Well, it's now official. Jericho is done.
You have to wonder, was it all worth it? I mean, sure, we got a few more episodes and I, personally, am grateful for the upcoming series finale but I'm curious if those of you who spent time and money on peanuts feel like you made a difference.
History has shown us that campaigns like this do little more than get the fans one more season. Star Trek came back with a full season that gave us classic episodes like "Spock's Brain."
One of the most successful campaigns was for the sci-fi hit Farscape. However, considering the audience for that show was pretty small to begin with and it wasn't a network show it was easier to save.
So, will Jericho's cancellation be a blow to future campaigns or will the final season be enough to inspire the fans of other canceled shows?
Here is this week's question...
Who did Chris Rock call, "The rich man's Skeet Ulrich?"
Congratulations vasu, Johnny Depp is the correct answer.
Seven greatest hand cannons in TV history
TV Squad previews NBC's new shows (part 1)
TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-24-2008 @ 8:09AM
vasu said...
Johnny Depp
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3-24-2008 @ 8:42AM
Cyantre said...
This is just proof that ratings are over-rated. Unfortunetly it is practically the only thing the networks look at. I mean if the ratings say no one is watching the show it must be true... and those 40,000 lbs. of nuts just appeared out of nowhere, sent by all those people who weren't watching. -_-;
There seems to be an epidemic of good shows getting cancelled because they aren't "bringing in the numbers" as it were. What about Internet viewership and things of a similar nature?
Hell, most of the shows I watch on my DVR after they air to avoid commericals or I'll just download shows to watch on my computer.
Networks should start taking into account how many seed and leechers the .torrent of the latest episode has on mininova to judge it's popularity. =P
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3-24-2008 @ 10:15AM
Eric H said...
"and those 40,000 lbs. of nuts just appeared out of nowhere, sent by all those people who weren't watching. -_-;"
- Well if each person sent 1/4 pound of nuts that would be 1.6 Million viewers, not enough to sustain the show.
"Hell, most of the shows I watch on my DVR after they air to avoid commericals or I'll just download shows to watch on my computer.
Networks should start taking into account how many seed and leechers the .torrent of the latest episode has on mininova to judge it's popularity. =P"
- The networks don't care about those people cause they can't make money off of them, by skipping the commercials or downloading a torrent you aren't giving the network any incentive to keep the show going. TV is not a charity. Networks don't exist to put on programing and damn if they make money on it, they exist to make profit.
3-24-2008 @ 8:45AM
Jenni said...
I actually feel good about spending the money on the nuts. If they were going to give us anything to begin with I just wanted resolution instead of just ending it period. This way we got a few more episodes and resolution!
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3-25-2008 @ 4:04AM
iamhoff said...
Exactly! The way it was left at the end of Season 1 was an absolutely awful way to end a series. As much as I am disappointed that it is over, I'm grateful that we'll get an episode that should tie things up. Maybe another network will pick it up. CW, MyNetwork, FX, or USA perhaps?
3-24-2008 @ 9:05AM
VP said...
TV execs need to get their heads out of the water. Nielsens are not the end all for the tv ratings. Neilsen ratings belong in the 1950's. Jericho was one the most watched shows on CBS's innertube as well as Itunes. It's a shame that the people that matter choose to ignore those numbers.
I hope we can atleast get some closure in the series finale. :(
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3-24-2008 @ 10:23AM
The Pepto Pimp said...
You'll get a little closure, but not a lot. Things will chill out.
The most interesting part was the the production company/network agreed to produce two (2) season finales. The first that functions as a 'season finale', should the ratings be high enough to merit another season. The second is effectively a 'series finale' which tries to wrap things up as clearly as possible.
CBS will be airing the the 'series finale' version, but I wouldn't be surprised if the other version showed up on DVD or WWW.
3-24-2008 @ 9:38AM
ed said...
"Networks should start taking into account how many seed and leechers the .torrent of the latest episode has on mininova to judge it's popularity. =P"
100% common sense. Neilsens killed Arrested Development, which could be a huge money-maker now.
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3-24-2008 @ 9:45AM
Norman said...
While it's true that Nielsen's don't accurately reflect the people who actually watch the show, they do reflect the people that watch the commercials and that's what ad revenue is based on. People watching shows on DVR or net feeds don't put money in the network pockets.
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3-24-2008 @ 9:53AM
Cyantre said...
Until that changes, great shows will continue be cancelled, if all the networks care about is revenue based on commericals.
I avoid watching commercials 99% of the time, there's just no reason to. I don't mind one commerical, for example if I'm watching a show on the net or on something like On Demand, that's fine. It's when you have the typical block of 5 or so commericals every 15 minutes that I can't stand.
Networks need to find a new way to make profit from the shows themselves and not just from the commercials that air between them. Also Nielsen ratings need to stop, it's an old out-dated system that should be completely scrapped.
3-24-2008 @ 10:19AM
Eric H said...
What will eventually have to happen for that to work is every tv show will have to become pay per view, that is the best way to count viewer ship and skip commercials. The can use the PPV numbers for ratings to sell product placements and we get to skip commercials and watch the show at any time.
3-24-2008 @ 4:08PM
Zarni said...
That thinking is flawed. If the networks truly believe that every person sits through every commercial and doesn't use that time to get up, get a snack, use the facilities, etc they are sadly mistaken. Even though I have to fast-forward through them, I do have to sit through all the commercials during the break to get back to the show.
There's also product placement. Anyone who has seen an entire episode of Jericho knows that one of it's biggest corporate sponsor's was Sprint.
For people watching the show online at CBS.com there is always the chance that they will click a sponsor's add- say Sprint and generate revenue that way.
Not to mention the banner ads that run across the bottom of the screen during the episode. While right now the networks use this to promote their shows, more than likely it won't be long before this space is used for corporate advertising.
Google arguably the most successful search engine, yet their advertising is not the industry-standard of annoying banner ads. Why can't television industry take a hint and find new and creative ways to promote their sponsors?
3-24-2008 @ 9:49AM
Misty said...
Yes, it was worth it. For two reasons - Skeet Ulrich and Lennie James.
Even a shortened season of them was worth infinitely more than a decade of American *gag* Idol or Survivor.
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3-24-2008 @ 9:54AM
Cyantre said...
Agreed. I definitely enjoyed Jake and Hawkins teaming up, and I'm sure it will be just as awesome in the season finale.
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3-24-2008 @ 10:08AM
gooby said...
It was worth it. I'm actually really liking Jericho and sad to see it go, but this second season and the answers we've gotten, I'm satisfied and happy that they got to finish the story properly.
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3-24-2008 @ 10:10AM
mj said...
Was it worth it? Yes. I, for one, am sick of 'them' telling us what we want to watch. I don't want to see more game shows or reality shows. They are on the air because they are cheap to make. So we sacrifice quality. Jericho had something. It made us sit up and think. We sat on the edge of our chairs. We cared, and we worried. Who didn't cry when Stanley signed over Bonnie's body? Who didn't say, 'Oh, no,' when we saw Goetz come back to Jericho? I'm glad CBS gave us these seven episodes. Of course, I'd like more. But, just like Surface, Invasion, and the Book of Daniel, Jericho is gone. Thanks to my TIVO, I have all the episodes. And yes, I will watch them again. I just wonder when we as a people will say 'nuts' to the powers that be who dictate what we like or don't like. Skeet, and all the cast and crew of Jericho, well done. You will be missed.
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3-24-2008 @ 11:39AM
moreartplease said...
"They" don't tell us what we want to watch, sadly. "We" tell them. I am pretty sure that if CBS could make as much money off of Jericho (or FOX off Firefly or Arrested Development, or Insert Your Favorite Cancelled Show) they would do it. In the end, the bean counters will sell the product they get the most beans for. Or at least don't lose beans by making.
I am speaking, by the way, as a huge fan of the first season of Jericho, and I was very glad to see it come back. However I doubt even that would have happened if they didn't think they would get a nice payoff from the second season DVD sales. All the free press about the fan rebellion didn't hurt either, I am sure.
Still, no one at CBS is twirling their mustache and cackling that they got to cancel the show a second time. I am sure they are sad that it didn't work out. Who wouldn't want a fan uprising for a show you believed in enough to put it on the air in the first place?
I am not saying TV execs are saints, they are not. However they have the sad dilemma of being involved in an art form that can only exist if it sells enough soap. Of course they would rather all be working on shows that are loved and acclaimed. But if those shows don't sell enough soap, they can't afford to make them.
Thankfully there are a lot of other shows out there worth watching. I, for one, plan to watch the final episode with some gratitude that they even tried to bring it back. Then I will put on my eye patch and patiently wait for the final season of Battlestar Galctica to start.
3-24-2008 @ 10:13AM
Darren said...
I just don't think they will be able to wrap up everything they need to in 44 minutes. I wish it would be at least a 2 hour series ender - of course it's not and that's why it's just not going to be the closer we are all looking forward to.
I also agree - Neilson's don't give the correct number by far! There are 330 Million people in the US and the top rated shows only bring in 24 million - there is NO WAY - what are the rest of the 300 HUNDRED MILLION people doing?? Unless they start putting sensors in each TV, don't bother with Neilson's anymore!
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3-24-2008 @ 11:59AM
Europa said...
The campaign to save the original Star Trek gave us much, much more than, “one more season.” It gave us a whole series of feature films based on the original (fans never stopped campaigning for more after that “one more season”), it gave us the spin-offs of Star Trek TNG, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek DS9, [Star Trek] Enterprise, a new feature that’s currently in the works and there’s always talk and rumor of another new series. Hello?
And as for Farscape being, “easier to save,” obviously you were not involved with that campaign because you’d know IT WAS NOT EASY!! It took a LOT OF HARD WORK from some amazingly talented and creative people from vast and various walks of life (not just your typical “fan boys,” “freaks and geeks”) who did a bit more than write letters and buy peanuts. It also involved the incredible help and support of the cast, crew, writers and producers of the show. “…easier to save,” jeeze, you need to get a clue.
But to specifically answer your question about Jericho, yes I feel it was worth the money and effort if for no other reason than it added one more hour of much needed quality television to the airwaves and took away one less hour of reality-TV garbage. That is always worth the time, money, and effort IMO.
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3-24-2008 @ 12:10PM
Europa said...
Btw, do you really think people watching the shows that get high Neilson ratings are watching the commercials? I mean, do you really believe the TV audiences for American Idol, the CSIs, Dancing with the Stars, etc. are sitting on the edge of their seats with rapt attention during the Ford commercial? Come on! They are flipping the channel, going to the rest room, getting a snack, surfing the web or anything but watching that commercial. TV execs are truly clueless.
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