"Jericho" fans: Take what you can get

As you may know from reading TV Barn, the Internet is ablaze over the cancellation of "Jericho," and the heat from outraged fans has been so intense, CBS actually dispatched an executive to try to put out the fire.

"We have read your e-mails over the past few days and have been touched by the depth and passion with which you have expressed your disappointment," the network's entertainment chief, Nina Tassler, posted to a fan forum. "We are humbled by your disappointment. In the coming weeks, we hope to develop a way to provide closure to the compelling drama that was the Jericho story."

Maureen Ryan and I both read that as a sign that CBS was considering a wrapup movie, which makes sense, since wrapup movie is simply another way of saying reunion movie. (Ask Mikey is reporting that "Gilmore Girls," airing on another CBS-owned network, may have a similar deal going.)

Naturally, the hardcore are resisting. "I have to say on behalf of each and every ‘Jericho’ fan that not one of us will settle for anything less than season two," one viewer named Melanie emailed Mo, which is sweet, except for two things: Mrs. TV Barn and I did not authorize Melanie to speak for us, and resistance is futile.

Let's have a reality check here. 

• As the number one network in total viewers, CBS considered "Jericho" an underperformer -- and it was right. According to Nielsen, CBS averaged 12 million viewers for every hour of prime time during the 2006-07 season, which concludes tonight. "Jericho" was averaging 11 million viewers in the fall -- less than any of the "CSIs" to be sure, but respectable for a program airing at 7 p.m. in the Midwest. After a three-month hiatus, however, that number dipped to 8 million viewers.  Now, there is a network that averages 8 million viewers in prime, but that network is fourth-place NBC and it isn't looking for any CBS castoffs.
• It wasn't only the hiatus. Every serial drama lost viewers this season. Much has been made of the three-month layoff between story arcs on "Jericho," and given the steep falloff in viewership between the two halves, the long vacation was likely a factor. But "24," a serial thriller that takes no time off, also lost viewers in droves this season. "Ugly Betty," which stayed on all year and aired frequent repeats to get viewers interested, was down 41 percent from its premiere, as Tassler noted last week during the CBS upfront presentation. And then there were all those shows that fell over dead right out of the gate: "Day Break," "Kidnapped," "Vanished," etc. etc. The point is, networks can see that serials are a fading genre. You don't want to be in business with a fading genre (speaking of which, farewell Stone Phillips). If the casualty list of new serials wasn't so alarmingly long, maybe CBS would have rolled the dice on a second season for "Jericho."
• "Jericho" can't just go looking for a new home. ABC produced "Scrubs" for NBC, and as its creator Bill Lawrence explained in January, if NBC declined to air a seventh season of the show this fall, ABC would have happily jumped in and snatched it away. "Jericho," however, is a production of CBS/Paramount. It's completely in-house. There is no instance I know of where a 100 percent network owned program first aired on that network, then switched to a rival. And that's likely for a number of very good financial reasons. I know, it's screwy, networks producing shows for other networks. ABC's in-house studio developed "CSI" but ABC passed and CBS picked it up. NBC produces "House" for Fox. I don't know the backstory there, but if NBC turned it down, it deserves to be in fourth place.
• Wrapup movies can be surprisingly cathartic. Here is the main reason "Jericho" fans shouldn't demand too much from CBS. I remember being upset that NBC cancelled the civil rights drama "I'll Fly Away" after two seasons. PBS arranged for a wrapup movie which, despite its somewhat farfetched storyline, had its intended emotional effect. And meanwhile, Sam Waterston found other work. So did the show's executive producer, David Chase, who perhaps learned a few things about wrapping up series that he could apply to his other show, "The Sopranos." Speaking of HBO, David Milch is making two "Deadwood" films that will bring an end to that franchise ... perhaps just in time. I've even forgiven the producers of "M*A*S*H" for that overwrought, movie-length finale they inflicted on the American public. I saw it again not long ago and actually, it holds up pretty well.

I have no idea if Jon Turteltaub and his co-producers on "Jericho" have a wrapup treatment ready to go. But I would think they could be persuaded fairly easily to work one up. With Gerald McRaney's character gone, the finale would allow a bigger role for his widow, played by Pamela Reed (left), who was, along with Lennie James, who played Hawkins, the real talent on this show.

Hey, it's five whole months until the next sweeps period begins. That's plenty of time to make a TV movie. Let's get cracking, CBS.