'Jericho': Who -- or what -- is to blame?

Now that we officially know that tonight's second-season finale of "Jericho" will also be the series finale, it's tempting to try to find someone or something to blame for what went wrong.

How did such a hyped achievement -- CBS' decision to "un-cancel" the series due to overwhelming fan response -- result in a return that faded away so unspectacularly?

Let's look at the prime suspects:

The strike
Conventional wisdom reckoned that the WGA strike and the resulting dearth of scripted shows during the winter would help "Jericho" stand out among weakened competition. But the winter's reality-heavy environment might have made it even more difficult for "Jericho" to connect with audiences. Viewers were tuning out in droves and CBS took one of the biggest ratings hits among all networks, leaving a limited audience to promote the "Jericho" return to. Even freshly written episodes of "Late Show With David Letterman" struggled due to the overall decline in CBS viewership.

The time slot
CBS moved the series out of the family-friendly 8 p.m. hour to 10 p.m. and there's the possibility that many of the original viewers were unwilling to follow. In defense of CBS, part of the plan was to give "Jericho" an established lead-in. Unfortunately (due in no small part to the strike) that established lead-in was the sleaze-tastic reality show "Big Brother 9," which had never before aired outside of the low-expectations summer season. The audiences were, to put it kindly, completely incompatible and for a few weeks "Jericho" wound up with slightly better numbers than "Big Brother" anyway.

The network
Everyone's favorite scapegoat. Clearly everything that went wrong with "Jericho" was entirely CBS' fault! Never mind that they took a big, and welcome, risk by bringing the show back in the first place. Let's face it, a serial drama was always going to have a rough go of things on the network's current schedule. "Jericho" didn't repeat its plotlines every week, or solve a problem within the hour, and that seems to be the only way to find success as a scripted drama on CBS right now. Hopefully the experience doesn't discourage the network from taking similar chances in the future, but stepping back and looking at the whole picture I'd say that both the network and the producers tried their best to make an unlikely marriage work. Some couples just aren't meant to be ...

Alternative means of viewing
Some people will point to how popular "Jericho" is with TiVo users, or how high it ranks among iTunes downloads, or how well the Season 1 DVDs sold on Amazon.com. That's all great as an after-market for a show that draws an audience to its ad-supported broadcast airings. CBS isn't HBO. The amount of people who watch on live TV (and the age and income level of those people) really does matter. And if you downloaded "Jericho" through BitTorrent, it's really not a good idea to go crying to CBS about how much you'll miss the show.

The fans
A controversial argument to be sure. But if only the "Jericho" fans had shown a little bit of passion ... oh forget it, no one's gonna buy this one.

The ratings
Last season, "Jericho" averaged 9.5 million viewers and a 2.8 in the 18-49 demo. This season, the show averaged 6.8 million viewers and a 1.9 in the 18-49 demo. The defense may raise mitigating factors, like the shady way Nielsen measures the audience or everything else mentioned above, but the bottom line is that those numbers are barely acceptable on NBC. On CBS, they'll get you a death sentence. Case closed.

-- Geoff Berkshire

Comments

[Claude Demers]

Your analysis is quite right. sadly for myself and a lot of other people, one of the few shows that could entertain and also challenge your mind will disappear tonight. It may in fact say a lot about this new age we live in where everything has to be solved immediately, preferably in less than an hour.

I would hope that another network would pick up this show, but if not, I will remember a very entertaining and stimulating hour on TV every week.

[Robert]

So, Geoff:

Have you heard any scuttlebutt about Jericho moving to another, possibly more cable-oriented network? (SciFi, maybe?) Or is it just wishful thinking?

Thanks!

[DennyWilson]

The problem with JERICHO was the network gave viewers TOO MANY options not to watch it "Live".

I don't think ANY Tv show so far in the "new media" era has been immeditly avaialble on all LEGAL platforms - Streaming on CBS.iTunes,Amazon.com,X-Box and On-Demand.

By pushing the show to a 10pm slot,THEY pushed the viewers to alternative viewing.

[Dee]

This is why I am becoming reluctant to get invested in new shows... NBC's cancellation of Journeyman is another example. I really like New Amsterdam, too, but we all know Fox. For every X-Files, there's a Keen Eddie or Firefly....

[mpbnice]

The answer is: all of the above. The strike could have helped Jericho, but unfortunately all TV viewership is down. The time slot is terrible and the lead-in in worse. CBS waited almost a year to show the last seven episodes instead of using at least some of the publicity from the nuts campaign and scheduling the show last fall as soon as one of their shows tanked. CBS did not have any of the cast of Jericho promoting the show until the week before episode six! CBS wants the younger demographic, but take it from a mother of a 21-year-old, they're watching online or by Tivo or any number of ways. The bottom line is, a great show is finished - at least on CBS - but I hope it will find a home someplace else.

[KIC]

You might find this interesting:

http://copywriteink.blogspot.com/2008/03/closing-case-study-jericho-ends.html

I really hope we make history again and a successful transfer to another network. It's well worth it. I've never like a show this much.

I do think most people did not believe CBS would renew it from the start, so that even IF they knew where to find it and IF they were willing to wait out BB and the timeslot, most people don't want to invest in a show they think has no future.

[Lance]

It's sad a quality show goes the way of the dodo, but the viewing audiences in the end get what they deserve: Are you smarter than a 5th grade bachelor who's dad is better than your dad at not forgetting the lyrics deciding to deal or no deal during the moment of truth. Hence the dumbing down of America.

[Robin]

It's sad that yet another great show will be pushed to the wayside. I, like so many others, made sure to be home in front of the tv each week for Jericho and during commercials, spent time on the telephone discussing the current epside with family. Each episode kept us glued to our seats as we tried to figure out what the next move would be. This is one of the most interesting new shows in a very long time and it's a shame that it's going to fall by the wayside. I thought the writing was very fresh and current and looked forward to each new episode. Disappointing to be sure that CBS is going to let it go, but hopefully one of the cable shows will pick it up and prove to CBS that they tossed away a winner.

[TroyJMorris]

Pretty spot on. That's why true fans of the show have given up on CBS and are asking other networks to pick it up.

http://jericho.wetpaint.com/page/Save+Jericho+II

[Smurfsahoy]

I'm not following the "ratings really DO matter" logic here. Why? A business is about making profits. If a network is relying on ratings that only take into account live viewing, and maybe cable boxes, while revenue is coming in from ALL legal viewing methods, then that reliance on the ratings is IN ERROR. It's not a matter of opinion. It's just wrong. It's wrong for everybody - viewers don't get the shows that really fit them, CBS loses money, advertisers are told the wrong demographics and pay too much or not enough.

Saying "Oh well. Ratings. Case closed" Is exactly the problem mindset here that causes all of these networks to cancel things that end up having huge backlashes, or selling record numbers of DVDs. The data doesn't match reality, and everybody refuses to change the data. 12 year old science students can figure this out, why not network execs?

[Casey]

I am now going to spend the evening crying!!! I was so happy it was brought back and now this...ah...nuts!

[Roy Bray]

I, too, believe that something of value will never hold up in this current environment of "don't make me think, just give me something behind closed doors that makes me feel like I'm not screwed up like them" mentality. Wake up CBS! Give this one time and it WILL produce for you.

[Jethro]

The problem with Jericho is that it took a compelling concept and turned it into run of the mill melodrama.

[Anne]

Another fantastic show is going the way of the dinosaurs!! Sadly, our society seems to prefer the mindless dribble of so called "reality" and "talent" shows to true quality shows like"Jericho". And people wonder why Johnny can't read ,write or think ! "Jericho" always kept you not only on the seat of your pants wondering where the plot lead but it made one really think"What if".
I hope one of the cable channels picks "jericho" up.It would be a smart move for them!!

[Gwen]

Jericho has ended on CBS, but that doesn't mean that Jericho can't continue. There are already two interested networks - Sci Fi and The CW.
There is a list of things the fans are being asked to do:
http://www.jericho-kansas.com/Community/Forums/tabid/74/forumid/27/postid/2148/view/topic/Default.aspx

Gwen
http://www.jericho-kansas.com

[suzy]

I got some information this is off an e-mail I received that : Caol Barbee, Jericho's Executive Producer, has confirmed that CBS Paramount is in negotiations to sell Jericho to another network -- Sci Fi Network or The CW have been mentioned. Right now we need to get the word out to Jericho fans to write all three companies anask for a third season of Jericho. No venting, we need positive letters.
You can find out all the information you need on this thread :
http://www.jerico-kansas.com/Community/Forums/tabid/74/forumid/27/postid/21
48/view/topic/Defalt.aspx
Petitions are not as useful as actual letters - letters get noticed.
Thankjs in advance for your support of Jericho.
Gwen
Secretary
Jericho Kansas Inc.
http://www.jericho-kansas.com

This is the actual reading from the e-mail I received after I sent an e-mail that I was upset that CBS had given it the ax again.

[Vic Archer]

Well, I hate that its over, but I don't think ANY network has quite figured out how to do the serial drama thing. Plan for the series to have a limited (1 - 2) year run, DON'T break up the story with long hiatus' (except the standard, seasonal ones) and maintain some consistancy in terms of time slot. Plan for it to end from the beginning of production. I've been lost on "Lost" for some time now, had just gotten into "Heroes" when the writers strike...struck... But a planned 1-2 year run, sort of an extended mini-series (whatever happened to THAT genre, anyway?) where a rich, in depth story is started, developed, and concluded - without absurd breaks - I think holds promise. With Jericho this kind of happened by accident but may artistically be the best. I was having a bit of a hard time seeing where it would go from here, to be honest, and a future DVD release including these last seven episodes would be nice too...

[Liz]

Too true, all of it. Let's hope two good things come of this: First, that Jericho has a shot at a home on a cable network where it can really shine (are you listening SciFi?) and gets the REAL chance it deserves. Second, that the movement to set aside the Nielsens in favor of a truly comprehensive ratings system (one that includes ALL methods of TV viewing) grows and gains strength. I'm a viewer and I want to be counted, too!

[vince52]

Some people interpret the decline in ratings as a response to the show's ideological direction. Here are some examples noted at instapundit.com

"Many of you have lamented the disastrous left-turn the television series Jericho took last season. Well, it was awarded with spectacularly low ratings and now cancellation.

A military reader emails with similar sentiments:

Just saw your post on Jericho's cancellation and think the producers have no one to blame but themselves. I liked the first season, but the 2nd season has gone off the rails. Let me count the way:

1. The bombs were an old white guy conspiracy set in motion by facist conservatives and a big, bad corporation. God forbid that they say it was a foreign power or terrorists, nooooooo.

2. As a soldier, I found it very offensive that the military is now the oppressing enforcer. How many times I have seen what was happening in the show and saying, "There's no way we'd do that." Jake's interrogation, not punishing Getz, shooting at civilians for violating "curfew." The list goes on and on.

3. So many holes in the military aspect that it was pathetic. Here's the most obvious - MAJ Beck says he's from the 10th Mountain Division, but they're stationed at Ft. Drum, NY. In order to join with the ASA military, wouldn't he have had to have sought them out by finding a way across the "blue line?"

This was possibly the most offensive aspect, as if we would just throw allegiance to some new government outside of the constitutional line of succession in Cheyenne, under a new flag and new name. Pray tell why we wouldn't have fallen in line with whoever actually had succession, since the entire line is never together in the same city because of just such a possibility. It's not like we would have said, "ASA, USA, no big difference."

In short, who wants to watch a show that denigrates their country, denigrates their military, and seems to blame the possible evils of the world on corporations? Wouldn't a show about how we pulled together and united against an external threat been a little more palatable?

Not to Hollywood in an election year, I guess.

UPDATE: Reader Ed Stephens emails:

I echo your other reader's comments about the reason for Jericho's demise. Perhaps only blue staters could imagine that scattered nukes would cause the dissolution of the United States. That American's would suddenly decide they need a "new" constitution? Personally, I would have liked to see more emphasis on the recovery efforts, setting up windmills, solar power, etc (now that the bureaucracies hindering it were gone). Think Gilligan's island/McGuyver on steroids highlighting "yankee ingenuity" and Heinlein's quote about specialization.

A more probable scenario would involve an invasion by Mexico into CA, AZ, NM and Texas (if not UT and CO) to capitalize on a weakened US; but I'm sure that would be too un-PC.

CBS's "THE UNIT" also similarly went off the rails the same way, but maybe Mamet's turn from liberal orthodoxy will cause it to change.

Have not these people learned anything from "24"?

Indeed. Related thoughts here.

posted at 04:00 PM by Glenn Reynolds"

[Annie]

How naive I am. I didn't know this was the last of Jericho until I read all these other comments. This is the PITTS! My husband and I have tuned in EVERY week and thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue. We are so tired of reality shows, we don't watch but one. We've sure gotten alot of reading done due to less TV, looks like we'll be reading more!