Watching Jericho

And here we are again… CBS has canceled Jericho, the Hollywood Reporter is reporting.

To be perfectly honest, it doesn’t really surprise me at all. The post on the cancellation over at TV Squad brings up some of the reasons why I’m not surprised.

I guess this was inevitable. CBS only OK’d seven episodes for the second season, and it was probably going to take enormous ratings for the show to see a third season, and we knew that wasn’t going to happen. The ratings for the second season were lower than ratings for the first season. Which is really too bad, since this was a quite a good little drama.

They also bring up the fact that this time, sending out the nuts probably won’t be helping… which I agree with. Maybe it’s just that I’m a little jaded at this point, but the only thing that I really see as a survival for this show at this point is simply moving to a new network. Let’s just make sure that the first episodes over at its new home are a little more interesting than the ones on our short season, ya hear, Powers That Be?

Carol Barbee recently gave an interview with SCI FI Wire which lends itself to what happens if CBS drops the ball again, which could be a move to the SciFi Channel.

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.

She goes on to talk about the fact that SciFi is a natural network to look to, since they have been airing reruns from the first season.

So tell me, what do you think of the possibility of moving to SciFi? I know that some of my favorite shows have done this before (Stargate: SG1, anyone?) with success.

If you’re like most Jericho fans, you just can’t get enough of Skeet Ulrich, our adorable Jake Green, never fear, because not only is Jericho returning in February, but we also have a new movie which Skeet will be appearing in called Armored, also starring Matt Dillion (Crash), Zap2It is reporting.

Looking over the IMDB profile set up for the movie doesn’t really give us much of any information (including the fact that Skeet has been signed on for this picture) as most of the movies listed as “in production” end up with on IMDB’s site, and a quick Google search doesn’t provide much more information outside of the synopsis (read one of the more in-depth synopsises), I have this odd feeling that Jericho fans will be out in droves to see Skeet return to the big screen when this is released.

In the interest of full disclosure, though, I have to say that this movie sounds a touch like Chill Factor, also starring Mr. Ulrich, and I truly, truly disliked that movie. Not even having Skeet in it really made it any better for me to sit through, and that’s saying something. But, I’m still holding out high hopes that this Armored kicks Chill Factor’s derrière. I can already tell from the cast that I’ve got nothing to worry about on that end. (And, no, I really wasn’t working for that pun at all)

Read the article here from Zap2It and check out the IMDB profile for the movie Armored.

NOTE: Please don’t click “Play” on the video below unless you would like to see a sneak peek of what’s going to happen (and have some questions answered on the time directly after the end of season one).

In other words, this video needs a splash screen that says “SPOILER ALERT”.

After reading and hearing about this season two preview on the most wonderful youtube, I finally got a blissful moment this morning to go on the hunt for CBS’s Jericho Season Two Preview set to “Tick Tick Boom” by the Hives (one of my favorite bands of the moment to make this just a little more special).

As I sat around doing overtime at my day job during the holidays, weeping into my festive alcoholic beverage of choice when I could because of the 4400 getting canceled (along with Journeyman not getting picked up for more episodes, for those playing at home), and trying to figure out how best to spend my time to help out those glorious causes and get even more decent programming to stay on the air, the one thing that really kept my spirits up was the announcement that I would only have to wait until February to see my beloved Jericho back on the air. And now to keep me just a little more patient CBS has given me something to keep me going in this season two preview, which I appreciate.

My thoughts on some of the scenes (ok, actually just one that blew me away) in this preview are below the fold, in case anyone doesn’t want to know at least some of the outcome after the end of season one.

(more…)

And here’s something I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to post here.

seattlepi.com is reporting that Jericho will be returning to television on February 12, 2008, at what could possibly be its new regular time slot of 10pm ET that Tuesday.

The Press Release that the article shows announcing Jericho’s return doesn’t seem to give any more information outside of the fact that we’re finally getting our seven episodes, but on a selfish level I do hope that they keep Jericho at Tuesdays at 10pm, since I currently don’t have anything that I watch at that time. I would and will shuffle schedules for Jericho, but it is somewhat nice to not have to worry about it.

That Great Sigh of Relief you heard coming from Atlanta? Yeah, that was me this morning.

Read the whole article here, as it also has some information on Law and Order and some other shows that I enjoy.

Jericho, television, Second Season, TV, Nuts, CBS

I’ve cross-posted something in a similar vein over at Watching the 4400. If you’re like me and adore both Jericho and the 4400, go on and check it out.

I’m hoping that since you’re a reader of this blog, that you, like me, love a good television show that keeps you on your toes and keeps you thinking. If so, please tell me that you’ve checked out Journeyman over at NBC. I’m not the only one of the people that were involved in the Save Jericho Campaign that has become really invested in this new show on NBC, as Shaun over at Shaun O’Mac Radio tonight will be talking about a new campaign that he’d love to see get off the ground to Save Journeyman by sending Aspirin to NBC.

I’ve been getting into Journeyman lately, first as something that snagged my attention away from obsessing about when CBS was going to start showing the seven Jericho episodes that were in the can (listen, if there’s a Writer’s Strike going on, wouldn’t you be putting on things that are already done instead of more Reality Television?). Now I’m completely invested in Journeyman, for the same reasons that I’m invested in Jericho and The 4400. If you haven’t seen Journeyman yet, you can check out the episodes online at NBC.com.

So, check in to Shaun’s show tonight (10pm ET or 7pm PT) on Blog Talk Radio and I’m going to try and get my voice back enough to call in and you might hear something special that I’ll be doing with this blog and the Watching the 4400 blog to help support Journeyman. I’ve got a bad cold, so if my voice just isn’t up to it, just check back tomorrow here or on Watching the 4400, ok?

Jericho, television, Journeyman, TV, 4400, CBS

Yeah, I’m just a little behind lately.

It hasn’t helped that the Writer’s Strike, while starting to wind down, is the only thing that I can find anything about on the Great and Powerful Interwebs when it comes to Entertainment News. Jericho made a little bit of a splash in regards to the Strike when it first began, because it’s one of those shows that CBS could pull out of the can and show if the Strike lasts longer than what’s on its current schedule, but I have this strange feeling that they are trying very hard not to recognize that. Maybe it’s my latent pessimism.

On a more optimistic note, I noticed that Hannah over at Watching Supernatural had a wonderful post a little while back about a new group called We Are Fandom. What’s it about? The promote_spn community over at LiveJournal has much to say on this.

There are lots of different fandoms online, and some of them are in the same boat we’re in — their show is in danger of not coming back, or has already been cancelled. We’ve all seen ‘Save Our Show’ campaigns mounted by hopeful fandoms, and some of them seem to be successful. At their core, those fandoms are a lot like us, and they need the same thing we need — viewers. So we thought, what if we combined our numbers? Why not get fans of a couple of shows working together to support both shows? Both shows will benefit, both fandoms will benefit.

They cite The Nuts Campaign as one of the shining points of fans bonding together to save a show, and propose a collective grouping for Jericho and Supernatural fans to support one another.

Arabelle’s Alley has been posting Jericho/Supernatural posts over on their blog, getting the ball rolling, so to speak. Why don’t you help out too?

P.S. I am planning a big Christmas in Jericho Giveaway starting in the beginning of December… keep your eyes peeled for some great stuff.

I received this email this morning, and thought I should share it.

have received the following message and been asked to spread it far and wide. The message is authentic. Please feel free to post it on your respective boards and blogs. (Also note that because of the content and the YouTube link, posting this on CBS might be an instant recipe for deletion and banning. I’m not going to do that, but feel free to try if you’re so inclined.)

The message didn’t come from me; it comes from the “creative family of Jericho” and should be credited as such. I have not yet seen the video.

Dear Jericho Rangers:

As you probably know, the writers’ union has gone on strike against the studios and now your favorite TV shows, including JERICHO, are in jeopardy.

But what you may not know, is the truth behind it all.

Last summer, the Jericho Rangers ran one of the most successful grassroots campaigns in history. With that in mind, we would be so grateful if you could post the following link wherever you can:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk

This video, appropriately entitled WHY WE FIGHT, is a very accurate and fair description of why the writers are striking.

If after you’ve watched this video, you would like to make a difference, please let the studios and networks know that you support the writers in their fight for a fair contract in order to get your shows back on the air. The writers also ask that you do not purchase and download TV shows and/or watch the TV shows that are streamed online by their networks until this strike is resolved.

Thank you for all you have done!

Signed,
Your Jericho Family

“Getting answers is easy… It’s getting the truth that takes work”
–Robert Hawkins

Things are just a touch hectic around my own personal world right now, but here are some links to keep your appetite up for all things Jericho while I try and work on some real posts. Mainly this list is in thanks to the Jericho Times, which helps keep me on my toes and in the know (sue me, I HAD to do that) in regards to news of Jericho. Why aren’t you subscribed yet?

• Jericho Junction breaks down the major timelines for the Save Jericho campaign and asks Where is CBS now?
• The Randomness Blog is asking for Everyone to Digg Jericho and gives you some great reasons why you should.
• Copywrite, Ink, one of the best blogs out there who’s been with the Nuts Campaign since it began, also chimes in about Digging Jericho, with Digging In: Jericho Rangers.
• Jericho Central has a great Jericho Scavenger Hunt going on, which I adore the idea of. Of course, I’m just a sucker for a good Scavenger Hunt.
• Watch with Kristen may have some good news for us if this lead pans out, when she tells us that Jericho may just be back on Sundays, at 8 p.m., which would put it opposite of football and Extreme Home Makeover. So, somewhat good and somewhat not - so - good news. (story is about half-way down page)
• BuddyTV has a sweet article about how Skeet Ulrich is really proud of Jericho’s Success, spotlighting the fans as the best asset to the Nuts Campaign.

Have you read anything really great recently in regards to News about Jericho that I haven’t spotlighted above? Leave a link in the comments.

Jericho, TV, television, CBS

Alicia Coppola, our favorite sympathetic chicken neck wringing Mimi Clark on Jericho, is set to star in the movie “Black Widow” on Lifetime Television with Elizabeth Berkley (Saved By the Bell, Showgirls), says Reuters Online. Now, I won’t beat around the bush, I am looking forward to her role in “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” a touch more than say, a Lifetime “Woman in Peril” Movie of the Week, but at least this one seems a little bit interesting via the plot listed on Reuters Online.

“The thriller revolves around a journalist (Coppola) who suspects that her close friend has fallen for a woman (Berkley) who murdered her previous husbands.”

Yeah, I know, there has to be a murder and first off, a woman who’s up to No Good along with a woman who’s On To Her, but it is called “Black Widow”, so what do you want?

I went looking for more information on the movie via IMDB, but came up a little short, with the “complete plot synopsis” just being someone who seems to have some unresolved issues when it come to Elizabeth Berkley. Going through the Official Lifetime Television site seems to lead to nothing also, since every time I tried their search function it would return a blank screen instead of results. With the release date posted on the IMDB Profile for the movie, though (November 15, for those interested), I would have thought that I could find some promo information easier. Maybe it’s just me, though.

Jericho, Alicia Coppola, Mimi Clark, Black Widow, TV, television, CBS

I would be filing this post under the “WHAT are they thinking?!?!?!” category…

SyFy Portal is reporting that Pamela Reed, the rock of the town of Jericho as Gail Green, will not be returning to the show after the short, seven - episode season due to the fact that she was never offered a new contract by CBS. Why are they not offering her a new contract? Because of ageism, Pamela said at a recent panel on ageism at the Los Angeles Femme Film Festival.

“The average age of actors on that show is under 40, and those of us over 40 are gone,” the 58-year-old actress said, according to Film Stew.

SyFy Portal does go on to say that this doesn’t mean that she won’t be in the upcoming seven – episode short season, because those were shot before her contract expired, which makes me feel a little better about this, but only by a slim margin. I’m extremely disturbed that they decided not to extend her a contract because the character of Gail Green really is a cornerstone for the town of Jericho, and I’m trying to figure out how they will be able to not completely change the show and everything to do with the general feel since the characters will have lost both Johnston and now Gail. I’m also upset at this news because Gail, while occasionally a bit irritating, was one of those characters that I really loved and thought always moved the plot along for this atmosphere, and I think that the show will suffer from “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” disease if they only show the under - 40 crowd and how they deal with what has happened. (Disclaimer: I am part of that under – 40 crowd.)

Read the whole article here.

Jericho, Pamela Reed, Gail+Green, ageism, TV, television, CBS

Yesterday we posted about Shaun of Shaun O’ Mac Radio was hospitalized on Monday. I’m happy to say that he has been released now, and he posted to his Blog Talk Radio blog that he’ll be back on the air Monday, October 15.

I am so happy to see that’s he is back in the comfort of his home, and that he is taking some time off to help get better. Feel better, ok?

I got a very disturbing alert email from Jericho Times saying that Shaun (of Shaun O’Mac Radio) was admitted to the hospital yesterday (October 8, 2007) with excessively high blood pressure and a bleeding ulcer. I watched my grandfather deal with a horrifically bleeding ulcer when I was a kid, so I’m a little more aware of what he’s currently going through than the average bear, and I really hope that he gets the care that he needs and starts to feel better very soon. In the meantime, the Jericho community has really rallied around him, because without him, would we really have had the Nuts Campaign? While that is up for debate, I know that Shaun has been such a driving force in the Jericho community that if you’re a serious Jericho fan, you know who he is.

What can you do to let Shaun know that you’re thinking of him? The Jericho Times has a great list that they mailed out with the notice.

ALL RANGERS:

1. Please take a few minutes to pray for Shaun’s full and speedy recovery.
2. Send Shaun a postcard at University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
Click here: http://www.umc-cares.org/forms/postcards.asp
3. Donate what you can to send flowers to Shaun.
Click here: http://www.jerichorangers4ourtroops.com/jericho/index.htm

Shaun’s sister originally posted to his blog last night to let us know what was going on with Shaun. I really feel for them in this too, as I know it has to be horribly stressful for them.

And while you’re here, why don’t you head over to Shaun’s BlogTalkRadio blog and leave a little note for him there also. I’m a big believer in sharing positive energy.

Jericho, shaunomacradio, TV, television, CBS

James Hibbard over at TV Week gives us some insight as to when are we finally going to see the just-finished seven episodes for this season of Jericho, and what he says really isn’t all that encouraging.

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.”

So basically what this boils down to is that production is complete, and now our much-awaited and highly anticipated seven episodes get to sit on a shelf somewhere until a slot opens up for them this fall, and there’s an outside chance that we won’t see them at all until January of this coming year.

January 2008.

I don’t think that I really need to tell y’all that I am not the most patient person in the world, but seriously, if they are concerned about diminishing ratings and all that, why aren’t they putting Jericho, a show that has proven that it has a solid (and wonderfully eloquent) fan base out on the air this fall? As the article goes on to say, even Carol Barbee, Executive Producer Extraordinaire, is concerned about waiting too long to get Jericho back out on the air.

… 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.

While I really do want a resolution from the season finale back in May, more than that, I just want my Jericho back on the air to back up all those nut sales from those interesting three weeks. Is that too much to ask? I’ve already gone through my favorite episodes on the DVD set, and I’m jonesing so badly for a little peek into Jericho that I think I’ve actually read all the fan fiction that the Great and Powerful Interwebs and Google can hand me.

But, this article does raise and interesting point. Where will Jericho go time and day-wise once it is back? I guess we’ll just have to wait until some show spectacularly bombs to find that out. Me? I didn’t mind the Wednesday 8ET slot, and my only problem with the Friday night slot was that the reruns were up against Season Three of Doctor Who over the summer, but I record Doctor Who regardless.

What time and day of the week would you like to see Jericho come back on at?

Read the whole article here.

Jericho, Nuts For Jericho, Save Jericho, TV, television, CBS

I got my cute little Google Alerts for Jericho this morning in my inbox, and I found a link that really got me. I mean, this is a great question, and I really wanted to share this with y’all after all of the things we’ve been through with the Nuts Campaign.

Arabelle’s Alley says that they asked on the CBS Jericho Message Board a while back on How the Nuts Campaign Changed You and was it for Better or Worse? They’ve posted some of the answers, which I just adore beyond words, and they’ve also posted a second set of them in a post entitled Jericho: Changed by the Nuts.

What’s so surprising to me when I read through these is just how much people were changed by saving Jericho. I mean, seriously, it’s a television show. One that I adore beyond reason, needless to say, but what happened with the Nuts Campaign really went far beyond what I expected, and it really became its own creation which is still really, deeply touching people even now. Friendships have been made that will outlast the television show itself, and lives have been changed in absolutely wonderful ways. People have stood up for something that they believe in, sometimes for the first time in their lives, and others became more involved in the online community and have made friends from all around the world. This campaign took Jericho from being just another canceled television show into a movement that doesn’t look like it will slow down for a long, long time.

And since I didn’t see the post on the message board originally, I’d like to add my answer here.

The Nuts Campaign showed me that if you give something to people that they are truly passionate about, they will react and make sure that they are being heard if you take it away. I’ve been a part of other “Save Our Show” campaigns in the past, to the point that I used to think that if I liked a show, it was a guarantee to be cancelled, but there’s really not been anything quite like the Nuts Campaign before. It really showed me that it was a good thing to believe in people and what they can do, given a chance.

So, how did the campaign affect you?

Jericho, Jericho Message Board, Nuts For Jericho, Save Jericho, TV, television, CBS