CBS’s ‘Jericho’ Could Return Next Month—Or Next Year
October 3, 2007 12:12 PM
“Jericho” fans, get ready to go nuts.
There’s a slim chance the CBS cult favorite could return to the air next month.
The seven-episode second season has wrapped production and the network is eyeing the show as a potential replacement for one of several time periods that might open up in the coming weeks. In other words, if freshman efforts “Kid Nation,” “Cane,” “Moonlight” or the upcoming “Viva Laughlin” tank in the ratings, CBS is considering firing out “Jericho.”
CBS’ other midseason drama, "Swingtown," is not going to be ready until next year, though network also has “The Amazing Race” and game show “Power of 10” available to fill one-hour slots. CBS scheduling head Kelly Kahl cautioned that the new freshman lineup is performing solidly and that no show is guaranteed the next opening.
“The best thing going for ‘Jericho’ is it’s done and ready to go,” Kahl says. “But it’s too early to tell what time period is going to be available.”
Last season "Jericho" aired Wednesdays at 8 p.m., the time period now held by "Nation." Though the slots occupied by "Nation," "Cane," "Laughlin" and "Moonlight" all have their pros and cons as potential "Jericho" homes, sources said "Jericho" is considered a viable alternate for any of them. (Just what controversy-weary "Nation" producer Tom Forman needs -- nut-flinging "Jericho" fans assailing him to get out of their time slot).
If the current CBS schedule holds through November, “Jericho” will likely return in January.
Last night at the “Jericho” DVD release party at Crimson nightclub in Hollywood, “Jericho” executive producer Carol Barbee said she hopes the show will return soon. The producers and the network are conscious of making fans wait too long to resolve last May’s cliffhanger after watching the precarious ratings drops endured by serialized shows that took long hiatuses last winter.
“There’s definite concern [about viewer interest waning], which is why we hope to get on the air as soon as possible,” she says.
The unique seven-episode “Jericho” order was prompted by fan outrage when CBS moved to cancel the struggling series. “Jericho” ended on a tantalizing cliffhanger, with the show’s heroes on the brink of war with neighboring town New Bern. A fan campaign that included sending tens of thousands of pounds of peanuts to CBS famously helped sway network executives to give the show another shot.
Behind the scenes, sources say some competitive leverage was applied as well. While CBS was on the fence, “Jericho” producers met with the Sci Fi Channel, which expressed interest in picking up the series as a potential companion and successor for “Battlestar Galactica.” CBS renewed “Jericho” shortly after, though network sources say any cable network interest had nothing to do with their decision.
The season premiere will open after the Jericho vs. New Bern war, but includes flashbacks to the battle itself. For the finale, Barbee has shot multiple endings this time to ensure fans are not left in cliffhanger lurch should CBS axe the show. There’s also nothing scripted in the finale like last season’s never-surrender “nuts” battle cry that might haunt CBS executives.
“They sort of they let us get away with the cliffhanger last time,” Barbee says. “We joked that have to get another food product in new finale. CBS probably combed through the script looking for anything that fans could send to them.”
Regardless of which ending is used, she says the short season will satisfy fans.
“We have a story broken so it tells a complete story,” she says. “By episode seven you are going to be very satisfied. We packed an entire 22-episode season into seven shows, there’s a lot of mythology answered.”
Though Barbee wouldn’t comment on any past or future cable network interest, she wouldn’t rule out shopping around the series if CBS doesn’t renew the show.
“There’s still going to be a lot more story to tell,” Barbee says. “If the fans keep it up, we’ll tell it somewhere.”
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Comments (47)
Very cool... let's hope it works out for the best for all concerned.
Posted by MisterCosmic | October 3, 2007 12:57 PM
Why would CBS put tired Amazing Race or a game show on instead of a show that people actually WANT to watch? Don't make us wait until 2008!
Posted by JerichoFan | October 3, 2007 12:58 PM
The Viva Laughlin spot is really the best place for the show.
And, frankly, I didn't think much of that show -- I don't get why everyone is singing over the original vocal tracks. I don't remember Blackpool being like that.
I would just like CBS to put Jericho on in a viable timeslot and give it a chance.
Posted by Joe Bua | October 3, 2007 1:05 PM
There are more people who "actually WANT to watch" The Amazing Race than Jericho based on last spring's ratings. Heck, I'm still waiting for "Jericho" fans to prove anything other than the ability to clog up mail delivery.
Posted by Everett W. | October 3, 2007 1:30 PM
Jericho should be on now - it is so much better than anything offered - including new or returning CBS shows!
Posted by starfire101 | October 3, 2007 1:32 PM
Jericho is the best written show on tv period. It's unique and clever. The other CBS shows are crap. Period. Any pics from the release party???
Posted by sarah | October 3, 2007 3:30 PM
I think Jericho deserves it's own time slot. Not something no one is watching because of poor ratings. Wait until January...we have the DVD's!
CBS needs to give Jericho advertising...hype...get everyone's attention!
Then onto several more full seasons!!!
Posted by SaveJake | October 3, 2007 4:24 PM
I've been so looking forward to seeing the continuation of this show. It's one of the few shows that I enjoy watching. It has a great cast and always keeps you on the edge of your seat. On the few times I have missed I have been able to watch it On Demand TV. I kept looking to see when it was coming back on, and was VERY upset to find it might not be back on till January. If CBS messes up on this I hope the SCIFI picks up. It has a cult audience, but there are many of us out there. Kid nation is a passing phase and I know many people won't watch it because of the danger it put children into. Sincerely A Big Jericho Fan
Posted by Linda Jenkins | October 3, 2007 4:51 PM
Bring Jericho back! Kid Nation is a horrible show, and what the hell is Viva Laughin' Spot? Jericho was a great show with great actors... bring it back or else more peanuts shall rage their wrath!
Posted by Jarrod | October 3, 2007 5:32 PM
remember, showtime cancelled stargate sg1, but was picked up by scifi channel and ran another 10 years.
Posted by jaybeere | October 4, 2007 12:05 AM
Anytime, anywhere and I'm there. However, I would prefer that whenever it winds up airing that it be a time where there will be no breaks. With that in mind, starting it in November isn't the best scenario with the Holidays in November and December.
Posted by N2N2 | October 4, 2007 5:50 AM
Hey, I'm a huge fan from Germany/Europe and I want to see more JERICHO!!!
Posted by GreetingsFromGermany | October 4, 2007 9:12 AM
Honestly, I wouldn't be opposed to a January opening. When FOX first aired 24, they took a huge break over the holidays and it was excruciating waiting to find out what was going to happen next. It had been hard enough waiting an entire week! They learned their lesson by beginning the seasons mid-january without any breaks in programming. I'm betting that if CBS does the same for Jericho, it'd be a smart move. The show's good--I'm looking forward to season 2, and if it means a solid season with no breaks, I'm willing to wait an extra couple months.
Posted by Kathy | October 4, 2007 11:48 AM
When I found out last season that Jericho was cancelled I was so bummed. It was one of two shows all last year that I regularly watched with my two teen sons. The three of us loved it.
After I recently found out it was being brought back I e-mailed my oldest son and he was elated. This is a truly well crafted, well written, and craftily done show with an incredible premise.
I was a lit major in college and I could list off all of the great works of lit this show reminded me. There is definitely a genius at work behind the collaboration of this show.
And to have it be a stand-by for shows that should have never have made it on the network to begin with? Kid Nation?
I'm eagerly anticipating the second season and if it doesn't make it to CBS then I will faithfully follow it wherever it goes.
Posted by Christina | October 4, 2007 12:32 PM
That's cool, but I hope "Cane" also stays.
Posted by daris | October 4, 2007 2:26 PM
I watched the whole season on CBS.com; what's so important about time slots? Run the show already!
Posted by Larry | October 4, 2007 3:37 PM
This was the only show on CBS I watched and I don't care for serial tv but, this was very interesting. I hate waiting one week to see what happens and now. I hope Sci-Fi picks it up.
Posted by Clay | October 4, 2007 4:33 PM
CBS needs to pay more attention to what time slot they are putting their more popular shows in! The Amazing Race and Jericho are the BEST shows they have, even better than half of whats on the other networks. DONT put them on the weekend, and DONT pit them up against the popular shows on other networks! PUT THESE SHOWS ON A DAY WHEN THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO WATCH! VIOLA THERE'S YOUR RATINGS!!!! It's as simple as that....If you don't see it, you must be NUTS!
VIVA JERICHO!
Posted by konni | October 5, 2007 7:36 AM
I can't wait until jericho starts, but I think Kid Nation should go. JERICHO ROCKS
Posted by Whitney | October 5, 2007 11:41 AM
My family LOVES Jericho! Please bring it back! At this point I don't care what station or time. This is the only thing that my 13 year old son and I watch together. It sure give us a lot to talk about and brings our family closer.
Posted by Preston Family | October 7, 2007 7:12 PM
Please give JERICHO a chance with a good time slot CBS!! It is such a exciting and different show.... a GREAT family show. All 4 of us in our family watched every episode and can't wait for season two. BUT, we want it to have a chance so that we can have a season three and four etc.
WE LOVE JERICHO THAT MUCH!!
PLEASE CBS.....we worked SO HARD to get our show back. PLEASE don't let us loose it.
It's been a LONG time since I've LOVED a show so much.
Posted by Grace | October 8, 2007 12:45 AM
TO HELL WITH CBS. I HOPE SI-FI DOES PICK IT UP.AND SHOWS EVERYONE JUST HOW DUMB CBS CAN BE
Posted by Paul | October 8, 2007 9:25 PM
I'm enjoying Moonlight so far and will be angry if CBS replaces it with Jericho.
Posted by MM | October 9, 2007 1:43 PM
please have some taste in shows and put Jericho on , and take off the children of nation on wednesday , as that is very untasteful , kids learn how to kill a chicken ,, animal lovers beware, teaching kids to kill is that tasteful shows . please put a little taste in your wed hour . thanks jill
Posted by jill | October 10, 2007 7:51 AM
Moonlight is a cheesy rip off of Angel and poorly acted. However, keep it on the air because Jericho deserves a better time slot than that. BRING BACK JERICHO SOON! I need to know what happened. And I hope Sci-Fi does pick it up. It will be the #1 cable show ever.
Posted by sarah | October 18, 2007 11:45 AM
I really hope this show comes back on I never missed it ...
Posted by michelle | October 20, 2007 4:54 AM
CBS should just sell off jericho to a network that is worth watching.CBS is the last Channel I Look at Now For a show to watch because once you start to like watching a show they yank it off the air. why watch a channel that leaves you hanging in the wind.CBS is an imagination channel thats what you need if you watch their shows.
Thanks CBS for Nothing
CBS Hater
Posted by cbs hater | October 26, 2007 2:56 PM
I agree with CBS hater -- Jericho should indeed move to another channel (now, if only ABC were interested...) even SCI-FI would do...it deserves safety and the respect that's due to a show that tells a really compelling story.
Posted by gianca | October 26, 2007 8:17 PM
I'm a little late in the dialog, but we miss this show so much and if Sci Fi picks it up, we'll watch. CBS should wise up. I hope posting her helps.
Posted by mb | October 26, 2007 9:04 PM
I am glad to continue hearing about Jericho. It was a wonderful series. I hope CBS is able to make it work.
Posted by underdog | October 27, 2007 8:25 PM
I'm grateful to the fan organization that sent 40 tons of peanuts to CBS executives after they cancelled Jericho--which was the only thing that seemed to clarify to them that Jericho is a successful show and needed to be resurrected.
My husband and I live on a military installation outside the U.S., so we don't get to watch television shows regularly until they release on DVD. We knew nothing about Jericho until its DVD release, but we took a weekend and watched--transfixed on the sofa. We couldn't stop watching and we said, several times during our viewing, that we were glad we hadn't been forced to suffer the waiting in suspense between episodes like all the viewers who watched Jericho's original broadcast on television.
If CBS ditches this program, they are complete idiots.
It's fantastic, and it's DECENT. I don't have to send my daughter to her room so that I can watch it. There's no smut. The violence is tempered with some good sense--never gratuitous. There were so many moral issues and "what would you do in this situation" topics in the storyline to talk about as a family. The plot is SO addictive and suspenseful. The cast is so danged good-looking!
With all of the just-plain-crap on television today, Jericho is a huge bright spot. If CBS can't make it work, I just hope some other network snatches it up and gives it the treatment it needs to stay on successful.
Posted by aspenusmc | October 27, 2007 10:17 PM
Put it back on now please.. No more boring talent shows I can't take it ...
Posted by betty | October 28, 2007 4:41 PM
So glad it's coming back for more, as good dramas are hard to find. I don't get TV executives, they cancel good, but keep crap. I'm talking about most Sit Coms, then if they get a good one of those, like Dead Like Me, they cancel it. What could be better than a yr around Halloween show.
Posted by Greg Farr | October 29, 2007 8:08 PM
OK, I think maybe CBS should take a poll..What does the viewers want? Kid nation (NO), Amazing race(NO) boring!!!!!! We want Jericho back plain and simple. CBS give the viewers what they want please..
Posted by Linda Fragman | October 30, 2007 5:01 AM
I LOVE THIS SHOW
IT IS DAH BOMB
WHAT A TOUGH SHOW
Posted by RYLEE KENDRICK | October 31, 2007 11:01 AM
I have never written in support of any other TV programs. But I think that Jericho is one of the best. I hope it returns in the very near future.
Posted by Linda | November 1, 2007 7:22 PM
I never saw or even heard of Jericho until few months ago when I read about it on one of the Apple rumor sites. I found the entire first season on the iTunes site where the the first episode was available as a free download. I viewed the first episode, was immediately hooked, and purchased the entire season from the iTunes site. I watched the entire first seasons over a single weekend and was absolutely hooked. Two weekends ago I re-watched the entire season for the second time. Jericho is absolute the best series I have ever seen on TV. It is a fabulous story and I can hardly wait for the new episodes.
Posted by Edmond Alexander | November 17, 2007 10:36 AM
I never saw or even heard of Jericho until few months ago when I read about it on one of the Apple rumor sites. I found the entire first season on the iTunes site where the the first episode was available as a free download. I viewed the first episode, was immediately hooked, and purchased the entire season from the iTunes site. I watched the entire first seasons over a single weekend and was absolutely hooked. Two weekends ago I re-watched the entire season for the second time. Jericho is absolute the best series I have ever seen on TV. It is a fabulous story and I can hardly wait for the new episodes.
Posted by Edmond Alexander | November 17, 2007 10:36 AM
This show is so awesome!I'm dreaming my own episodes.Please give me more.
Posted by Candyrose | November 26, 2007 11:22 AM
CBS,please sell the rights to the Sci-Fi, they know what to do.
Posted by Rick | December 3, 2007 10:53 AM
To Jarrod-The Viva Laughlin spot is the time slot on Sunday vacated by the show of that name which was canceled after only two episodes. I'm surprised anyone reading this blog doesn't now what shows are/were on this year.
The show itself (Viva Laughlin) wasn't so hot, which is why it was canceled.
Posted by Philip Kerler | December 5, 2007 1:51 PM
jerico is one great show>
Posted by chad powell | January 8, 2008 9:34 AM
Cane was a good show. Are you going to put it back on again? I looked forward to seeing it every Tuesday night...Please put it back on...
Posted by Edwina | January 11, 2008 12:35 PM
I watched the entire series of CANE and enjoyed it greatly. I know the show did not make a bad rateing giving that it was put up aganist "Dancing With The Stars. I've never watched Jerico and have no intention to do so. That is what the ScFi channel is for. Now that the programing on the ScFi channel has gone too shit.
By the way, I no longer have kid's at home. But I think you running a series about a Serial Killer, on CBS, Is discussting. Warp a few more young brains ha? If not done away with that type of trash belongs on a horror movie channel.
By the way I am quit well educated - "even if I can't spell-, By the third or fourth grade I was studing the hard sciences. What science fiction I read in thoes years but what you have on SiFi to shame.
Posted by Roberto A. Martinez | March 1, 2008 5:19 PM
It never fails, Just when the (Jerico) plot gets really good some corporate talking bedpans decide that I should be watching some drizzil that is quaranteed to make me cancel my account with Shaw
Go give your heads a shake people. Make it come back in 2008 OR?????
Posted by Bud Rogers | April 3, 2008 6:43 PM
please bring back jericho!!!!
i am a dedicated fan that has never sent a message
about a show before.but this show deserves to be on
thanks
scottn
Posted by scottn | May 6, 2008 2:52 PM
Jericho has been a revelation to the drery rubbish that gets aired nowadays! Please bring back Jericho, there is a reason why everyone keeps calling it 'a show everyone wants to see!'. There is a lot of experimental TV series around and not all make it or cut the mustard but this one definately hits the broader market full on. Jericho is fantastic and it is killing me that I might not see the continuation!!
Posted by MatJericho | May 19, 2008 9:01 AM