Watching Jericho

NOTE: The following is just an opinion piece from your friendly neighborhood blog writer. Take that as you will.

I’ve been trying to think of why it is that I seem to be the Kiss of Death to some TV shows (See: The 4400, Journeyman, Dresden Files, etc.). I’m sure that I’m not alone in this feeling, as I hear it quite often from friends and even strangers. While I can’t shake the feeling that I am this Harbinger of Doom to some series, I really think I can lay the second cancellation of Jericho mainly at CBS’s feet, not at mine. Ok, maybe not “mainlyâ€?, but there were some seemingly purposeful “mistakesâ€? on CBS’s part that truly hurt the show.

Item 1 – Waiting until the Writer’s Strike was nearly over to actually show the 7 episode drama which had already been shot Pre-Writer’s Strike.
Ok, ok… we get it, CBS. You were just waiting for the “right moment�… but you know what, the right moment would have been to show it when people were truly in a fix to watch something on television, say, early December? You’ve got a ready-made audience that you could have tapped who were looking for Good Television around that time.

Item 2 – 10p.m. Tuesday Time Slot
10 p.m. on a Tuesday is usually a time reserved in my house of prepping for the next day, then going to sleep. Who’s bright and shiny idea was it to put it in a slot which most people only have the option of recording the show for playback later, completely missing their voice? This, beyond most everything else, showed me that CBS was pandering to the Nuts Campaign and just wanted us to go away quietly.

Item 3 – Spectacularly Bad Return Episode(s)
So this one isn’t actually CBS’s fault, but I have to include it in my list. As I’ve said before, the first two episodes stunk for me. That was not the show that I fell in love with last season, the show that I fought for, and felt elated when we actually won. Up until the third episode, I wondered who had gotten a hold of the Jericho name and put some random crap up on my television screen.

Those are my Top Three Reasons as to why Jericho got axed. I know that I have more, but after writing those out, I think I need a breather and some meditation to calm down.

Why do you think they cancelled it again? Am I completely off-base here, or do I have a point?

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.

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

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

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

Jericho Message Board User Rubber Poultry has put together a beautiful graphic Thank You Card to the Cast and Crew of Jericho for all of their wonderful work on the show, and has asked anyone who would like to add their own personal message to comment in the post over there on the message board. I really love this idea, and since today is the Official Release Date for the Season One DVDs, I think it’s perfect for today’s post.

Rubber Poultry mentions in his post that he apologizes in advance for missing any names, as he pulled the information from IMDB (see the full cast and crew notation here) and my screen grab of it, reduced down for the content size restrictions of this blog, really doesn’t do it justice. Go see the full size version over on the message board, and see what a gorgeous job he’s done with it. Sometimes I wish I was more active on the message board over there, as there are some lovely people who I’ve talked with on Shaun’s Radio Show, Rubber Poultry included. But as with most of the message boards, once you miss just a day or two over there, you can be completely lost as to new threads and just sheer quantity of posts, which make it hard at least for me to keep up with.

Sign the card here. (You must have an account with the Jericho Message Board - CBS Official Site to post)

Hat-tip to Jericho~On~CBS.

Jericho, Jericho Message Board, Rubber Poultry, Thank You Card, TV, television, CBS

Tomorrow is the next Red-Letter Day for helping to Save Jericho! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, tomorrow is the release date for Jericho:The First Season on DVD, and just like during the Nuts Campaign, We Need You!

I do apologize for all the capitalization in this post, but this is just as important as the Nuts Campaign in showing Nina Tassler and the rest of CBS that we are serious in wanting to save our show. I’ve already pre-ordered two copies of the DVD, one for myself, and one to give away on this here blog in the coming month. I’m also looking at maybe an every-other-month giveaway with a fresh copy of the DVD, just to add to the sales numbers, though I’ve got to figure out how much my budget will allow for this.

And, if you’d rather not wait for my contests (and even if you do want to wait for the contests), don’t forget that every sale of this is as good as having a Nielsen Box in your house in sending out a message that just because we won our seven episodes during the Nuts Campaign doesn’t mean that we are going to rest on our laurels for getting a third season.

Get one for yourself, get one for your friends who watched the show with you, get one for your friends that should be watching the show!

Jericho, First Season, DVD, release, TV, television, CBS

Just to let y’all know, I’ll be on Shaun’s Radio Show tonight at 10pm ET (7pm PT), talking all about Jericho and Dragoncon. If you want to, feel free to call in, or catch up with it later on the podcast.

Jericho, shaunomacradio, Dragoncon, interview, TV, television, CBS

Guardians of Jericho is hosting Jerichcon 2007 in Oakley, Kansas on September 14-16, 2007. Are you going?

Shaun, of Shaunomatic Radio, seems to say it all:

Lets join together in Oakley Kansas for a once in a lifetime event..the first JERICHON !!!!

Lets cherish the time we will spend together and know that we have made history and will be making history in Oakley.

The eyes of the TV world will be upon Oakley, so please do what you can and try to attend even one day of the JERICHON..

Or if you cannot make it, please give a donation to help make this more of a success.

So lets shrug off the coming fall TV blues as we wait for Jericho to start and join together to put names and faces to the screen names..

I for one cannot wait to meet you all in Oakley….

With the expense of Dragoncon not even hitting my budget yet, there’s just no way that I can go to this, though I would love to in particular, meet Shaun in person.

So, who’s going?

Jericho, shaunomacradio, Guardians of Jericho, Jerichcon, TV, television, CBS

I’m in a bit of a bind, guys. Are any of y’all heading out to Dragoncon at the end of the month? If so, I could use some help with the panels that I’m running for the Apocalypse Rising Track, where I’m in charge of the two Jericho panels.

So, if you adore the show as much as I do, and feel like you have something to say about the first season of the show, and where you think they’re going to be taking us this coming season, feel free to use the contact form or email me directly at amber.hansford@gmail.com with the words DragonCon in the subject, and why you think you’d like to be on either panel.

Thanks!

Jericho, Dragoncon, Apocalypse+Rising, fan response, TV, television, CBS

Do you know who this man is? Ok, well, other than my Perez Hilton addiction, I probably wouldn’t, though I know that I’m not always like the rest of the world. And, for those of you who don’t know him, that is former American Idol alum Clay Aiken, who is claiming that his Claymates (I didn’t make the word, I’m only just sharing it), on his direction, saved Jericho, and from the impression that I’m left with from reading the articles, they pretty much did it single-handedly.

After his readers figured out what a “Claymate” was (realizing it was them), apparently they not only went into action, but did everything but actually invent the concept of a fan campaign, at least according to Aiken.

“Honestly, within a week, they had organized a campaign amongst ‘Jericho’ fans to send nuts to CBS. It kind of started in that place. And it’s back on the air. It just blows my mind.”

Ok, sorry… I’m all for supporting my favorite show, but I think that the idea that this was all because of “Claymates” really chaps me. The first place that I had heard of sending nuts into CBS was on Shaun’s show the night that I was on with Carole Barbee and Jon Steinberg, not from someone’s site who I’ve never even heard sing outside of my daughter’s Aladdin DVD.

Of course, I do find it a little ironic that someone who was a part of American Idol was out there promoting the saving of Jericho.

What do you think? Do you think that we should be thanking Clay Aiken for Saving Jericho, or do you think it’s a crock?

Read the whole article here at SyFyPortal.