Jonathan Whitesell, one of the “Jericho” faithful, sends this message board thread from the fan site JerichoNet2 about the next assault wave.
(I accidently went to Jericho Net instead of JerichoNet2. It creeped me out a bit when the home page comes up with my IP address, my operating system and informs me that “I can see you and you can’t hide” or “you can’t hide from my watchful eye…” Thanks for correcting me on that one, MikesMom.)
After watching the series finale of “Jericho,” I felt a little bit like I’d just watched one of those quick catch-ups like the “Lost in 8:15” or the “Battlestar Galactica” update.
You just knew that the producers crammed at least one season, possibly two, into that fortysomething minute episode. Hawkins finally got the bomb evidence to Texas, the pivot point in future history of this nation. Only Texas could change the balance of power, and get rid of the corrupt Cheyenne government.
Beck finally saw the light, and we could see some sparks flying between Beck and Heather (Sprague Grayden). We can only imagine how that could turn out.
We left on the verge of a massive civil war, but with Texas on the side of might and right.
It left me wanting more, yet satisfied in knowing where the series was headed.
Which I’m hoping is at least a couple of made-for-TV movies on the Sci Fi Channel.
Jake (Skeet Ulrich, left) and Beck (Esai Morales, center) on the Feb. 19 episode of “Jericho” on CBS. Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
And here’s a little Skeet for you, back when he was giddy over coming back because of the fan’s support:
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Fans pelted CBS with nuts, but when it came down to the wire, they just couldn’t convince enough Nielsen families to watch “Jericho.”
Today, CBS officially canceled “Jericho” in this statement:
STATEMENT REGARDING “JERICHO” FROM CBS ENTERTAINMENT PRESIDENT NINA TASSLER
“The March 25th episode of Jericho will be the series finale. Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season. We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We’re proud of everyone’s efforts.”
The March 25th broadcast is the seventh episode, completing the seven-episode order for the 2007/2008 season. It was shot with two different endings, one in case CBS brought it back, and another if this was, indeed, the series finale.
We knew when Bonnie blew away those nasty Ravenswood guys, then went down in a hail of gun fire that the end was near.
From left to right Mary (Clare Carey), Eric (Kenneth Mitchell), Stanley (Bred Beyer), Mimi (Alicia Coppola), Jimmy (Bob Stephenson), Emily (Ashley Scott) and Bill (Richard Speight, Jr.) bury Bonnie at the Richmond farm on CBS’ “Jericho.” Photo: Best Possible Screen Grab/CBS © 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Second tip-off that “Jericho” was headed for cancellation town: The photo wasn’t shot by a CBS photographer. Instead, itwas “best possible screen grab.”
Check out two clips from the series finale posted by TV Week.
It’s all well and good to toss some nuts at the network execs to get their attention, and quite another to get enough Nielsen eyeballs glued to the set.
Did the episode live up to your expectations?
****UPDATE***The Second Season Premiere of “Jericho” Places First in Its Time Period in Both Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49!***************************
Tonight I thought Jericho offered an action-packed episode that nicely set up the remaining season and even had a little time for romance.
Stanley (Brad Beyer) asks Mimi (Alice Coppola) to marry him on JERICHO.
In the beginning, I found Mimi to be just too annoying for words, and the subsequent romance a little too contrived. But tonight I changed my mind because I watched a dynamaic relationship between the two develop. Loved Mimi explaining to Stanley how she’s a take-charge gal because she fears if she doesn’t take control, no one else will. I can relate to that.
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, on the second season premiere of JERICHO
Here’s the problem: I love Sprague Grayden, who plays Heather. So I wanted her to get together with Jake. But I’ve got to admit, Jake and Emily have a certain chemistry together that’s hard to deny. We’ll see how this maybe triangle develops through the season.
Sprague Grayden, who plays Heather on “Jericho”
We found out that the Cheyenne government isn’t all that it seemed to be, and that there’s a bigger battle than just New Bern in store for our friends in Jericho.
But more importantly, the battle for ratings have just started. Let’s see if the fans can produce some heat for this entertaining series to continue.
Next week on “Condor” Jake (Skeet Ulrich, left) helps Beck (Esai Morales, center) prepare for a special surprise visit amidst suspicion that this government is not what it seems, on JERICHO at 10 p.m. Feb. 19 on CBS. Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2007
It looks as if the picket signs will be taken down and the writers will be back to work on Wednesday. You can check out the details on Nikki Finke’s fine blog Deadline Hollywood or the most recent Bloomberg report.
That’s just two days before the “drop-dead deadline” to preserve the remainder of the season and allow some bit of a pilot season. The fact that it also saves the Oscars is just an added bonus that makes the writers and actors happy. It’s one thing to miss out on the Golden Globes, that bloated tribute by a small group of foreign press. It’s quite another to miss out on your Uncle Oscar.
Jon Stewart won’t have to cross any picket lines when he hosts the 80th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 24. This is the second time Stewart has hosted the Oscars. Photo: Bob D’Amico/ABC
Oddly enough, on the eve of the strike vote three months ago, I was in the middle of e-chatting with Bryan Fuller of “Pushing Daisies” and again today we spent part of today e-talking.
Bryan’s a fabulous person. But as noted in an earlier post, even with the strike being over, some shows won’t be back on the air this season. And that includes “Daisies.” In fact, this coming fall season looks more like a restart of this past fall. Shows like “Daisies,” “Chuck” and maybe even “Reaper” could get a second shot this fall.
There are a lot of shows on the fence, but it looks like lights out for shows like “Bionic Woman” and “Friday Night Lights.” “FNL” was the passion project of NBC’s former entertainment president Kevin Reilly, who is now Fox’s entertainment honcho. He was replaced by veteran producer Ben Silverman. (“The Office”) and Marc Graboff.
While there has been talk of “FNL” going to one of NBC’s cable siblings like USA or Bravo, that hasn’t been announced, nor does it seem likely. Last March, the series aired unspectacularly on Bravo.
On the season, or series, finale last Friday, Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor, Connie Britton as Tami Taylor and Peter Berg as Morris “Mo” McArnold — NBC Photo: Bill Records
And the jury is still out on “Jericho,” which returns this week after fans threw mountains of nuts at CBS execs, causing them to rethink the show’s cancellation.
But last summer, viewers tuned out in droves to a repeat of the series. We can only hope that they will come back on board with the slate of new episodes.
Things heat up in the kitchen when “Jericho” returns on Tuesday. Emily (Ashley Scott) tries to make Jake’s (Skeet Ulrich) mother feel better mourn the loss of her husband by baking her favorite cake, on the second season premiere of “Jericho” at 10 p.m. Tuesday on CBS. Photo: Mitch Haddad/CBS ©2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Meanwhile, it’s all good news about Hollywood getting back to work. Now that sure beats candy and flowers, doesn’t it?
Let’s face it. “Jericho” was a ratings-challenged and when it came back last summer, the numbers didn’t get much better.
But CBS still believes that if those “Jericho” Rangers can rally enough support to bring it back, they can collect enough viewers to keep it on the air.
Thanks to Ranger Jonathan Whitesell for passing this along:
Dear Rangers,
We have some exciting news and wanted you to hear it first. Later today we will announce Jericho’s return to CBS’s primetime schedule. Seven new episodes will be broadcast on Tuesdays at 10:00 PM, ET/PT beginning Feb. 12.
We hope you will rally around the new episodes of Jericho with the same passion and volume you displayed this summer to bring the show back. The writers and producers have crafted an exciting second season that picks up immediately following the battle with New Bern, as the town begins the rebuilding process, and along the way discovers why their small community is so important to the newly formed government, and what the true intentions of this new government might be.
In success, there is the potential for more Jericho, but we will need your help to recruit new viewers. For your friends or family who have never seen the show, the entire first season can be seen on CBS.com, or on the recently released Season One DVD set.
On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for your continued support of Jericho.
Sincerely,
Nina Tassler
President, CBS Entertainment
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Both “Jericho” and the first-ever winter “Big Brother” premiere on CBS on Feb. 12.
Jake (Skeet Ulrich, right) and Hawkins (Lennie James, left)
Game shows and news magazines plump up CBS’ winter schedule, but at least one new series will be in the line-up announced today.
“The Captain,” premiering at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 28, is a comedy about a wildly eclectic group of people whose lives are intertwined through the place they all call home, a fabled Hollywood apartment building, El Capitan, which they’ve dubbed “The Captain.”
The comedy stars Fran Kranz (“The TV Set”), Chris Klein (“American Pie”), Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”), Raquel Welch (“The Three Musketeers”), comedian Al Madrigal, Valerie Azlynn (“Two and a Half Men”) and Joanna Garcia (“Reba”).
CBS has also completed production on episodes of the game show “Do You Trust Me.” A scheduling announcement will be made at a later date.
CBS’s Revised Programming Schedule Effective in January and February:
Wednesday, Jan. 2
8:00-9:00 PM POWER OF 10 (Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY
Sunday, Jan. 13
9:00-11:00 PM COMANCHE MOON (Part One)
Tuesday, Jan. 15
9:00-11:00 PM COMANCHE MOON (Part Two)
Wednesday, Jan. 16
9:00-11:00 PM COMANCHE MOON (Part Three)
Tuesday, Jan. 22
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY
Monday, Jan. 28
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM THE CAPTAIN (Series Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI
Tuesday, Jan. 29
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY
Thursday, Feb. 7
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR 16 (16th Edition Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE
Tuesday, Feb. 12
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM BIG BROTHER 9 (Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM JERICHO (Season Premiere)
Wednesday, Feb. 13
8:00-9:00 PM BIG BROTHER 9 (Wednesday Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY
Sunday, Feb. 17
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM BIG BROTHER 9 (Sunday Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM COLD CASE
10:00-11:00 PM SHARK
Way to use that online clout.
Here’s the letter sent out by CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler on giving “Jericho” a second chance:
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
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“Please stop sending us nuts,” writes CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler in a message to the online community supporting the return of “Jericho.”
After CBS announced that the post-apocalyptic drama would not be returning to the fall schedule, fans started sending nuts to network. The idea came from the final episode in which the townsfolk of “Jericho” decided to go to war against the neighboring town rather than surrender.
In the episode, when the town called for Jericho’s surrender, they were given the answer “Nuts…go to hell” by Skeet Ulrich’s character Jake Green in reference to a general’s famous quote from the World War II Battle of the Bulge.
“You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard,” Tassler wrote. “In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more `Jericho,’ we will need more viewers.”
CBS is planning a campaign to reintroduce “Jericho,” including rerunning the show on CBS this summer, streaming episodes and clips online and releasing the first season on DVD on Sept. 25.
The return date has not yet been announced, but it is expected to air next year as a midseason replacement.
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