CBS Nukes Jericho, But Don't Panic Yet

It's official: CBS has canceled Jericho. The word just came down:

STATEMENT REGARDING "JERICHO" FROM CBS ENTERTAINMENT PRESIDENT NINA TASSLER

The March 25th episode of Jericho will be the series finale. Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season. We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We're proud of everyone's efforts.

That's the entirety of the statement from CBS.

The show's ratings have been poor during this short season ... at least as the major broadcast networks define "poor" in 2008. That's a fact. There's no point in talking about what a dinosaur the Nielsen system is or how CBS was unfair to the show by jerking it around the schedule and putting it on long hiatuses. That's all true, but it doesn't matter.

Scripted dramas on network television are on their way out -- NBC chief Jeff Zucker said as much this week, but we didn't need him to tell us that. It's obvious: American Idol and other cheap-to-produce reality shows get gangbuster ratings, and only a few blockbuster scripted shows can match them: Lost, House, 24 ... and not too many others. And as Robert Seidman at TV by the Numbers pointed out, no matter how many people are watching Jericho online or on DVR, the same is true of Lost, etc. Every show is getting watched in lots of ways that have nothing to do with sitting in front of the tube when the networks want you there. So there's no point in organizing a campaign to send 100 tons of nuts to CBS executives. CBS doesn't care what you think. To CBS, you are the dinosaur, passionate Jericho fan.

But you're not a dinosaur, and shows like Jericho are not dinosaurs. You and Jericho are the tiny furry mammals scurrying around under the giant legs of the dinosaur networks, and the big meteor has already hit. The networks are already dying; they're starting to realize it, and there's nothing they can do to survive: the entertainment environment has changed too much.

With just a bit of evolution, though, there's no reason why Jericho can't survive and even thrive. On cable -- maybe Sci Fi will pick it up -- or maybe even on the Internet. It doesn't have to be an expensive show to produce, because it's not about FX: it's about character and story. Smart screenwriting (and maybe a culling of some minor characters to bring the size of the cast down, which the show could probably do with anyway) can make up for lack of budget. Jericho doesn't need CBS to be viable, and the show can be pared down, if necessary, without sacrificing what fans love about it.

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MaryAnn Johanson (email me)
reviews, reviews, reviews! at FlickFilosopher.com

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