth to reward Job after he has been tested by God. 

Some characters are played by actors of different ethnicities: the archangel Uriel, the demon Ligur, Famine and Pollution, Ms. Cheng. 

Last but not least, let’s not forget that God is voiced by a woman, and many of the archangels are played by women. The actors described the feeling of being able to audition for roles without too much attention to gender as liberating. 

 

THE ALLEGATIONS, THE CREATIVE JOBS, THE ART AND THE ARTIST, CANCEL CULTURE. 

Obviously, after the allegations made about Neil Gaiman and some fans turning against him, the producers decided that they were not going to risk their money on a complete third season. 

However Neil Gaiman has always denied any wrongdoing and there are no criminal proceedings pending against him currently. The situation is in development, we cannot know all the details and therefore we suspend judgment and can only wait for justice to possibly take its course. At the same time we send our solidarity out to everyone who suffers from injustice. 

The allegations obviously caused a discussion which has been running through the fandom since. In fact for some of the fans the problem lies not so much in the legality but in the morality of those actions. The problem is really complex though as we live in a world that allows free expression of the person in all the aspects, including sexuality, and we must ask ourselves if we can condemn someone for their sexual activity, however frequent and unconventional it may be. It is generally accepted that any way of expressing one's sexuality is valid, as long as it occurs between consenting adults and does not cause serious harm to the health of the participants. The journalists of the podcast that brought the whole situation to the attention of the public are themselves aware that they are discussing a huge legal and ethical grey area. 

This is not the first time that the show is at risk of cancellation. In 2019 more than 20,000 supporters signed a petition in which they accused Good Omens of mocking God’s wisdom and making “satanism appear normal and acceptable”, complaining about God being voiced by a woman and the antichrist being a normal kid.

Today the series is significantly downsized due to the so-called cancel culture. And if it's true that cancel culture can hold people accountable for their actions and bring attention to important social issues, it's also important to note that, if used blindly, without knowledge of all the variables involved in complex situations, it can create a culture of fear, increased polarization and intolerance, stifling open, healthy discourse and discouraging individuals from speaking out. Canceling sometimes becomes bullying. 

Often cancellation does not even bring real social change. Certain controversies will go unnoticed while others, similar or even less harmful, will be demonized. 

Cancel culture is just a tool, it's up to us to use it well. For instance, we should not allow cancel culture to become a weapon in the hands of people who want to paint the LGBTQIA+ community and its supporters in a bad light. And it's hard not to think that this is happening when you take a look at the podcast by Rachel Johnson, sister of the more famous Boris Johnson. 

In this investigation the journalists do not limit themselves to giving voice to the alleged victims, but push the narrative by trying to arouse emotions of shame for the difference in age and social status. They suggest judgement and distaste for unconventional sexual practices which, although not necessarily appreciated by some, are by others. They promote a rather partial and unbalanced view that ultimately does not strengthen but on the contrary weakens the impact of the events they are presenting. One always starts looking at any of these accusations by believing the victims, but unfortunately the podcast gives the feeling that the journalists are actively trying to just outrage the public and encourage the audience to believe a worse version of events than they can legally say out loud, thus forgetting their mission towards the accusers and the truth. 

More than that. Even if Neil Gaiman was found guilty, there is still the fact that one thing is the artist and another thing is his art. 

Nobody is perfect but art is always the best part of us. It is filled with the beauty and the values we believe in. Unfortunately sometimes we fail to put them into practice because we all are fundamentally human, we carry our pain and the ways we can cope with it are not always healthy. 

Nonetheless we often expect famous people to be perfect, they become a sort of a projection of a parent (a well-known process in psychology) or a god. They help us feel less alone and unguided in a world that is often chaotic and cruel. But if we try to think as fully grown up people as we are, we have to acknowledge that famous artists are just other people like us, swimming in the same sea of uncertainty, trying to find a reason to keep floating. 

The good energy coming from them though can help us survive, literally. A work of art can bring you happiness and cheer you up, or sadness and feel like a shoulder to cry on. There have been people who have woken up one morning and felt like totally giving up, but then they saw someone, a musician, an actor, a comedian performing and they thought that maybe it was possible to still give it a try. Art saves lives. This is why saving art is so important. 

And saving the jobs is no less important. 

Good Omens is a lot more than just Neil Gaiman, it is made by actors, costume designers, hair and make-up artists, camera operators, lights and photography, special effects and sound technicians, musicians and many more. Several hundred people with their families and their personal stories who found themselves let down by a job that ended up being heavily scaled down through no fault of their own. 

 

THE PETITION 

This petition does not ask for the six episodes that the series was originally expected to include. The request is left open and indefinite so that the producers will not feel pressured to deliver anything specific. We are just asking for something more, whatever is possible. 

Anything that didn’t feel like a rushed ending would be enough. There are too many loose ends to tie up in the story, and fans will miss all the little flashbacks of the past of the two protagonists that will obviously have to be eliminated. 

This petition focuses on supporting the work of all the creatives involved, recognises the values that the series conveyed such as love and acceptance of the most disparate diversities, it also offers the fans a way to express their feelings about the decisions of the producers. 

 

Good Omens contains so much goodness and positivity, it deserves to have a proper ending, for the story, for the fans, for everyone.