CBS To Bring Back "Jericho"

Fans Had Sent 50,000 Pounds Of Peanuts To Network To Protest Cancellation

(AP)  "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.

"We did it!! We brought the show back!!" crowed "Jericho 1009" in the official CBS.com "Jericho" message boards.

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 posted on the CBS.com site.

"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.

And the fans in the message board promised to do just that.

"I will be wearing my 'Jericho' shirt all weekend long to events such as the Belmont Stakes so that the whole world (well at least tens of thousands of people) can know about 'Jericho' and tune in next season!!!!" said "peedeejones."

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 Sept. 25 on DVD. 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 — 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.com, 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.

But the letter from Tassler ends, "P.S. Please stop sending us nuts."

[dinocards42]

gee, I guess since I am considered a senior citizen, i do not watch Jericho, according to CBS. Nelson's called here a couple of weeks ago for us to do a one month rating. But when they found out we were seniors, they did not want us. Hey we oldies spend money too, and we watch the ad's. This country is getting older as more baby boomers turn 50. So your young demagraphics don't work any more CBS.

[pressenter1]

I`M GLAD THEY`RE BRINGING BACK JERICHO. I CAN`T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY KILLED OFF THE MAYOR IN THE SEASON FINALE .I REALLY LIKED HIM.

[jasonstratt]

hey everyone,

I am very excited that jericho will be returning and that are rally cries have been heard. I hope that they take into consideration when the look at there ratings for the show they account for the fans who DVR there episodes and others like myself that rely on comcast`s on demand for recaping episodes. I work when the show is on so the next morning I look forward to getting up and watching it on my comcasts on demand so I think there is a real discrepency on the real numbers of fans who watch the show. I have 3 buddies that get together at one of my friends house to watch the show does that mean 3 guys account for one viewer because its at one house?. If at all I hope the continue with a great show or at least bring closer to it because they left us all hanging with alot of questions at seasons end. - J

[dennisfxdwg]

Release season one in High Definition. Thanks CBS!!!

[dennisfxdwg]

Release season one in High Definition. Thanks CBS!!!

[oldanalyst]

Thanks to those who worked to get this quality program back. This is indeed a quality show which looks at how a civilization such as ours would respond to near annihilation and does so in a non trivial way. We need more shows of this caliber.

[rasabaka]

I'm sooooooooooo glad Jericho's back. I was also sorry they killed off "Major Dad", but it's still a great show. My husband and I never missed a night and we're sure to catch every rerun this summer and the new ones this fall. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pachanman]

Good to hear. Great job CBS...now can we market the show well this time? Lets get a third season out of this!

[colcase2]

Though I,m sure the fans of Jerico are happy that CBS has renewed the program. the truth of the matter is the show is to well written for CBS or any network. It belongs on the SiFi Channel were it can be treated with the respect it deserves.

[erasmus6]

I am very excited about Jericho returning but what concerns me is how they determine the amount of people watching. Supposedly some people have a box that attaches to their T.V., but to me that doesn't give a true estimate of how many people are actually watching. Also I hope that CBS isn't doing this as a way of getting everybody off their backs and then canceling it saying there still isn't enough people watching it. I hate to be pessimistic but I have learned from experience you can't always trust people, they quite often have ulterior motives. I guess though I can be thankful for at least one more short season.

[rohink-2009]

Power to the people!
Posted by sparkler1066

Amen to that!

[diamondbed56]

GREAT NEWS! Just sad they killed off the Father! Maybe he can
come back as a twin brother! Who know's?
Skeet has stepped up to the plate in his ACTING! Now we need
to get the word out........JERICHO"S BACK!!!

[ayla45-2009]

So happy to know Jerico is coming back, it is always full of unpredictable surprises. Looking forward to next season

[sparkler1066]

Power to the people!

[gomesr]

This is great! I feel proud to have been a part of it's return, if only in my e-mails that were sent to CBS. Wonderfule! Where can I buy a Jericho shirt?

[skeetforever]

Excellent news. So happy!

[honest_news]

Okay, maybe I didn't send any packaged nuts to CBS, but I'm certain it was the NUTS postcard I mailed to Nina last week that did the trick.

Seriously, my hat's off to all of those dedicated fans who made the effort to show their support for Jericho. Way to go!

[wendelltback]

Guess I'm slow, first I've heard of the cancelation of the show! We love it! If I
had heard earlier I'd have sent a 50 lb bag
of nuts! We need good shows, if other good shows are on at the same time I just record them.
If they but Jericho on when nothing else good is on, then it would have the highest score!

[usawatchman]

I don't watch much TV
usually NEWS...etc
and only a couple-several shows

Jerico was one of them

I guess if your not dancing in a circle with a big drum and tambourine
the networks don't think you are there..?

The one show where I was disappointed was when they let those
CRIMINALS in MILITARY INFORMS go on to the next town
so to keep the MORALE of the people up...
to keep up the FACADE that the SOLDIERS were GOOD
that is JUST (was) BS

If the people in MILITARY UNIFORMS are CRIMINALS
then they need to be treated as if they are CRIMINALS...
sorry if that BURST any BUBBLES
that the MILITARY can do NO WRONG...
sorry if that hurts MORALE

what I believe is the reason for their last fight in the season finale

I guess there is a LESSON to be LEARNED...?

[ov442]

The show is timely. The reality of this world and the governments repeated warnings of terror attacks on US soil has people full of Anxiety.
People want a show like Jericho to see that we may go through he** or have a really rough time, but we'll find a way to be resourceful and get through it.
It also gives us ideas into how our government works and how we may all respond to such national issues.