Over 47,000 people have signed a petition demanding HBO reverse their decision to cancel Kiwi comic Rhys Darby's show Our Flag Means Death.
The show, which also stars Taika Waititi as the pirate Blackbeard, was cancelled last week after two seasons on air, one of which was shot in Piha, West Auckland.
The show's creator David Jenkins confirmed the show's fate on social media on Wednesday morning (NZ time), saying that making the show had "been a dream come true".
Since the news, devastated fans have launched a petition on change.org in a bid to persuade network studio HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns Newshub) to reverse their decision, with thousands more joining the cry for the show's renewal.
"The news of Our Flag Means Death's cancellation is deeply disappointing. Creator David Jenkins envisioned a three-season saga, and if the production team is determined for another voyage, we stand by, ready to support. Time to retrieve our leathers and brace ourselves for battle!" the petition reads online.
New Zealanders Jemaine Clement and David Farrier had both been approached online to sign the petition.
Star of the show Darby, who plays unhappy aristocrat Stede Bonnet, posted a picture of the cast and crew on X (formerly known as Twitter) with the simple message: "Us for you, forever.. with love."
The post has received thousands of reposts and likes, with many commenters professing their love for the show.
One of those replying to Darby's picture spoke of the impact the show has had on their life.
"Your hilarious & heartfelt portrayal of Stede got me through my own mid-life crisis/career change and I can't thank you enough for all the heart & soul you & the crew put into this show. I'm grateful for the two seasons we got but I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry real tears."
Our Flag Means Death gained a massive following online for its romance between Blackbeard and Bonnet, with fan fiction and fan art proliferating social media.
