The nuts campaign convinced CBS to give us another (short) season of Jericho, but now it looks like the show is indeed canceled for good.
The network told producers yesterday that they are not giving another season to the nuclear attack drama. The show had filmed two endings for the seven episode second season: one a cliffhanger in case the show was renewed for another season, and the other an ending that would serve as an ending to the show and satisfy fans. It's the latter that will air on March 25. While the episode does indeed leave room for a continuation, I think we can say it's really gone for good this time.
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.
By the way, I'm sure that sending even more nuts to CBS wouldn't have any effect on this decision.
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
Ask TV Squad: Ghost Whisperer and more!
The TV Squad Podcast: Bill Scheft of The Late Show, Cake Boss, Mad Men and more
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
3-21-2008 @ 5:53PM
Wii60 said...
This is really a shame. It was a great show. In fact, second to How I met your mother, it was the best show CBS had.
I hope it ends well, though I cannot possibly imagine them tying this whole thing up in one episode.
Nuts.
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 6:05PM
David Marcoe said...
The show's central invent only had so much momentum. As soon as they went with government conspiracy, it ceased being a storyline that you could have built into a long multi-season run.
If they had decided to keep following the "brave new world" angle, maybe something along the lines of David Brin's "The Postman," you could have pulled a five seasons or more out of it. In hindsight, I would have much preferred it. You would have had a treasure-trove of geek out rebuilding-civilization-with-duct-tape-and-chewing-gum moments and post-nuclear survival. They had quite a few of those in early season 1, but the drank the kool-aid and decided to wallop us all over the head with heavy-handed commentary.
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 6:37PM
MacLean said...
"They had quite a few of those in early season 1, but the drank the kool-aid and decided to wallop us all over the head with heavy-handed commentary."
-------------
agreed - as soon as "insurgents" was mentioned, I groaned.
3-21-2008 @ 6:10PM
mj said...
Oh, man. Even though I knew, I still hoped. Without a doubt, this show was perfect. I'm fed up with Heroes and Lost. Jericho was believable, and made me sit at the edge of my chair and worry about them. At least I have them on my TIVO.
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 6:10PM
TvLover said...
Well...if they hadn't put it up against fucking American Idol, they may have ended up with better ratings...fucking asshats
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 11:01PM
Oreo said...
On the East Coast American idol is on at 8-10pm, Jericho is on at 10pm?
So that is the same time?
3-21-2008 @ 6:25PM
Darren said...
It's a sad day - it was a great show! Too bad CBS isn't smarter and keep in on for another year in a different time slot
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 6:39PM
ryan said...
I was an early fan of the show, and it certainly had its moments... but it was never *that* good. The real problem with the show was that it kept on getting worse which was reflected in the ratings decline in the end of the first season and especially the second season.
The premise of Jericho -- what made it interesting -- was the confusion and chaos and despair after a major disaster that rendered communication with the outside world impossible and most technologies useless. Rogue paramilitary agencies and thugs battling the townsfolk for supplies, conflicts between towns having to cope with survival -- that was interesting stuff.
But then they turned all that on its head and reinvented the central premise of the show to be about government conspiracies and anti-authoritarianism. All of a sudden there was communication with the rest of the world, and technologies re-appeared as if there were no problems. This may have worked if they slowly drew it out over several seasons, but instead they just completely broke what was good about the show.
I'll watch it to the end, but I won't really miss it. Cry instead over good shows killed before their time like Firefly and Arrested Development, not mediocre shows like this one.
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 6:45PM
Mike said...
Any chance the sci-fi channel will pick it up? ( & drop the wrasslin'!!)
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 7:44PM
Zach said...
Mike, that's what I'm wondering. Any idea if they're shopping it around? Sci-Fi would make a decent home, maybe one of the cable channels too. I'd really like to know if they're shopping it around or if this is done for good.
You really got to commend NBC for sticking with Friday Night Lights. They really tried to find a way to make it work and luckily they did with Directv. Wished CBS tried to do the same thing with Jericho.
I also wonder how many nut's fans there really were. It's too bad it's likely done, cause while not the best thing on TV it definitely had potential and really got good the last few eps after the slow start to this season.
3-21-2008 @ 7:51PM
Terri said...
I knew from the beginning they never planned to renew this show. There was no way to continue when all the characters were gone. On the 25th Sci-Fi is running some of the original episodes that I will be taping.
Question, I work 10 hour days and watch all my shows on my DVR, the next morning. I know I lot of people who do that. Do these get counted in the ratings ?
3-22-2008 @ 3:29PM
eugene said...
screw sci-fi. They dropped SG-1 and kept other interested parties from picking it up, they've drive Atlantis into the ground and look at all the crap that BSG has to put with. All the while moaning on and on about not having enough money to properly produce quality shows and yet, every freaking week, some craptastic monster movie that isn't fit for human consumption.
3-21-2008 @ 8:11PM
gooby said...
Too bad, I really liked Jericho and I thought that the second season's been really picking up momentum and it would have been interesting to see another season or two of it, but I guess this will have to do. At least they got to write a proper ending to the show unlike last season.
Great work and hey, at least they got a second season, unlike Firefly and loads of other great shows that were nixed before their time :)
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 8:28PM
ed said...
Sad to see it go, but again worse shows have died. Is the Arrested Development movie confirmed?
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 8:29PM
ed said...
haha that was meant to say better shows!
Reply
3-21-2008 @ 10:54PM
Captain Obvious said...
Season 1 was good. Season 2 has been pure crap. From word go, it has been nothing but an anti-Bush, anti-Haliberton, anti-Enron rant. We GET it. You hate corporations and think they are the root of all evil. What a novel idea. Or, at least it was when Rollerball came out.
I won't be sorry to see you go. You aren't the show I fell in love with last year. You've changed. And it's time we make a clean break. You won't get any more of my nuts.
Reply
3-27-2008 @ 10:23AM
Wisteron said...
"From word go, it has been nothing but an anti-Bush, anti-Haliberton, anti-Enron rant"
Rant? Well that's actually one of the many good things about it. Why is it "crap"? Are you against "freedom and justice"? Are you on the side of what the "good" side of the whole world consider (or should consider) to be "bad and wrong"?
I mean I understand personal taste and opinions, but why judging the show cause of the positive message within?
3-27-2008 @ 11:56AM
Captain Obvious said...
@Wisteron
So, if the whole world thought that jumping off a bridge was a good idea, would you do that, too? Didn't your mother teach you any better?
3-21-2008 @ 11:06PM
Malren said...
I.
HATE.
NETWORKS.
Reply
3-25-2008 @ 3:13AM
iamhoff said...
Amen!