TVSquad

The modern poster-child for a show that's "gone too soon" is Jericho. The impassioned fans buried CBS under a ton of nuts, which got the show renewed for a shortened second season. Your mileage of the quality of that season may vary, but the fact remains that the fans did something none of these internet campaigns today will be able to.

What people don't realize is that when Jericho came back for the second run, the ratings weren't any better than when the first season ended. So when they cancel your favorite show and you start mailing in bizarre objects and setting up your web petitions because "it worked for Jericho," remember that the networks remember Jericho as well. They remember that it failed to find a sizable audience twice.

I suppose we're lucky that this is a "season one" DVD and not a "complete series" set. The nut campaign aimed at CBS worked, and the second season of Jericho will start in a few months. It's only going to be seven episodes long, and then they'll look at those ratings and see if it warrants more episodes.

In the meantime, we have this season one set. You either like the show or you don't, which will help you decide whether you will want the DVD or not. And if you buy it, you're interested in the extras, and on this set they're actually pretty good.

CBS starts off the morning a little later so we can all file our Emmy reports. Thanks!

Unexpected swag courtesy of today's first panel: Jericho -- a one-pound bag of peanuts and a t-shirt from nutsoline.com/jericho, the Internet campaign that helped bring the canceled fan favorite drama back to life for seven episodes next season.

Before the Q&A gets underway, CBS announces "CBS Eye-alert" a multi-platform viewer alert system that will help viewers find their favorite shows. I'm going to write more about this -- as soon as I figure out what it all means.

But, first, Jericho...

Short but good interview with Jericho star Skeet Ulrich over at TVGuide.com. He talks about how surprised he was by the intensity of the fan support the show received after it was canceled. He says his mom first alerted him to the campaign (everyone say it at once: awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!).

He says the "nuts" line was actually the hardest line he had to deliver all season, because "it's such a non-sequitur," so he finds it funny that it was that line that inspired fans.

He also reveals that Gerald McRaney was ready to leave the show. In fact, he was frustrated throughout the season because he wanted more to do.

[via Pop Candy]

There has been an awful lot of talk about CBS canceling Jericho. Over at Observer-reporter.com, they've taken a hard line and decided the fault lays squarely at the feet of the network itself.

Jericho was one of the few new dramas that finished out the season. Heavy duty serials like The Nine, Vanished and Kidnapped were all cut short before reaching their finale. I, myself, was a fan of Jericho, but even I knew it's chances of renewal were slim. Personally, I feel that if the show had revealed some of it's secrets a little earlier, more viewers may have stuck around.

(S01E22) First off, I have to say I love a good flashback. The way tonight's show blended the flashbacks with the current scenes was really well done. For a show that has really become very basic, the level of artistry is very high.

Well, Heather is alive and she's in Nebraska. I've been to Nebraska and, quite frankly, she was better off dead (that's a joke, son). It was great that Heather was able to alert the military to what's happening between Jericho & New Bern but relief is clearly going to come at a price and Robert Hawkins' name is on that price tag. I loved that shot of Heather looking at the flag, that very disturbing looking flag.

(S01E21) Maybe I missed something but where is the freaking tank?

As the messenger from New Bern came into town, all I could think was that it's nice to see the kid from Deliverance still getting work. Sadly he brought along some real bad weather.

After watching Dale's performance tonight, I have developed a new opinion of him. He may be nuts but he's got balls of steel. It's clear that if Jericho can survive this battle, he will emerge as one of the most powerful men in town. The scene between Dale & Johnston was awesome because it showed the true nuances of the ex-mayors ability to govern. A truly great leader gets you to do things because you want to.

(S01E20) As the episode began, with Jake & Erik both behind bars, it looked like this might be Erik's big chance to grow a pair. It was nice to see the Green boys working together and standing up to the New Bernians, who it turns out are a bigger threat than Ravenwood.

I can't say I was surprised to see Maggie return but it made me really concerned for her safety. As we've seen, when a lady gets involved with Jake, things rarely turn out well for them. I guess she should consider herself lucky that she was only shot in the leg.

You know, it's been so long since I've seen the last episode of Deadwood that I'll have to go back and watch it again to prepare for the two movies that will end the western saga. I think the last scene showed Gerald McRaney on his way out of town, probably heading to Jericho, Kansas.

But there's no rush. According to this story at the Chicago Tribune, not only are the two movies not going to air until 2008 at the earliest, but (according to cast member W. Earl Brown), the stars of the show haven't even signed contracts to appear in the TV flicks. But creator David Milch said a couple of months that he is "committed" to finishing the movies.

Those are the latest rumors spreading around the internets and the industry, that The CW has all but canceled the cult favorite Veronica Mars and that CBS is going to give a surprising second season renewal to Jericho, which looked like it might be dead in the water.

USA Today is reporting that a really good source is saying that Veronica Mars is "all but dead." Critic Robert Bianco says that fellow writer Gary Levin says the show is gone and he's "almost always right about these things." I think any buzz that the show might have had a year or so ago is now dead and a renewal is unlikely. (Isabelle talked about this last month, too.)

As for Jericho, SyFyPortal says that not only will CBS renew the drama, but it will move it to a new night in the fall to get it away from American Idol. Time will tell. The networks reveal their new schedules next month.

[via TV Tattle]

(S01E18) Beef Stew. That's what I call an episode like tonights. Plenty of great information to sink your teeth into. Let's get right to it.

Most of the episode was spent with Hawkins filling JackJake in on what happened. Amazingly, he had all the answers. Who dropped the bombs, why they did it, how he was involved. He revealed it all, much to Jake's shock and awe. I'm glad that we finally got some answers. Personally, I can never understand why people don't just ask, "What is going on here?" Cough, Lost, cough.

(S01E17) Well, it had to happen. No, I'm not talking about the refugee uprising. I'm talking about the below average episode that Jericho always delivers after two great ones.

I'll try not to dwell on the bad parts so I'll just say I have no interest in the criminal adventures of Dale & Skyler. The smug look on Dale's face was enough to make me want to stop watching.

I honestly don't know what to say about the use of the old hackneyed "wrestle for the gun until it goes off" device. What's next? An impromptu concert from a rock band who happens to be passing through town? I really thought Jericho was better than that.

(S01E16) I love any show that starts with someone burying a dead body. I especially liked the metaphor that Hawkins was digging his own hole deeper and deeper with every lie he tells. It's clear that he will have to share his secrets with the town very soon.

This episode had so much action in the first ten minutes that I was hooked right away. Just when I think I've had enough of the end of the world, Jericho reels me back in.

I especially liked all the technical information I learned by watching this episode. Whether it's building a windmill, delivering a baby or "negotiating" a contract, there was plenty to be learned.

(S01E14) I got a lot of heat because of my review of last week's show and usually I ignore all criticism because I'm so brilliant. However, when 99% of the comments are negative, I'm forced to take another look at my reviews. So, as I watched Jericho this week, I vowed to pay close attention so as not to miss any pertinent information and it totally paid off. During the opening, the Morse code message clearly said, "Don't bother watching. This episode is kind of lame."

To be honest, I couldn't really concentrate on everything that happened because of the scene early on where Gerald McRaney & Pamela Reed decided to get boozed up. It may me wonder: Why aren't more people getting drunk in the middle of the day? I mean, it's not like anyone has a job to go to and shouldn't a small town like Jericho have at least one town drunk anyway?

When Jericho returns on February 21 after its hiatus (I actually thought it was coming back at the end of this month but there's still another month to wait), several questions will (might?) be answered.

The first episode will show what happened 36 hours before the bombs dropped, in Jericho, Denver, and Washington, D.C. Maybe we'll finally get a hint as to who Hawkins really is and what exactly Jake was doing.

This has been one of the big surprises of the season for me. I really thought that it would be one of those science fiction-ish dramas that would go up against a powerhouse show on another network and either being canceled quickly and put on "hiatus" permanently. But this show has surprised with its ratings (it actually isn't doing too badly) and it's quality. There's a lot going on in this town, and I have to say that I'm more interested in what's going on in the town of Jericho than on that island over on ABC, at least for now.