'Jericho' Poised For November Return?

By MICHAEL HINMAN Oct-3-2007
Source: TV Week

Anybody up for a little "Jericho"? Like, say, just in time for Thanksgiving?

Fans might get their chance as the story about a post-apocalyptic Kansas town is getting set to possibly fill in for a show CBS decides to pull off the schedule.

To get a November release, one of the network's new shows like "Kid Nation," "Cane" or even "Moonlight" would have to tank, and it's not clear if that would actually happen, said TV Week's James Hibberd.

"The best thing going for 'Jericho' is it's done and ready to go," said Kelly Kahl, head of scheduling for CBS. "But it's too early to tell what time period is going to be available."

CBS planned "Jericho" as a mid-season replacement, typically meaning it was being readied to fill an open time slot if the network decided to pull the plug on another series early. While the reality show "The Amazing Race" and game show "Power of 10" are ready to go, there isn't a lot of scripted television in the can, especially since "Swingtown" won't be broadcast until 2008.

Many critics have predicted that "Cane" may be the first to go, but the show scored a 6.0 rating/10 share Tuesday night in overnight ratings. It was CBS' lowest-rated show of the night, but it holding its own. "Moonlight" had a 5.8/11 on Friday, retaining all of its audience from lead-in "Ghost Whiperer" and tying for the 9 p.m. ET hour. And "Kid Nation" has been holding steady in the third-place slot for its timeslot behind "Dancing With the Stars" on ABC and "Deal or No Deal" on NBC.

The bad news is that if none of these shows get pulled from the schedule, fans likely won't see "Jericho" again until January.

"There's definitely concern [about viewer interest waning], which is why we hope to get on the air as soon as possible," executive producer Carol Barbee told Hibberd.

It's hard to forget the fans' efforts to get "Jericho" back on the air, sending more than 20 tons of nuts to CBS in May demanding to return the show. Barbee also revealed, however, that herself and other producers were doing their part, getting SciFi Channel interested in picking up "Jericho" and pairing it up with its signature series "Battlestar Galactica."

What happens if the viewers are not there for the series, and the finale becomes a series finale rather than a season finale? Barbee said she has shot multiple endings that will either continue the series into a third season, or wrap it up completely.

"They sort of let us get away with the cliffhanger last time," Barbee said. "We joked that [we] have to get another food product in the new finale. CBS probably combed through the script looking for anything that fans could send them."

And even if CBS says enough is enough, Barbee says she's not going to go away quietly.

"There's still going to be a lot more story to tell," she said. "If the fans keep it up, we'll tell it somewhere."

About the Author: Michael Hinman is the founder and site coordinator for Airlock Alpha and the entire BlipNetwork. He owns Quantum Global Media Inc., the parent corporation of the BlipNetwork. He's a print journalist by day, and lives in Tampa, Fla.
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