CBS nukes "Jericho" for lookalike show with cheaper talent

I am sorry to report that CBS is not in Kansas anymore.

In announcing its fall schedule to advertisers Wednesday, television’s most-watched network left off “Jericho,” its thriller about nuclear apocalypse in a fictional town somewhere between Kansas City and Denver.

Kelly Kahl, the CBS scheduler known for his bold moves — he was the guy who wanted “CSI” moved to Thursday nights — told reporters in New York that “Jericho,” which starred Skeet Ulrich, had “lost a lot of steam” and “wasn’t performing.”

It was a brutal year for serial dramas, the perhaps inevitable result of too many of them being added to network schedules at once. With the sacking of “Jericho,” ABC’s “Ugly Betty” and NBC’s “Heroes” are the only genre shows still around a year after being announced at last year’s upfronts.

CBS thought it had constructed a winning strategy for “Jericho.” To cover the nearly three-month gap when the show was off the air, the network’s news division created companion programming that streamed at the CBS website.

What the network brass could not anticipate was viewer attrition for all serial dramas. Even established hits like “Heroes” and “Lost” came back after long vacations to noticeably lower ratings. But clearly the producers knew the end was nigh. In the season-ending episode of “Jericho,” they killed off one of the most appealing characters on the show, the longtime mayor played by Gerald McRaney. Locked in a fratricidal war with a neighboring town, and with who-knows-what coming at them from across the stricken continent, the citizens of Jericho, Kansas, faced a whole host of challenges ahead.

Turns out that surviving nuclear holocaust was easy compared with surviving a 7 p.m. Wednesday time slot on CBS.

The network rolled out five new shows at its Wednesday morning press conference in New York, including a reality show, “Kid Nation,” taking “Jericho’s” place on the schedule. “Kid Nation,” a sort of “Lord of the Flies” on the Ponderosa, sounds a lot like what "Jericho" might be if you fired all the actors. Forty kids are placed in an abandoned ghost town in New Mexico and given 40 days to bring it back to life — shops, government, housing arrangements — all by themselves. It’s been years since anything worked for CBS in this time period, so why not?

A new comedy, “The Big Bang Theory,” takes the place of “The Class” on its Monday-night lineup. It’s from Chuck Lorre, whose track record is excellent (“Two and a Half Men” and “Dharma & Greg). Jimmy Smits will star as a mobster in “Cane,” which will air Tuesday nights at 9, the same time period in which CBS thought America would love to watch Ray Liotta as a violent burglar last season. “Smith” was gone by Christmas.

“Close to Home” was also cancelled, which was less of a surprise than “Jericho’s” vanishing act. Its place was taken by “Moonlight,” which appears to be an effort to resuscitate an odd subgenre: the vampire detective series. Alex O’Loughlin will play a cop who’s been undead since his bride bit him 60 years ago. It’s clearly meant as a companion piece to “Ghost Whisperer.”

And the new lead-out to “60 Minutes” this fall will be “Viva Laughlin,” a mystery show set in a Nevada casino town. According to CBS, it will use “upbeat contemporary songs to accentuate the drama and humor and advance the story,” much like the show it’s based on, the BBC’s Peabody-winning musical drama “Viva Blackpool.”

“New Christine” and “The Amazing Race” will return at midseason, as will a new show, “Swingtown,” which is not a musical featuring the tunes of Brian Setzer or Bob Wills but a drama about open marriages in the 1970s.

Comments

[Jennifer]

What a stupid move by CBS. They are the ones who doomed this show from the beginning. They put it against American Idol and then had the bright idea to take the 3 month hiatus. The should move it to another night and time slot if necessary. It totally deserves a second chance to make it. Damn you CBS!!!!

[Steve]

I am really pissed that they won't renew Jericho the show was great the network could have at least renewed it for another half a season now we will never know what happens to hawkins. Please CBS not another reality show!

[Justin]

I CANNOT believe this. I will not watch CBS again unless they put this back on. Talk about idiots running a network. This is my #1 show... was I mean...

[Bill]

I don't watch much TV, but I didn't miss Jericho. What is CBS thinking? Best show I've seen in some time!

[Chris]

Take a good show. Build a story and fan base. Then CANCEL IT!!!!

What is wrong with CBS!!!!?

[Kelly]

NUTS to you CBS!! You don't care about anyone or anything except for ratings. You didn't even have the guts to give us a FINALE episode. You left us all hanging after we watched your show for a whole season.
That was just WRONG.
And now, you don't even care if millions of fans are upset with the cancelling of JERICHO.
KUDOS to NBC for sticking with FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.
RIP Johnston Green and CBS.

[Carrie]

yep - Jericho - major loss. I was really looking forward to the next episode :-(
But I've esentially given up on TV. The reality based stuff is pathetic, ALL OF IT!! I'd rather try and gleen some knowledge from scripted dramas than be a voyuer of the drama-queens.
C'est la vie

[CHAR]

I CAN NOT believe Jericho will not be back!! We absolutely loved this show..Please, please, please, can't we get someone at CBS to change their minds on this?? It sounds like this Kidnation show should be some kind of summer replacement show. I'm a 50-something female who really doesn't care to watch 8 to 15 year olds trying to live on there own..COMPLETELY IDIOTIC PREMISE!! If it lasts for 3 weeks, I'll be surprised

[Lisa Spurgis]

CBS is so lame! Wednesday nights @ 8 hard time slot for anyone thanks to American Idol. CBS might as well be all reality all the time. I for one will no longer be watching CBS! Hopefully another network will pick it up.

[HS]

Jericho is the best thing on television. A story line with a million possibilities. Something other than "Gee I wonder who will sleep with who on Grey's Anatomy this week". The season finally was amazing and now CBS is leaving us High and Dry. Guess I wont start anymore CBS shows they wont want to finish!

[Bill V]

I cannot begin to express my disappointment when I learned that 'Jericho' would not be back in the fall.

You know, I was never a fan of CBS, but this show was uncharacteristic of typical CBS programming and I never missed an episode.

Hopefully it'll be picked up by another network, or at the very least, a movie will be produced to wrap the whole thing up.

One thing is certain, CBS has lost me as a viewer.

[Mayra]

I agree with all of you that CBS made a mistake and Jericho was great. I encourage all of you to post your comments on CBS. Go to the website and post feedback, perhaps it will make a difference.

[Rtkman]

This sucks.
Jericho was the only reason I considered watching the other CBS programs. Oh yeah thanks for canceling Smith also. The new shows don't have a chance unless it's realty or controversial. Here's an idea. tell a good story, people will watch.
Kelly Kahl is smoking something.

[jmc]

Stupid move by CBS as it could have developed a loyal fan base along the lines of the Star Trek franchise - a valuable thing in an era characterized by increased media competition and a splintering audience base. Oh well, back to HBO for me.

[cycotic]

http://www.petitiononline.com/09272006/petition.html

[Jim Ianni]

You know, I simply can not believe this. Jericho hooked me from episode 1, then CBS screws us by taking a 3 month hiatus. Jericho finally came back on and they wonder why it lost viewers. I can answer that. People got involved in other shows during the break and figured they'd get caught up on Jericho via OnDemand or TiVo. I was not one of them as I never missed an episode, but that's what a lot of the "water cooler" talk in my office showed. I was already mad when they killed Gerald McRaney, but even with that, the season finale was excellent. Masterful plot with a great cliffhanger. How does CBS reward us loyal viewers? By pushing us off that cliff. I have never felt so betrayed by a television network and have never EVER botherred to write a complaint about something as trivial as a television show being cancelled, but this is just wrong.

[William Haggans]

We all need to e-mail CBS and let them know we want Jericho back. I know i will not watch CBS again untill i know what happen to jericho! Guess i will have to go back to watching LOST and ABC!!!

[Dustin Harper]

This was a horrible move for CBS. CBS canceled Jericho, and I canceled CBS. I may not be a Neilson home, and it may not make a difference, but I won't be a viewer anymore.

I'm not going to get into a show and have it canceled by number crunchers anymore.

Jericho was THE best TV show I've seen in a LONG time, probably ever.

[Mayra]

I agree with all of you that CBS made a mistake and Jericho was great. I encourage all of you to post your comments on CBS. Go to the website and post feedback, perhaps it will make a difference.

[Michael]

Sign the petition. It goes to Kelli Kahl at CBS when signed.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SaveJericho/

[Andrea]

THis is TERRIBLE!! CBS can you at least tell us what was going to happen????? Stop putting these crappy shows on and cancelling the good ones.

[Gwen]

I am very dissappointed to find out that Jericho is being cancelled. It was a great show with a lot of good actors. I'm sorry to say, there is not much left that I watch on CBS.

mn

[cam]

Skeet, ou deserve better than CBS. i don't watch anything else on that channel, except for Jericho, now I plan to NOT watch any of their new shows. CBS, you are a bunch of 'tards.

[Ben Hopkins]

Respond with your money: Boycott the sponsors! It won't bring back the series, We'vegot to do something to convince the East& West Coast mentalities want Entertainment, not Reality shows!