TREKS IN SCI-FI FORUM

Is anyone watching this new TV series on CBS? I just watched the first episode and it was pretty good, kind of scary but good. It's one of those series that will unfold as the series goes. But the first episode grabbed me enough that I can't wait for the next episode.

Here is a synopsis of the series, just in case you never heard of it. It airs on CBS Wednesday 8pm:

JERICHO is a drama about what happens when a nuclear mushroom cloud suddenly appears on the horizon, plunging the residents of a small, peaceful Kansas town into chaos, leaving them completely isolated and wondering if they're the only Americans left alive. Fear of the unknown propels Jericho into social, psychological and physical mayhem when all communication and power is shut down. The town starts to come apart at the seams as terror, anger and confusion bring out the very worst in some residents. Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich), prodigal son of the town's mayor, becomes a reluctant hero when a school bus crashes as a result of the explosion. Mayor Johnston Green (Gerald McRaney) is conflicted with the return of his estranged son, but is called to action when the town begins to riot. Johnston's wife, Gail (Pamela Reed), is the strong, savvy first lady of the town who runs interference between her husband and her favorite son. Attempting to usurp the mayor's power is Johnston's political adversary, Gray Anderson (Michael Gaston), who is not above putting his personal agenda before the welfare of the very community he wants to lead.

Though the cloud appears in the distance, it affects all the residents in Jericho, including Dale Turner (Erik Knudsen), the 16-year-old trailer park kid everybody picks on, who finds himself in a position that could change his status; Robert Hawkins (Lennie James), a mysterious stranger who seems to be a jack-of-all-trades as he steps in to help restore order; Heather Lisinski (Sprague Grayden), a pretty young schoolteacher on the bus with her students returning from a class trip when the glare from the explosion causes a terrible accident; Emily Sullivan (Ashley Scott), Jake's high school sweetheart who lives outside of town and innocently goes about her business unaware of the catastrophe, Bonnie Richmond (Shoshannah Stern), a pretty 17-year-old who is hearing impaired; and Bonnie's older brother Stanley (Brad Beyer), Jake's best friend from childhood and an avid car lover who works on the family farm. In this time of crisis, as sensible people become paranoid, personal agendas take over and well-kept secrets threaten to be revealed, some people will find an inner strength they never knew they had, and the most unlikely heroes will emerge.

My son and I watched the first episode too.  It's pretty interesting so far.  I just hope they don't get into the "Lost" cycle of too little info and drag things out forever.  I'll be watching to see how things unfold.

I thought that it looked pretty promising. I am with you Rico - I hope it does not become a long drawn out wait for info. I like it so far.

I watched the first episode and have the second one on the DVR.  So far it seems pretty good.  But I must with everyone here that I hope it doesn't bog down.  It is why I only watch Lost off and on.....

Jericho Gets Full Season

CBS has given a full-season order to Jericho, its hit post-apocalyptic drama, the network announced. The show, about the aftermath of a nuclear attack, has averaged 11.3 million viewers and a 3.4 rating among adults aged 18-49, boosting CBS' performance on Wednesday nights.

Jericho stars Skeet Ulrich, Gerald McRaney, Ashley Scott, Pamela Reed, Kenneth Mitchell, Lennie James, Sprague Graden, Michael Gaston, Erik Knudsen, Brad Beyer and Shoshannah Stern. Jon Turteltaub, Stephen Chbosky and Carol Barbee are executive producers for CBS Paramount Network Television. The show airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

So I just saw the fourth episode and I'm still liking it. The story is unfolding little by little but I don't think it's too slow. Last night episode had an awesome ending.. can't wait for the next episode.

The story is moving along.  I just wish the characters were a bit more unique or interesting.  I find them a bit dull right now.  Hopefully things will peak my interest more as time goes on.

Quote from: Rico on October 19, 2006, 03:36:42 PM
I just wish the characters were a bit more unique or interesting.  I find them a bit dull right now.  Hopefully things will peak my interest more as time goes on.

The only character that keeps me coming back for more is Robert Hawkins.  The mystery surrounding him is nothing short of intriguing.

However, I am getting a bit concerned that the more brutal aspects of survival won't be realized on this series.  Sure, we saw some hoarding and panic in the first episode but what's going to happen when the food and fuel runs out?  Although radiation poisoning isn't that much of a danger now, nuclear winter should be a very real possibility.

CBS Splits Jericho Season

CBS will split the first season of its nuclear-holocaust drama Jericho into two half-seasons of all-original episodes, following a similar programming strategy by ABC's Lost. The Hollywood Reporter said that the first half of Jericho's freshman season will end Nov. 29 with a cliffhanger finale.

The series, starring Skeet Ulrich, will return Feb. 14, 2007, with a recap of the first 11 episodes, followed by a new episode every Wednesday for the rest of the season. The split is designed to avoid repeating episodes, a la Lost, which ended the first half of its season on Nov. 8 and will disappear from the airwaves before returning in February.

The pattern also mirrors the fall/spring season scheduling for Fox's Prison Break, which was introduced last year.

During Jericho's 10-week hiatus, CBS will continue the show's first 11 episodes on the network's broadband channel, Innertube, where Jericho has been the most-streamed CBS program.

Quote from: De on October 20, 2006, 10:36:55 AM

However, I am getting a bit concerned that the more brutal aspects of survival won't be realized on this series.  Sure, we saw some hoarding and panic in the first episode but what's going to happen when the food and fuel runs out?  Although radiation poisoning isn't that much of a danger now, nuclear winter should be a very real possibility.

I have a pretty fundamental problem with this show, in that I don't believe that it is entirely appropriate to have a "Melrose Place in the fallout zone" on primetime TV when the U.S.A as a country have so many worldwide issues going on now with terrorism, Iraq, and North Korea as just a few examples.  I remember when I was a kid and the movie "The Day After" scared the living bejeezus out of me, and I think that had a lot to do with the formation of my political views and general fear of war and the apocalypse.  As a relatively new dad, I think it is pretty important for America's youth to have a healthy fear of nuclear holocaust, and showing young good looking actors partying in the hot tub during the aftermath of nuclear war doesn't quite cut it in my opinion.

 [/quote]showing young good looking actors partying in the hot tub during the aftermath of nuclear war doesn't quite cut it in my opinion.
[/quote]

I don't recall any hot tub scene  :biggrin... but I agree that some of the stuff that is happening seems very unlikely after a Nuclear attack, if in fact that is what happened. In the second episode they all have this big BBQ/party a day after radiation rain fell. And in a recent episode they were having a huge Halloween party. I think I would be more concerned with finding food, medical care, and find out what is happening in the outside world. I still enjoy the show but sometimes I would like if it was a bit more realistic.

It's hard to say what would and would not happen under such circumstances.  I think there is actually a good case for trying to do a few "normal" things even when such a major event takes place.  It's a bit of a coping mechanism.  There has been a lot shown on the show that is not pretty and I don't think kids (like my teenage son who watches) think after a missle strike it would be all hot tub parties and fun times (I also must of missed the hot tub scene).  I think the show is interesting at least but as far as realism - who knows.

I am just not interested anymore.  My "jump the shark" came early and that was the "fallout rain" episode.  After it stopped raining everybody went outside and all was well...WRONG!!!!  The water, buildings, cars etc are ALL STILL CONTAMINATED at that point....Hell, just them going outside without protective gear was not a really smart thing to do.  I don't know maybe I am being a bit harsh but we had some pretty extensive NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) training in the military and it just seemed a bit contrived.

“Jericho” Past Secrets Come To Light

It’s been a very busy week at the annual Television Critics Assn. Press Tour. We’ve heard from those in the know about what to expect from several SF vehicles, from “Battlestar Galactica” to “Heroes” and now “Jericho” star Skeet Ulrich, who plays Jake Green on the series, spills some of the beans on what fans can expect from the rest of Season One when the show returns on February 14th.

“I think the deeper stuff that we’ve sort of developed over the past three months has yet to be seen,” Ulrich said yesterday in an interview with SCI FI Wire at the press tour. “It’s sort of why these things happen. There’s an interim between me leaving Jericho and the past five years. That is the evolution of this story.”

Ulrich added that the audience will finally find out what his character has been doing since he left Jericho. “It becomes clear where he’d been, certainly for a portion of that five years,” he said. “But not unlike Hawkins’ backstory, it’s sort of one layer of what’s been going on. I mean, you learn in episode 14 quite a bit more than you do in 12. But the thing I love about the character is you never know what’s true and what’s not.”

The CBS hit show starring a headliner ensemble cast lead by Ulrich, Gerald McRaney, Pamela Reed and Ashley Scott airs on Wednesdays at 8PM/ET and returns in February with all new episodes.

Well it's finally back tonight... just got done watching it and I have to say I liked tonight's episode. It was a kind of flashback to 33 hours before the bombs. We get more character backgrounds and find out that the bombs were from within the US but still unsure from what group. 10 new episode in row.. yay!!!

We watch it and like it.  It is pretty good stuff.

I like the mystery in all of it.

Jericho Secrets Unveiled

The creators of CBS' post-apocalyptic drama Jericho told SCI FI Wire that the first season's final episodes will lift the veil on the rest of the world a bit more and also reveal more secrets about the backstory of Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) and Robert Hawkins (Lennie James). "You learn a little bit more about Jake and some of the things that happened and ... one [thing] in particular ... that happened in Iraq," Ulrich said in an interview at WonderCon in San Francisco over the weekend. "And what else do we learn? Well, I guess we learn a lot about Hawkins."

Ulrich added that the surivors of the nuclear attack learned a bit more about the country in the most recent episode, "Black Jack." "We go out a little distance and find out quite a bit about the state of the country, and it's not a pretty picture," he said.

More is revealed in coming episodes, culminating in the upcoming 17th segment, in which the townspeople make radio contact with outsiders, executive producer Carol Barbee said. "So we get radio contact at one point, so we start to hear little snatches of information," she said. "But the storyline pulls us into ... a relationship with a neighboring town that we're trading with for supplies."

The first season will culminate with answers to many of the questions raised in the first episode. "At the end of this season, the beginning of next season, the government is coming to us," Barbee said. "So it's like the larger picture is coming to us."

Eventually, Robert Hawkins and Jake Green will come together, Barbee said. "Yeah, you see the two of them [together]," she said. "The two of them become involved in the same story, and it's pretty great to see those two characters together. We kept them apart the whole time, waiting for that time to really put them in the same story, and that starts to happen."

Added Ulrich: "Yeah, that is a doozy." Jericho airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“Jericho” On the Bubble?

In another one of those “say it isn’t so” moments, after starting off to strong ratings in the fall, the CBS series “Jericho” might not make it to a second season.

Variety listed several shows on the various networks that were on the bubble for not being renewed this week and the post-apocalyptic CBS drama was among them.

Ratings for “Jericho” have been off slightly in recent week as it goes against the 300-pound ratings gorilla that is “American Idol,” [however, compared to NBC and ABC programming, “Jericho” was holding its own].

Is CBS in the running to become the new FOX by cancelling genre shows?

If CBS does decide to pull the plug at least “Jericho” would get an entire season run, unlike last year’s promising series “Threshold” which was uncermoniously pulled from the network when it failed to find an audience [after only eight episodes aired].

Hopefully the real news of the return or demise of “Jericho” will come early enough so producers can wrap up storylines and answer all of the fan’s burning questions.

I have to admit the last three episodes since it came back on are still sitting on my TIVO - unwatched. 

Well i just finished watching tonights episode and I have to say that it was a really good episode tonight. It was a very tense episode. I was actully on the bubble with this series. It's been good but not great and if I missed it I wouldn't be upset.. but after tonight's episode I am looking forward to the next episode.

we must think alike, because I was just about to post something similar!  I too enjoyed the show tonight.  It was good.  This is a thought provoking and kind of cool show.  I am enjoying it.

Did anyone catch tonights episode.. it was a huge "reveal" episode. I really enjoyed it. I'm glad I stuck with it. It was great to finally get info on who is actually behind the attack. I like that it was internal and not external. Loved Mimi and the Chicken, that was some funny stuff. And finally getting some of Hawkins background was great.

Now I just hope they renew this series for a second season.

Yeah it was really good.

The only fear I have is with all the reveals, maybe that means they aren't getting renewed.

I mean being a Lost fan, they gave more info in that one episode than Lost has given in three years.

I think it was great that they revealed so much... I didn't think it was too much, I too love Lost but I hate getting few answers and more questions. As for Jericho getting renewed.. it's on the bubble right now. I hope CBS gives it a chance. But the way they treated Threshold.. I'm not holding my breath.

I grew up on a farm, and the chicken scene brought back a lot of memories!  I laughed a lot at that.  I loved how she had all this great dialogue with a Chicken.  Excellent.

I really liked this episode too.  I am hoping that it isn't canceled, but I'm not holding my breath either.

That was a funny scene.  But I don't really like her character.  I just think she's annoying.

I think her character is growing on me... I'm liking her now.

CBS Renewing Jericho?

SyFyPortal reported a rumor that CBS will renew its post-apocalyptic drama Jericho for a full second season.

Citing an anonymous source, the site reported that CBS may also move the show to a new night next fall. Jericho currently airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m., where it has had to face off against Fox's ratings juggernaut American Idol. Last week, Jericho beat out the season finale of Til Death.

CBS has made no formal announcements about series pickups yet and isn't expected to until May.

Jericho stars Skeet Ulrich, Ashley Scott and Gerald McRaney and centers on a small Kansas town, whose residents are coping with the aftermath of a nuclear attack on the United States.

My wife and I really enjoy this show. I like that they are doing more arc-centered series these days. No matter what you're (the generic "you're") feelings are about Lost, it should be thanked for making this form of TV viable again.

Another good episode.... only three more to go. Guess we know where this is going with the big battle between the cities. And I can't believe Heather is dead... guess we have to wait and see.

yeah that was really surprising that she's dead.   they're killing off main characters very quickly.

The battle between towns should be really interesting.   I'm actually happy to see it really getting dark.  I think they should have gone in that direction from the beginning.  It just seems more realistic, and interesting.

Definitely. It was rather surprising. I liked Heather, and although life isn't fair, I felt she could have added quite a bit more to the series than she was allowed to. All the women are dying off. And when the men get hurt, they survive and are just fine.

With the exception of the one guy Dale shot.

But, can't wait for the season to be over. I have a backlog of movies and DVD's to watch.

Good episode tonight.  I'm reallly liking how dark it's been.  Seems much more realistic than it was in the past. 

Dale and that girl are kinda starting to piss me off.   Thier story hasn't progressed much in the past month.  I get it, they want more control of the salt mine, she's a whiney brat, and he's a badass.  I was also happy that everyone's favorite citygirl was no where to be seen this week.  ;)

If and When Newbern attacks them, I really can't wait to see them use that tank!!

 â€œJericho” Fans Could Get Reprieve


Today we have learned that because of the huge fan support and outcry over CBS doing away with one of the best SF shows on the air today, they have decided to not leave fans hanging with Jericho’s big season ending cliffhanger, but will bring about a more appropriate end to the highly praised show, one that will please its fans.

CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler told fans on the Official CBS “Jericho” Website: “We truly appreciate the commitment you made to the series, and we are humbled by your disappointment. In the coming weeks, we hope to develop a way to provide closure to the compelling drama that was the Jericho story.”

The last few episodes of the show saw some major shifts in character development, the most radical and crucial being the death of series mainstay, veteran actor Gerald McRaney. His character was killed during a shoot out with a neighboring town’s rebels trying to overtake Jericho, with its farms and food suppy. In the season finale the screen faded to black with the overwhelming sound of gunplay, leaving the audience wondering what happened next. They would have found out next season, but the network decided to pull the plug. This unwarranted decision by execs had fans in an unexpected uproar, reminiscent of Star Trek, Farscape and Firefly fans who rallied to try and save those canceled shows.

To try and show that the network did understand fan’s feelings over the CBS decision to do away with “Jericho,” Tasser made this statement…”We have read your e-mails over the past few days and have been touched by the depth and passion with which you have expressed your disappointment. Please know that canceling a television series is a very difficult decision,” Tassler continued. “Hundreds of people at the network, the production company and the incredibly talented creative team worked very hard to build and serve the community for this showâ€"both on-air and online. It is a show we loved, too. Thank you for supporting Jericho with such passion.”

The CBS online note to fans didn’t explain how or when the network planned on bringing the show to an adequate closure, but there is little doubt that fans will continue noisely on their doorstep until they do.

I think if they just produced one 2 hour GOOD wrapup...fans would be satisfied.  No one is angry that the show was cancelled necessarily they are angry at the way (and the point in the story) that the show was cancelled.  I know it would make my wife happy.

It would be superfly if they did some type of follow up movie.

:boxing

Oh yeah I'd be happy with a two hour movie that wraps up the current storyline. I mean I think the DVD's would sell better if it was a complete story. That is one reason why I won't buy the Surface and Invasion on DVD because why do I want to re-watch a series that just ends in a unresolved cliffhanger... I know Surface people said they would find a way to resolve there story.. but so far nothing.

I agree. I just wanna know how it ends. I think if the networks knew they would cancel a show, they should at least give the producers a way to finish the story.

(Yes, my grammar is bad on this one. I've got a headache.)

I think that is the problem.. shows are produced months in advance. Networks don't know if they are going to keep or cancel shows that are on the bubble. I do think now that TV shows come out on DVD all the time they should produce a wrap up episode for the series if it didn't get a chance to do it while it was on the air. I know I would buy DVD box sets if there sereis was complete.

Yeah, that's what I meant to say. :)

FANS ARE THE BEST!!!! Check this out...

Nielsen can measure butts in seats, but it sure can't measure hearts and minds. In further proof (as if we needed more) that the numbers don't tell the whole story about the popularity of a show, Jericho fans are making like the characters on the show and refusing to go down without a fight.

Taking a cue from Roswell's bottles of Tabasco, Arrested Development's bananas and Jake Green's "Nuts!" battle cry in the finale, Jericho fans are inundating CBS with nutsâ€"eight tons of nuts so far! Nutsonline.com (in businessâ€"but presumably not onlineâ€"since 1929) has been the semi-official hub of this effort, so if you would like to toss a few Brazil nuts in the general direction of the Eye network (is it just me or did that sound dirty?), check out the nutsonline.com Jericho support pageâ€"and while you're there, don't miss the awesome YouTube video of a Nuts! delivery.

Furthermore, the save Jericho petition currently has nearly 80,000 signatures! If you want to participate in the campaign, sign your name on the digital dotted line and then swing by jerichorallypoint.com and jericholives.com to join forces with other fans!


[youtube=425,350]AL6a4GmN5rw[/youtube]

Could “Jericho” Be Resurrected

Reports of the demise of “Jericho” may have been a bit pre-mature.

While it’s a long-shot, producer Carol Barbee said Thursday that other networks may be interested in picking up the post-apocolyptic drama that was recently given a pink-slip by CBS.

“We heard there were some rumors, that some of the [network] affiliates had been talking in Las Vegas, that ‘Jericho’ was dead and all that. But we wanted to let everyone know that one of the reasons we haven’t been on to talk [is that] we are working those channels behind the scenes,” Barbee told online radio host Shaun Daily on his audio program. “We are the ones who are trying to broker something with CBS, and there are other networks interested. There is interest.”

But fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high, Barbee said.

“It’s still a long shot. In the history of television, this [reviving a series] has happened maybe twice.”

But fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high, Barbee said.

“It’s still a long shot. In the history of television, this [reviving a series] has happened maybe twice.”

In bringing any show on the air, even if its a resurrection attempt, requires a lot of different people who have to put an extremely complicated puzzle together, Barbee said. And hopefully for “Jericho’s” sake, those pieces can fit perfectly into a second season.

“I cannot say that this will work, I don’t know,” she said. “We may, a week from now, have to come on and say it’s over. I hope that’s not what we have to say, and at this moment I don’t feel that way.”

Fans, however, have been making a difference, Barbee said, with their letters, phone calls and delivery of nuts to executives in both New York and Los Angeles.

“Everywhere we go, people are just amazed and inspired by the fan response to this and the nuts campaign,” she said. “I feel like Rocky with people cheering us on as we go by. I had to say thank you. They [the network] are listening, and it is making a difference. It’s just been a wild ride, and we cannot thank you enough.”

The show’s cancellation came as a surprise to the production staff who had heard they were getting a second-season. This may explain why the cliffhanger to the show was so open-ended and provided little or no resolution to the on-going storylines on the show.

“To be cancelled, it was a real gut kick,” Barbee said. “We were all real shocked and upset. It was a time of mourning. Then suddenly with this response, the light starts to come back into the room. It’s like, ‘Oh my God! Somebody cares! People are touched by this, people were passionate about this like we are.’ It really just makes all the difference.”

Barbee said she’s ordered her T-shirt from the New Jersey nut distributor Nuts Online, which is donating all profits to a tornado relief fund of a Kansas town similar to the fictional town of “Jericho.” At last check, Nuts Online had more than 33,000 pounds of nuts ordered, worth just under $46,000. The company has already raised more than $9,000 to help out the town of Greensburg, Kansas, which was virtually destroyed by a tornado last month.

Hope this happens... I know I would be very happy for a proper ending...

CBS Reconsidering “Jericho”

Fans of the now defunct CBS apocalyptic thriller “Jericho” have been blitzing the programming offices of CBS with peanuts, petitions, phone calls, letters and emails by the hundreds of thousands, almost from the very second the network announced the show would not be returning for a second season.

The show never did garner the kind of ratings CBS was hoping for, but did gather a strong core of faithful viewers who have been extremely vocal about its cancellation.

Now word from Michael Ausiello, columnist for TV Guide, is that CBS is a hairs-breath away from bringing back the show for a shortened season’s worth of new episodes to give it a proper send-off that will allow for some resolution to the fate of the town and its residents.

“Multiple sources are telling me that CBS is this close to sealing a deal to bring Jericho back for at least eight episodes, possibly at mid-season,” Ausiello wrote. “My spies caution that this is in no way official, but it certainly sounds like it could be by day’s end.”

Well it's offical.... the fans have won....

CBS reverses decision to ax `Jericho'
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer 25 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - "Jericho" fans who slammed CBS with protests over the drama's cancellation have won the battle: It will return next season, the network said Wednesday.

It was an unusual display of viewer might since networks usually put ratings ahead of even the most passionate, well-organized fan base. But CBS said the show deserved another chance, while cautioning that it must prove it has wider appeal.

"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," CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler said in a letter to "Jericho" boosters.

The letter was released to The Associated Press.

"You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard," Tassler wrote, and seven episodes have been ordered for midseason 2007-08. "In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more `Jericho,' we will need more viewers."

Fans must do their part to rally interest while the network does its job, she said.

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 show's return date and scheduling has yet to be determined.

CBS had to complete deals with cast members, including star Skeet Ulrich, before announcing its decision.

Networks rarely reverse a show's axing but CBS has proven its flexibility at least once before. In 1983, after "Cagney & Lacey" was canceled and the network was bombarded with protests, the police drama was brought back in 1984 â€" and ran successfully to 1988.

Since "Jericho" was canceled last month the network has been deluged with calls, messages and shipments of nuts signifying viewer displeasure.

"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 Tuesday that the drama about a Kansas town isolated by a nuclear terrorist attack deserved renewal for its daring premise, writing and acting.

"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."

Several factors worked in the show's favor: It appealed 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 also likely took into consideration the dent a long hiatus put in the show's viewership, the same scheduling misstep that hurt ABC's "Lost" and NBC's "Heroes."

Last fall, "Jericho" was averaging 10.5 million viewers; when it returned in the spring, it drew about 8.1 million, about a 23 percent decline from the first half of the season.

The display of fan enthusiasm 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.

Another positive outcome of the fan campaign: CBS is donating the protest peanuts to charities, including one that sends care packages to troops overseas.

Yay...I don;t have to listen to wife complain.......about this anymore.

Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on June 06, 2007, 02:55:26 PM

Another positive outcome of the fan campaign: CBS is donating the protest peanuts to charities, including one that sends care packages to troops overseas.

This is my favorite part. The fight to revive the show has peripherally led to something good for charities.

I am so glad. They can at the very least finish the story line.

“JERICHO” RETURNS TO CBS ON JULY 6

Rebroadcasts From the First Season to Air Fridays at 9:00 PM, ET/PT For the Remainder of the Summer
JERICHO, CBS’s drama about how residents of a small, peaceful, Kansas town band together to survive in the wake of a nuclear explosion, will return to the Network beginning Friday, July 6 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). Rebroadcasts of episodes from the first season will air in the Friday, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT time period for the remainder of the summer.

JERICHO, which last week received a seven episode mid-season order following an impassioned display of fan support, will return on July 6 with a rebroadcast of the pilot episode. On July 13, CBS will present back-to-back broadcasts beginning with “Return to Jericho” (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), which recapped the first 11 episodes, followed by episode 12, “The Day Before” (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), which launched “Jericho’s” spring return.

The remaining summer broadcasts will consist of episodes 13â€"22, in which tensions continue to escalate between Jericho and the neighboring town of New Bern as they battle the Kansas winter, dwindling resources and the uncertainty of a new world. The citizens of Jericho must now find a way to unite against these hardships, working together to preserve their community and their way of life as they prepare for an all out battle for survival in the season finale.


Jon Turteltaub, Stephen Chobsky and Carol Barbee are executive producers of JERICHO for CBS Paramount Network Television.

Such Good News!!!!

I was a big fan of Jericho.   Once they got past the cheesy "we're all friends" types shows it got really good.

 "Jericho" Season Premiere Set‏


Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)

CBS yesterday announced that the second season of "Jericho" will begin on February 12, 2008.

The series will air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST for its seven-episode second season. CBS will lead into the post-apocalyptic series with the show that some see as one of the signs of the upcoming apocalypse, "Big Brother."

Fans of "Jericho" helped save the show with a campaign to CBS earlier this year. Fans sent in 40,000 pounds of nuts to the network to show support for the show, leading to its return.

The producers were given a seven-episode season to complete the series' on-going storyline. However, producers have said that while they've compacted their plans for a second-season story arc, they don't see these as the final episodes for the show.

Producers are hopeful the ratings may be enough to convince CBS to give the show a full third season or extend the second season.

Jericho Takes A New Direction

Carol Barbee, executive producer of CBS' post-apocalyptic series Jericho, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming seven-episode second season will tell a complete story--but that producers shot two endings in case the show is picked up for a third season.

"We don't end the show," Barbee said in an interview. "What we do, we did two endings. We shot two endings. And one of them basically just lets you know that everybody is OK." She added: "The other ending shows you exactly where we're going to go for the third season. ... I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger as much as I would say you say, 'Oh, OK, now I know where we're going to go.' But if there's not going to be a third season, the other one puts sort of a nice emotionally satisfying point to it."

Jericho returns next month with an episode that picks up the story from the season-one cliffhanger, in which the townspeople of the small Kansas hamlet--led by Skeet Ulrich, Ashley Scott and Lennie James--were preparing to go to war with neighboring New Bern. Barbee offered a few spoilers for the first episodes of the new season, "Reconstruction, Condor" and "Jennings & Rall."

"We get into Jericho and reconstruction has begun," Barbee said. "The Cheyenne government is in town. They're rebuilding. People are getting jobs, people are getting cell phones, life is coming back to Jericho. But it's changed, because now there's this government, Cheyenne, and they have contractors who are working for them named Jennings & Rall, and ... this company ... [has] set up a storefront on Main Street. And they're going to be a big presence in our lives for the next season."

Barbee said that the new season will take the show into new territory thematically. "The headline is [that] the first season was about surviving the nuclear attack and saving the town," she said. "The second season is about saving the country and our way of life, our system of government. And then the natural progression is to have that be save the world for the third season."

Jericho returns Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. --Patrick Lee, News Editor

Jericho Narrows Focus

Carol Barbee, executive producer of CBS' post-apocalyptic drama Jericho, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming second season will focus primarily on Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) and Robert Hawkins (Lennie James), as well as a new character.

"The story is much more focused this year on Jake and Hawkins and on this one major 'A' story," Barbee said in an interview. "We have the addition to our cast of Esai Morales, who is incredible in this part. He is in every episode. He plays Major Beck, who is sent by the Cheyenne government to get this town under control, and he's a very good, decent man working for some fairly shady people. And he goes through a moral journey of his own. And he's a great addition to the cast."

Jericho returns with a seven-episode second season next month that picks up the story from last year's cliffhanger, in which the neighboring Kansas towns of Jericho and New Bern were preparing to go to war. The second season will bring back most of the show's regular cast members, except Gerald McRaney's Johnston Green, who perished in the first-season finale.

CBS ordered up the short season in response to fan outcry over the series' cancellation. The show's seven episodes were written and produced before the current writers' strike happened, and seven turned out to be the "perfect number for us," Barbee said.

"It's sort of a beginning, a middle and an end, and it's doable," Barbee said. "You can sort of see the end of the arc." She added: "What we did this time is we took the story we were going to tell for the town of Jericho, and we condensed it into seven episodes. ... There is no treading water. Something huge happens in every episode: major character changes, deaths, love, loss, war, the whole thing." Jericho returns Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. --Patrick Lee, News Editor

Jericho's Time Is Near

Carol Barbee, executive producer of CBS' post-apocalyptic drama Jericho, told SCI FI Wire that this week is make-or-break time for the resurrected show--though she will try to find a new home for it if CBS goes ahead and cancels it after its current seven-episode second season runs its course.

"I think this next airing will probably tell the tale," Barbee said in an interview at WonderCon in San Francisco on Feb. 24, referring to the upcoming Feb. 26 episode, "Jennings & Rall." "Our numbers have been OK, [but] not great. Our [demographic] has been very good; they've been very happy with that. But we'll see. ... If we trend up this week, I think we'll look pretty good. If we don't trend up, or if we stay the same, I think we'll have to wait and see what they want to do with us. I mean, they're going to air all seven; it's just a matter of how they feel about producing more."

Barbee denied that CBS has told her the show is ending, notwithstanding speculation that the network has already designated the seventh episode the "series finale." (Just to be sure, of course, Barbee said producers have prepared two endings: one to wrap the series up and one with a bit of a cliffhanger that would propel the narrative into a third season.)

Just in case CBS does pull the trigger on Jericho, Barbee said she's already begun looking for a new home on cable television. "There were other people who were interested in us to begin with, and now, I think, with the whole nuts [fan] campaign, and also with the amazing reviews that we've gotten for these seven episodes, I feel like we have made this franchise more valuable to a cable network who would want to take us on as a niche market," Barbee said. (The "nuts campaign" was a successful lobbying effort by Jericho fans, who mailed tons of peanuts to CBS to bring the show back after the network canceled it after the first season.)

"So I think it's very possible," Barbee added. "We obviously have a relationship now with SCI FI Channel, because they're running our previous episodes. So I think that's a natural place to start looking. But I think that ... there are other people who would be interested in the show if it doesn't continue on CBS." (SCI FI Channel hasn't said whether it would consider picking up Jericho or not at this point.)

New episodes of Jericho air on CBS Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Reruns of the first season air on SCI FI Mondays at 10 p.m. --Patrick Lee, News Editor

"Jericho" Fans Plan Pre-emptive Strike‏

Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)

Last season, "Jericho" fans bombarded CBS with tons of nuts to get their favorite series back on the air after it was pre-maturely cancelled.

This time around, fans aren't waiting for the renewal or cancellation announcement to mobilize. With three weeks left in the second season and the overall ratings for the show shrinking, fans are campaigning now to CBS to keep the show for a third season reports SyFy Portal.

The biggest difference this time is fans are not being asked to bombard CBS with nuts. Instead, the fan-based campaign focuses on "Jericho's" popularity in alternative distribution nodes like the Internet and timeshifted viewing, which grows the live audience by more than 20 percent according to releases issued by CBS.

The campaign is being facillitated by fan-forum member who goes under the screen name of Shumi. In an open letter to CBS, Shumi said, "With 'Jericho' you succeeded where your competitors frequently fail — you brought viewers back to network television," Schumi said. "You did that by taking a chance on a little show that was different and offered more than the usual fare of recycled drama plots, or mindless games shows and reality TV. But what you brought back was a new viewer, the viewer of tomorrow."

Shumi's goes on to say that CBS is passing up a "lucrative opportunity" with the network's "online opportunities."

One hurdle facing the campaign, according to SyFy Portal, is that many of the claims made by Shumi are difficult to back up with hard data and facts, which could ultimately sway network execs to keep or axe the show.

However, it can be said that a politely worded letter to CBS execs couldn't possibly hurt the struggling series' chances for a third-season.

I don't know if any of you have been watching this show for the last few episodes, but HOT DAMN they are great! If they finish the story arc, I will be happy, especially since there can always be fanfic about the show.

I'm loving it.

Jericho Gets Nuked

No amount of fan letters, emails, phone calls or campaigns would make CBS execs listen this time around and give Jericho a full third season, so don't expect a cliffhanger next week when the series ends its run on the eye network.

The excuse given by the honchos at CBS is the show simply couldn't generate large enough ratings beyond its ambitious and energetic fanbase. In TV talk that's no new viewers added to generate ad revenues.

It matters not that "Jericho" was the most downloaded show in the network's history, or seen by a huge share of the DVR audience, because until networks and advertisers can find a way to find a consistent way to make money off of those formats, their huge numbers mean nothing to them.

Next Tuesday will be the final time anyone will get to see a new episode of "Jericho" on CBS. It will be interesting to see how they wrap it up. Carol Barbee, the show's main producer, stated earlier at the beginning of this shortened season that two finales were shot, one with a cliffhanger, in case the skein was picked up for a third and one that gives satisfactory closure for its dedicated fans. Looks like those fans will be getting the latter on Tuesday.

"Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more," said CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler. "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."

Of course will this placate fans into not drowning CBS in more peanuts? Probably not!

As fans of SF and related genre, we can expect to see more of this kind of axe-wielding as long as networks and advertisers continue depending on the outmoded, and outdated Nielsen system. If there was ever a time when this has become more apparent it's now with quality, intelligently written and perfectly delivered shows like this one or "Firefly," "Drive," "Dresden Files, "Journeyman" and "Blood Ties" being kicked to the curb because programmers can't get out of the crusty mid-20th Century with their ratings formula.

"Jericho" may just have one saving grace, its producer Carol Barbee. She has stated on more than one occasion that she will continue to work hard and endeavor to fine a different outlet for new episodes of this show, either on another network, such as the SCI FI Channel or one of the other new media formats.

I'm starting to think releasing the show bible to the fan base is a good idea. Then they could create accurate fan-based literature to continue the story. Maybe the creators could have final say over the end products or something.

Journeyman would have been a cool show. Bionic Woman had special effects issues, but could have done really well story-wise. Star Trek, Buffy, Firefly - these have done well with fan-based stories, and now comics. Of course, the creators are controlling those properties and making money off of them, but no one is going to make money off of Journeyman, and there are a lot of stories to tell in that universe still. Like The Sentinal, or Nowhere Man, or The Invisible Man - these shows died early with much more to say. Fans write fan fiction, but they don't have all the info, so it is all speculation.

The only other option is to move the monolithic stations away from the aforementioned outdated Nielson system. Maybe we as fans should find a way to convince the stations it is their best interests to rely on downloads and internet viewings to boost ratings. Perhaps our fan campaigns should rely less on sending peanuts and more on deconstructing the current system.

Barbee Works to Extend Jericho's Life‏

Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)

The second season finale of "Jericho" airs tonight at 10 p.m. EST on CBS and while CBS has given the show the axe for a second time, fans of the post-apocolyptic thriller shouldn't lose hope that this will be the last time they'll see the series.

Executive producer Carol Barbee confirmed that there are negotiations in place with some cable networks to pick up the series for a third season.

"I can't really say [much] about specifics, and, ... partially, it's because I'm not the one having those conversations," Barbee said. "[CBS] Paramount [Television, which produces the show,] has been pursing it, and our agents have been into that, so, you know, I am pushing those people and coming up with ideas to have those people pursue."

There were several ideas that have been floated, and there was some interest, but we'll have to see," she said. "It wasn't something that could be sewn up before we were going to air the finale. ... It would have been better had we been able to announce one with the other, but it just didn't happen that fast."

The cast and crew were informed of the cancellation last week and CBS has chosen the alternative ending for the series to air tonight. There were two endings–one that would involve a cliffhanger to lead into the third season and another that offered fans some closure while offering hints of where season three could go. CBS will air the "closure" ending tonight.

And should the show not get picked up by a network, there is hope in other avenues of new media distribution.

"There's definitely an Internet series to be had, and we always talked about a graphic novel, and ... a movie," Barbee said. "I mean, there are lots of things that I could easily see as a way to continue the story."

There will be a few hurtles to jump. Currently actors and production staff have been released to pursue other projects. In addition, the sets have been dismantled on the backlot used to film the series.

"Jericho" Ends on a High Note

Written by: Samuel K. Sloan (FarPoint Media Executive News Director)

If you failed to catch last night's series finale of "Jericho" then you missed an opportunity to see what dramatic television should be all about.

The show that sparked a massive uprising by fans last year after CBS decided to cancel it after only one season, returned with a shortened second season, only seven episodes, but more than made up for its lack of quantity with a level of quality writing, directing, producing and acting that hasn't been witnessed in primetime, except for those rare exceptions like "Journeyman," "Firefly" or "C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation." And, like "Jericho," two out of the three of those AAA+ shows were canceled without so much as a thank you by their networks.

"Jericho" ended on the same kind of high note that Kevin Falls gave to the final episode of "Journeyman" last season. Executive producer Carol Barbee can be very proud of her effort and she deserves a gold star for keeping the show, its actors and crew on top of their game throughout, knowing that this would be it, at least on network television, for the series.

I won't tell you anything about the final episode because I don't want to spoil it for those who have yet to see it, but just let me say, it doesn't get much better than what millions of fans witnessed last night.

And, the great thing is, even though it didn't end on a cliffhanger, Barbee left it open enough for its continuation by some other network or new media format.....And that, is a story for another day.

I completely agree. The ending was fantastic, as was most every episode of this show, and everyone involved with it should be very proud of themselves.

The cancellation of terrific series like these, while shows like Charmed run for 8 seasons, makes me thankful that the return of Futurama included a running gag where the executives who canceled the show two years ago were fired then ground up into powder and now were used as Torgo's Executive Powder, which soothes burned tattoo removal sites as well as serves as food for fish and many other fine uses.

To paraphrase Hanover Fiste from Heavy Metal, "Hangin's too good for 'em, Burnin's too good for 'em, they should be cut into little bitty pieces and buried alive!"