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Does anyone watch Jericho?

Interesting indeed... today's news:

CBS mulls axing 'Jericho' after protests

By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer Tonight at 7:35 pm
Source: AP

Fans trumpeting the cause of CBS' canceled drama "Jericho" have caught the network's ear. CBS, deluged with calls, messages and shipments of nuts signifying viewer displeasure, is reconsidering its decision, a source close to the production said Tuesday.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly. A decision on whether to bring the show back, probably for a midseason run, is imminent, the source said.

"We are tired of the networks (not just CBS) tossing aside quality programming," was the message carried by jericholives.com, one of several web sites protesting the cancellation. "Enough! We're going to fight for this one."

Clarke Ingram, a "Jericho" fan from Pittsburgh, Pa., and a spokesman for jericholives, said he was optimistic that CBS would find a way to revive the drama about a Kansas town isolated by a nuclear terrorist attack.

"People would paint this as teenagers in tinfoil hats" rallying behind the show, said Ingram, 50, an operations manager for two radio stations. "That's not what this is. These are educated professionals."

The show's daring premise, its writing and acting make the case for its survival, he said.

Several factors could work in the show's favor: It appeals to the young adult viewers sought by advertisers and was one of CBS' most popular shows streamed online, indicating an audience beyond that measured by traditional ratings.

CBS may also be considering the dent a long hiatus put in the show's viewership, the same scheduling misstep that hurt ABC's "Lost" and NBC's "Heroes."

The network apparently has been impressed by the display of viewer passion, which included the delivery of 50,000 pounds of peanuts to its New York offices. In the season finale, a character replies "Nuts!" to a demand that the beleaguered town of Jericho surrender.

That's the same response that a U.S. general in World War II made to a German demand for surrender at the Battle of the Bulge.

There's already been one positive outcome: CBS is donating the protest peanuts to charities, including one that sends care packages to troops overseas.
 
Just read this a little while ago, looks like that write in campaign did some good after all.

June 6, 2007

To the Fans of Jericho:

Wow!

Over the past few weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented display of passion in support of a prime time television series. You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard.

As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of “Jericho” for mid-season next year. In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more “Jericho,” we will need more viewers.

A loyal and passionate community has clearly formed around the show. But that community needs to grow. It needs to grow on the CBS Television Network, as well as on the many digital platforms where we make the show available.

We will count on you to rally around the show, to recruit new viewers with the same grass-roots energy, intensity and volume you have displayed in recent weeks.

At this time, I cannot tell you the specific date or time period that “Jericho” will return to our schedule. However, in the interim, we are working on several initiatives to help introduce the show to new audiences. This includes re-broadcasting “Jericho” on CBS this summer, streaming episodes and clips from these episodes across the CBS Audience Network (online), releasing the first season DVD on September 25 and continuing the story of Jericho in the digital world until the new episodes return. We will let you know specifics when we have them so you can pass them on.

On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for expressing your support of “Jericho” in such an extraordinary manner. Your protest was creative, sustained and very thoughtful and respectful in tone. You made a difference.

Sincerely,

Nina Tassler
President, CBS Entertainment

P.S. Please stop sending us nuts :)
 
Wow. This is huge. Only a handful of times has this ever worked. Sadly, shows like Firefly and Crusade didn't get this kind of resurrection (until Serenity, anyway). So it's doubly impressive when the network actually listens. I do think, though, that they realize the fault lies entirely with them for the mid-season "hiatus." The same thing which hurt ratings for Lost and even Heroes.

The gauntlet has been thrown down -- the President of CBS Entertainment has promised the show is coming back. Now it's up to the fans to spread the word about this intriguing, finely-acted and well-written show.
 
I'm glad that they actually listened to the fans outcry for a change. I think in the near future many stations are going to change their programing schedule to reflect this. Either they will make the hiatus shorter or they will just start shows in January and run them through May with just a few breaks. I came back to the show after the hiatus but many people dont have the much of an attention span. If its not on every week (such as 24) they either lose interest or just plain forget about the show and figure, eh I'll catch later this summer in reruns.

It would be awsome if the ratings for Jericho were up high enough to bring it back for a full season. This is the reason I try not to get too excited about shows any more, whenever they do they get the ax.

I am excited but now I have to wait probably about, what? A year or just under for new episodes? I feel much like I did when I saw the finale of BSG and they said new episodes in Jan. of 2008! How can i wait that long? LOL
 
See that's the problem.

People complain about reruns, they complain about Hiatus breaks, and they complain about 8 months in between seasons.

If you make 20-24 episodes a year, and don't have 10-16 weeks of Hiatus breaks or reruns mixed in, what other option is there than 8 months between seasons and showing them straight through?
 
Yep thats true, people complain about everything. They want brand spankin' new program all year long and when they dont get it, it's upsetting.

I dont really care that much about breaks and hiatus. If it's a show that I like and find it worth watching I'll come back to it after the break. Im just talking generalities here. I listen to people at work complain all the time about having reruns and long extended breaks for shows but like you said, with 20-24 episodes there has to be some give and take. If every show did a season of 24 like scheduling where there were new episodes its entire run, then every season would be incredibly short and they would fill in all that extra time with some god awful horrific reality show.
 
"24" has been done like that the last couple seasons. All episodes are run back to back, no breaks. In fact, there is usually a 4-hour, 2 night premier, and then a 2 hour finale, so instead of 24 weeks like you might think, there are only 20 weeks of the show.

I wouldn't mind of all shows do that. Seasons start late, no biggie. I just wont watch the other crap they put on inbetween. Or, God forbid, do a couple of "seasons" where shows start in September and are done by December, and then new shows in January ending in May. That would work too..

But then, I'm not a network executive, so what do I really know.
 
Jericho is on CBS this Friday, July 6 at 9 p.m. EST. I think it will be reruns with an effort of increase the fan base.
 
Jericho is on CBS this Friday, July 6 at 9 p.m. EST. I think it will be reruns with an effort of increase the fan base.

Yup. Many people apparently didn't come back from the hiatus, so I believe this is only the episodes after the hiatus, not the first 8 or 10 that played before the hiatus. They have said this is so those fans who didn't return after the hiatus can return now (and hopefully between these episodes and the DVD set) enough fans can be hooked, so when the new episodes air, there will be enough viewership to go beyond the 7 new episodes that have been promised.
 
I guess there is an advantage of getting TV shows later than America or Britain.

Here, there was no hiatus for 'Jericho'. It ran straight through, so you could actually follow the storyline.

Years ago, when B5 was on, we got it late - not until late 1995. The upside of it was that the first three seasons ran virtually back to back. Season 4 aired only a few months after it showed in the States. And by season 5, we were only weeks behind the States. If I remember rightly, there was something of a hiatus of B5 in season 5 in the States {I think it might have been due to football]. But it ran straight through here, and I think by the end, we were about a month behind.

'Jericho' has not rated in the top ten here, but I think that it has developed something of a following.
 
Wow. This is huge. Only a handful of times has this ever worked. Sadly, shows like Firefly and Crusade didn't get this kind of resurrection (until Serenity, anyway).

Well, CBS didn't screw up the Jericho airing order like TNT did with Crusade, and FOX did with Firefly. Also, CBS didn't screw with Jericho like TNT did with Crusade, which has lasting scars (TNT fingerprints) that turn viewers off. TNT made sure Crusade was damaged.





So it's doubly impressive when the network actually listens. I do think, though, that they realize the fault lies entirely with them for the mid-season "hiatus." The same thing which hurt ratings for Lost and even Heroes.

I'm impressed that CBS listened and is going forward with more Jericho in good faith.



The gauntlet has been thrown down -- the President of CBS Entertainment has promised the show is coming back. Now it's up to the fans to spread the word about this intriguing, finely-acted and well-written show.

Good ratings for the reruns which start Friday July 6th, between Ghost Whisperer and NUMB3RS, would also help.
 
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Yup. Many people apparently didn't come back from the hiatus, so I believe this is only the episodes after the hiatus, not the first 8 or 10 that played before the hiatus.

This is what Zap2It has listed as of today:

All Listings

Pilot
Jake's return to Jericho after a long absence coincides with a deadly explosion that catapults residents into chaos, as they wonder whether they are the only people left alive. Fri 7/6 9:00 PM


Return to Jericho
A recap of the first 11 episodes of the show. Fri 7/13 8:00 PM


Black Jack
Dale and Heather join Jake and Johnston on a trip to a trading post outside of town to search for equipment to fix the local windmill. Fri 7/13 9:00 PM



Code:
Season 1

[b]  1.   1- 1        101     20 Sep 06   Pilot[/b]
  2.   1- 2        102     27 Sep 06   Fallout
  3.   1- 3        103      4 Oct 06   Four Horsemen
  4.   1- 4        104     11 Oct 06   Walls of Jericho
  5.   1- 5        105     18 Oct 06   Federal Response
  6.   1- 6        106     25 Oct 06   9:02
  7.   1- 7        107      1 Nov 06   Long Live the Mayor
  8.   1- 8        108      8 Nov 06   Rogue River
  9.   1- 9        109     15 Nov 06   Crossroads
 10.   1-10        110     22 Nov 06   Red Flag

Special

[b]       S-11      111.5     14 Feb 07    Return to Jericho[/b]

Season 1

 11.   1-11        111     29 Nov 06   Vox Populi
 12.   1-12        112     21 Feb 07   The Day Before
[b] 13.   1-13        113     28 Feb 07   Black Jack[/b]
 14.   1-14        114      7 Mar 07   Heart of Winter
 15.   1-15        115     14 Mar 07   Semper Fidelis
 16.   1-16        116     28 Mar 07   Winter's End
 17.   1-17        117      4 Apr 07   One Man's Terrorist
 18.   1-18        118     11 Apr 07   A.K.A.
 19.   1-19        119     18 Apr 07   Casus Belli
 20.   1-20        120     25 Apr 07   One If by Land
 21.   1-21        121      2 May 07   Coalition of the Willing
 22.   1-22        122      9 May 07   Why We Fight
 
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