"Jericho" Cancelled (Again)

Only 6 million people tuned in to see the final episode of CBS' "Jericho" on Tuesday night. The fans that resuscitated the canceled series last spring with an unprecedented campaign may want to hold on to their peanuts this time around - the show is said to be gone for good.

"Jericho," which stars Skeet Ulrich (pictured above), was canceled last May, triggering a fan protest that flooded the network with about 40,000 pounds of peanuts — a tribute to the defiant "Nuts!" line uttered by Ulrich’s character in the first-season finale. The campaign persuaded CBS to give the series a second shot with a 7-episode order.

Initially, "Jericho" was one of the bright stars of the freshman class of 2006 averaging almost 11 million viewers. The network then made an ill-advised move, splitting the season in half, and putting the show on a 3-month hiatus. When the series resumed in February 2007, over 3 million fans were gone. The ratings continued to slide in the show's 2nd season.

A later time slot this year (Tuesdays at 10) and a poor lead-in ("Big Brother") may be responsible for the descent as was the fact that the show aired opposite a number of extended editions of FOX's juggernaut "American Idol" on Wednesday nights last spring. Some fans also expressed disappointment over creative decisions made in the show's accelerated 2nd season.

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Ratings: Tuesday (2/19/08)

"American Idol" perks up with the start of the semifinals; CBS' "Jericho" drops; ABC remains almost invisible; CW's "One Tree Hill" does so-so; and a repeat of "Law & Order: SVU" wins the 10:00pm timeslot.

ABC:
8:00pm Just for Laughs (4.58 million)
9:00pm According to Jim (4.83 million)
9:30pm Carpoolers (3.95 million)
10:00pm Boston Legal (7.43 million)

CBS:
8:00pm NCIS (R) (10.85 million)
9:00pm Big Brother 9 (5.42 million)
10:00pm Jericho (5.94 million)

NBC:
8:00pm Biggest Loser (8.15 million)
10:00pm Law & Order: SVU (R) (9.30 million)

Fox:
8:00pm American Idol (28.84 million)

CW:
8:00pm Reaper (R) (1.79 million)
9:00pm One Tree Hill (2.90 million)

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Ratings: Tuesday (2/12/08)

Was the return of CBS' "Jericho" a success in the ratings? Click to find out.

"Jericho" opened its second season over 4 million viewers below its series premiere in September 2006. The show also did worse than the previous regular timeslot occupant "Cane" which averaged 8.93 million viewers in the timeslot last fall. Could "Jericho" have done better in an earlier timeslot?

Meanwhile, repeats of scripted dramas continue to outperform reality shows - NCIS on CBS and "Law & Order: SVU" scored much superior figures than the rest of their networks' line-ups. The latter also managed to beat an all-new episode of "Boston Legal" on ABC.

"American Idol" has recovered with a 2-hour Hollywood episode. The show however still failed to break the 30 million mark.

ABC:
8:00pm Just For Laughs (4.95 million)
9:00pm According to Jim (4.92 million)
9:30pm Carpoolers (3.85 million)
10:00pm Boston Legal (7.23 million)

CBS:
8:00pm NCIS (R) (11.72 million)
9:00pm Big Brother 9 (7.33 million)
10:00pm Jericho (7.15 million)

NBC:
8:00pm Biggest Loser (7.47 million)
10:00pm Law & Order: SVU (R) (8.34 million)

Fox:
8:00pm American Idol (29.87 million)

CW:
8:00pm Reaper (R) (1.98 million)
9:00pm One Tree Hill (3.21 million)

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"Jericho" Spoilers #201: "Reconstruction" - Second Season Premieres February 12

Following one of the most unprecedented and impassioned displays of fan support on behalf of a television series, CBS' post-apocalypse drama "Jericho" returns February 12 at 10/9c, after an all-new "Big Brother," for a second season of 7 episodes.

When the Cheyenne government puts an end to the battle between Jericho and New Bern, Major Beck (guest star Esai Morales) leads the reconstruction efforts to restore Jericho's power and communication with the outside world.

Esai Morales ("NYPD Blue") joins the series as a recurring cast member. Also check out additional stills from the second season premiere of "JERICHO" titled "Reconstruction" from an earlier Televisionista post.

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"Jericho" #2.01 Spoilers (Airs February 12)

CBS has released the first images from the February 12 second season premiere of "Jericho" which will air in February and March on Tuesdays at 10/9c after an all-new "Big Brother."

In the first image, Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and Emily (Ashley Scott) embrace one another after all they have been through in the past couple of weeks after a bloody battle which their town was engaged in.



Then, Jake and Major Beck (Esai Morales, left) discuss rebuilding their community following the bloody battle with the town next door.

In the final image released by the network, Emily tries to make Jake's (Skeet Ulrich) mother feel better mourn the loss of her husband by baking her favorite cake.



CBS has filmed all 7 new episodes which have been ordered as part of a 2nd season, following a fan nut-campaign which successfully resurrected the canceled series.

FLASHBACK SATURDAYS
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CBS to 'Jericho' Fans: "Stop Sending Nuts!"

JUNE 7, 2007: CBS President Nina Tassler has officially confirmed on Wednesday the fans of the canceled drama "Jericho" have won their battle and the network will bring back the post-apocalypse drama for a second season of 7 episodes. A nut company is meanwhile laughing all the way to the bank.

"You got our attention; your e-mails and collective voice have been heard," she wrote to the fans. "But for there to be more 'Jericho,' we will need more viewers" she said about the 7-episode order.

The pickup came after weeks of a relentless "Save 'Jericho'" fan campaign garnered with nuts - tons of them - sent to CBS executives in protest over the show's cancellation last month.

In the final episode of "Jericho," the town is under siege from a neighboring community. When asked to surrender, lead character Jake Green, played by Skeet Ulrich, has a one-word response: "Nuts."

The response is in reference to Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, a U.S. Army general who in World War II was surrounded by Germans demanding his surrender. His response: "Nuts."

The fictional residents of "Jericho" took Jake Green's "nuts" as a rallying cry as they fought the larger force from the neighboring town. Fans never got to see the outcome of the battle. The season ended there.

"We are tired of the networks (not just CBS) tossing aside quality programming," the website jericholives.com said. "Enough! We're going to fight for this one." More than 20,000 kilograms of peanuts were sent to the CBS New York offices.

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"Jericho" Scheduled: Season 2 on Tuesdays, "Big Bang Theory" Replaced by "The Capitan"

The nut-campaign generated 7-episode 2nd season of CBS' "Jericho" will air on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. replacing the network's low-rated Latin soap "Cane" after "Big Brother" beginning February 12. Meanwhile, a new comedy replaces "The Big Bang Theory" starting January 28.

The drama about what happens in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion in the once peaceful town of Jericho stars Skeet Ulrich.

The first episode will air after the first-ever winter season premiere of "Big Brother" which will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. and Wednesday and Sunday night at 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, as most of the shows on CBS' schedule go into repeats, "The Big Bang Theory" will be replaced by a new sitcom "The Captain."

The comedy about a group of people sharing a Hollywood apartment building, El Capitan, which they've dubbed "The Captain" stars Chris Klein and Raquel Welch.

CBS will also premiere a new season of Julia Louis-Dreyfus sitcom "The New Adventures of Old Christine".

The repeats of "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" will remain on the schedule.

The revised comedy line-up starts January 28.

Since it is easier to resume production on half-hour sitcoms then one-hour dramas, if the strike is quickly resolved, I can imagine "The Big Bang Theory" which has built a nice momentum this season being back on the schedule very, very soon.

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"Jericho" Renewed After All?! "The Black Donnellys" Returns, Too

Now this is insane. TV Guide reports CBS is about to sign a deal to bring back their post-apocalypse drama "Jericho" for a shorter season of 8 episodes to wrap the storylines up giving the show a total of 30 hours.

As long as my memory serves me, if that happens, it will sure be a first.

Fans of the drama bombarded CBS with calls and emails begging that the show be renewed for a second season.

The drama started off the season very well as one of the highest rated freshman series, but ended up losing steam after a 3-month long winter hiatus.

In addition to securing the actors' services, CBS needs to find a new soundstage for the show's sets.

Meanwhile, HDNet has announced it has secured a deal with NBC Universal to air all 13 episodes of the first and the only season of "The Black Donnellys," a New York-set Irish mob drama beginning June 13.

The last 7 episodes have never been broadcast on NBC.

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Is "Jericho" Dead?

Michael Ausiello has just reported that CBS' post-apocalypse drama "Jericho" will not be returning for a second season.

TV Guide's scoop sleuth claims that reliable sources have confirmed the cancellation of the Wednesday night drama.

The network has kept mum on all major changes to its fall 2007 schedule, but did confirm several pick-ups yesterday.

After the drama returned from winter hiatus it averaged 7-8 million viewers, down over 3 million from its fall 2006 average.

CBS announces the new schedule and confirms all cancellations tomorrow morning.

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TV Ratings: Farewell to "Jericho"

The Eye network's post-apocalypse drama "Jericho" ended its first and what now may be the only season last night with 7,77 million viewers losing almost 4 million since the September premiere. The drama also finished 4th in the 18-49 demo.

The "American Idol" results telecast was once again stronger than the performance showdown on Tuesday, pulling in 27,43 million viewers, more than all competing networks combined. Its lead-in "Bones" scored a solid 10,02 million.

ABC replaced its low-rated "Lost" encores at 9 p.m. with repeats of "According to Jim" and "George Lopez," getting a 400,000-viewer bump to 4,5 million.

An all-new episode of "LOST" won the 10 p.m. hour in the 18-49 demo, but "CSI: NY" ruled the roost in total viewers (12,69 vs. 11,89 million).

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Will "Jericho" Get Cancelled?

It doesn't look good for "Jericho". The mushroom cloud of cancellation may have obliterated its chances for a second season, after the drama hit its third series low since it came back after a winter hiatus. What gives?

When "Jericho" premiered last fall, despite being panned by critics, it quickly became a sleeper hit with as many as 11 million people tuning in and CBS announced it would be the first freshman drama of the season to get the full season pick-up.

Then the network decided to copy the same tactic that some of its competitors used to eliminate repeats. It said it would split the season into two parts and take "Jericho" off air for almost three months.

But when "Jericho" returned in February the numbers went immediately down with the show hitting as many as three series lows, the latest this week when it pulled in only 7,91 million viewers.

Although one might argue that when it came back the drama had the misfortune of airing against "American Idol", "Jericho" posted the same low numbers when FOX aired the singing competition an hour later.

NBC's "Heroes" also split its season using a similar rerun-free policy, but it generated stronger buzz and higher ratings and its hiatus was much shorter. "Jericho" may have asked its fan base for too much and too early.

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Save One Show Campaign Begins

Kristin Veitch of E! Online has begun her annual SOS - Save One Show campaign with a dedicated voting booth on the E! website designed for site visitors to vote for their favorite show among this year's endangered species.

According to Kristin, the shows least likely to return are The Class (CBS), Close To Home (CBS), The Nine (ABC), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC) and Veronica Mars (The CW).

The shows whose fate is uncertain are Crossing Jordan (NBC), Gilmore Girls (The CW), Jericho (CBS), Medium (NBC), One Tree Hill (The CW), Six Degrees (ABC), Supernatural (The CW), What About Brian (ABC) and... gasp... How I Met Your Mother (CBS).

Apparently there is a CBS executive who really hates "Mother", does not understand its buzz and critical acclaim and wants it off the schedule by the end of this season.

The said executive is also the person responsible for not giving "Mother" post-Super Bowl slot this year, as suggested by many TV critics who were mostly appalled by the network's decision to waste the precious slot on the hideous "Criminal Minds".

Kristin believes only "30 Rock", "Friday Night Lights" and "Scrubs" (all on NBC) are safe to return for the 2007-2008 season, due to the network's strong support despite lackluster ratings performance.

Last year's SOS winner was "One Tree Hill" which as you can see is once again "on the bubble". This year's winner will be announced on April 13.

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See You Soon, In Jericho

Wednesday night "Jericho" ended the first half of its season with an exciting cliffhanger including shocking closing moments that featured the appearance of Roger among survivors who walked into the town as well as the simple but creepy message "see you soon". How soon? CBS scheduled the return of the series for February 21, but fans can now stay engaged in the drama's mystery online.

whodroppedthebomb.com, a super-charged web site with great new features, exclusive footage and insider information was launched yesterday by the network. Among the features available to the fans:

- full-length "Insiders' Commentary" versions of various episodes featuring comments from the show's producers, writers, directors and actors

- original episodes of the online JERICHO webumentary "Countdown"

- fan-generated Wiki-encyclopedia about anything and everything JERICHO related

- JERICHO community message boards

- and a a sneak-peek at exclusive footage from upcoming episodes.

CBS will air a special recapping the first 11 episodes on February 14, before launching the second half of the season a week later.

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CBS Pulls a 'Lost'

CBS scheduling department has announced that following extensive research, which included studying serialized dramas from classics "Dallas" and "Knots Landing" all the way to current hits "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost", they have decided to take their rookie drama "Jericho" off the air and broadcast the final 11 episodes of the first season non-stop from February 14.
The Skeet Ulrich post-apocalypse series has been a surprise-hit for the Eye network on Wednesdays at 8, a timeslot CBS has not had success with for many years. Taking a cue from FOX's "Prison Break" and ABC's "Lost", the network has decided to end the first part of "Jericho's" inaugural season with a cliffhanger and then air the new episodes non-stop without repeats.

There has been a lot of talk in the past years that the networks should abandon the traditional 35-week TV season model and air non-stop seasons of their shows. Apart from several notable exceptions ('24' on FOX, the 4th season of "Alias" on ABC), the networks have either stuck with the original model (22 episodes mixed with reruns) or introduced split seasons.

CBS will continue to promote the series while it is off air. There will be a brand-new website with exclusive content, including interactive elements, previews and recaps. The site will also be supported by an on-air advertising campaign. The amount of web-based content is said to be unprecedented and designed to keep viewers engaged while the show is on hiatus.

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CBS GIVES "JERICHO" FULL SEASON

CBS has announced it will give its Wednesday night post-apocalypse drama "Jericho" a full-season order following the drama's solid performance in the 8pm timeslot, despite its pilot being panned by some TV critics who believed the drama was too sombre to succeed and lacked substance.

"Jericho" has averaged over 11 million viewers giving CBS some of the best numbers in the timeslot.

For more on how American TV networks program their schedules see the article above.