Headline announcement on Entertainment Tonight:

Possible Scandal boycott?!

Anchor:

Scandal's winter finale, Baby, It's Cold Outside has left fans feeling cold. The break-up of DC Fixer Olivia Pope and President Fitzgerald Grant has prompted a world-wide boycott of the show by devoted fans of the couple. How this will impact the show's ratings for the

February 11, 2016 premiere remains to be determined. In a joint statement by ABC network, which airs the show and Shondaland Productions, the production company for the show:

We are aware that devoted fans are angry and disappointed with the latest turn of events for Olivia and Fitz. Nonetheless, we are optimistic that devoted fans will support the show and tune in for the February premiere to watch what will happen next to the couple.

In a meeting between ABC network executive in charge of primetime broadcast (TGIT guy) and a Shondaland Production rep (SP rep) during the winter hiatus:

TGIT guy:

The network has given a lot leeway to Shondaland Productions in its story lines, which have involved the deaths of major characters, relationship breakups, crazy relationship hookups of your TGIT lineup but there is only much the fan base will take. You finally get Olivia and Fitz together and now you break them up, with the story line hanging that the two of them will not get back to together. The fans have had it. You need to figure out a way to get them back to together.

SP rep:

With all due respect, the production company has full artistic license over the shows, which means we can do whatever we want. If we choose to have the Olivia and Fitz relationship permanently severed, that is within our right.

TGIT guy:

That's crap. If the fans stop watching Scandal because of your artistic license, this is going to mess up the ratings for ABC TGIT. After all, viewers watching Scandal stay glued in front of the TV to watch How to Get Away with Murder.

If the ratings for Scandal fall because of this world-wide boycott, you'll be lucky to make it to the end of the season. It's possible the show could get cancel midseason if the ratings are that low. Even if Scandal makes it to the end of the season, the network may still cancel with How to Get Away with Murder being possible collateral damage in the process, since no one is watching Scandal.

Don't forget, Scandal is a global TV show, with the current season airing in foreign networks. If number of viewers fall on the global market, the foreign networks won't purchase the rights to air the show which means loss revenue.

So, if Shondaland Production values its spot on Thursday night on the network, you need to fix this!

SP Rep:

We aren't worry about the boycott because there isn't going to be a boycott. The fans will be watching us on February 11th and they just have to deal with Olivia and Fitz not being together anymore…