It seems to be the number one question being asked by people all over the world, including CBS. Who are these people that have sent more than 35,000 pounds of nuts to CBS and flooded executive e-mails and phone lines? Who are these people who can rally more 1,000 to 5,000 signatures a day, every day? Who are these people who have captured headlines in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times? Who are these people who dominate the Internet on blogs, forums, and BlogTalkRadio?
Who are these people?
They are students like my first fan contact Brian Kalinka in New Fairfield, Conn.; administrative assistants like Diane Roy in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada; business owners like Lisa Ludvicek in Overland, Kansas, and Debra Newman in Bonner Springs, Kansas; online talk radio hosts like Shaun OMac in Las Vegas; and radio operations managers like Clarke Ingram in Pittsburgh, Penn. People with diverse jobs, educations, incomes, and interests that all have found common ground in a television show called Jericho and CBS Jericho message boards.
“All of us were concerned about cancellation because word was that the show was ‘on the bubble,” says Ingram, talking about message board discussions just prior to the May 15 leak that the show would be cancelled. “The next day, May 16, Shaun OMac hosted what was going to be a ‘wake for Johnston Green’ show, but it turned into a discussion about the cancellation.”
According to Ingram, the radio show put voices and real names to the screen names that make up most message boards. They were real people, and it served to unify them to save the show. It also served to bring some ideas. Ingram is credited with being among the first to say “Nuts!” to CBS (he refutes this, offering up that dozens of other fans said it first); OMac suggested they put the words into action; and a Canadian fan, Jeff Knoll, quickly made arrangements with Jeffrey Braverman at NUTSOnline.
Who are these people?
They are a cross sampling of North America, 9+ million Jericho fans who enjoyed the show and feel unrepresented by Nielsen Media Research. Many watched the show as a family (as evidenced by many comments left on our blog alone). Some were CBS message board regulars. None of them seem to typify the definition of the cult following that they’ve been compared to since capturing the title of the biggest cancellation protest in history.
In fact, when you look at the events over the past few weeks, believe it or not, this entire movement happened very much by accident. Ingram’s original farewell post is a testament to this; it was meant as nothing more than a thank you to the actors, writers, and producers before CBS deleted 3,000+ of his posts and temporarily banned him from the message boards.
Since, they have transformed from an accidental gathering of viewers into a “can do” consumer movement with a very clear message to networks: television viewers do not have to tune into programs just because there is nothing better to watch (there are plenty of options). With hundreds of channels and dozens of recording and download options, we have become actively engaged consumers who expect more from the entertainment industry than copycat programming, sudden serial ends, and executives who lay blame on the viewers they need to entice advertisers to pony up multi-million dollar profit margins.
Who are these people?
You don’t even have to like Jericho to understand these fans or appreciate how they feel. If you’ve ever enjoyed any television program only to see it unjustly cancelled because someone didn’t look behind the Nielsen numbers, then you can empathize with this spontaneous uprising of support for Jericho. The only difference is that these viewers and others decided to do something about it.
And in the process, whether they win or lose (though I think they’ll win), they are changing the way networks think about their ever-increasing niche products. Maybe not CBS, but certainly NBC and Fox, both of which are placing less emphasis on the Nielsen numbers alone and more emphasis on listening to viewers. But isn’t that the lesson for every executive lately? Numbers are great, but without the demographics and psychographics behind them, numbers mean nothing. So who are these people? They are everybody.
“I've heard CBS is asking ‘where were these viewers during the regular season?’” noted Ingram. “We were right here, using online platforms that you provided … we were here, but not measured by Nielsen.”
194 comments:
You certainly do not have to, but if you happen to leave a comment today, please include a name, occupation description, and geographic region to give other networks a small sampling of Jericho fan demographics. Shout outs are welcome, but a couple networks have been reading this series. Sell yourself.
Excellent article again! Thank you.
I am female, 55, Geriatric Therapist, & I live in the South.
I have never fought for any other cancelled series but I'll fight now because Jericho is worth it!
Rich,
I've been following your commentary on the Save Jericho Movement with great interest, although I think this is the first comment I've left. The last 10 days or so has been a blur of internet activity...
I am a 42 year-old NYC-based insurance executive, and I am invested in saving this show beyond even my own belief.
You're right, this isn't just about Jericho. This is about having a voice in network TV programming, even though you're not anywhere near a Nielsen box.
Cheers!
Join the fight!
NUTS to CBS! Watch out, Les!!
SAVE JERICHO!!
www.jerichorallypoint.com
I'm a diehard Jericho fan and I won't rest until the show is back on the air (preferably on a network other than CBS). I'm 41, a writer, editor and political consultant and I live in fabulous Las Vegas.
I just so happen to be married to Rich and am also his business partner. I am the one who begged him to write about the Jericho cancellation from the get-go, and I'm glad I did.
I am a 29 yr old married man from Hackettstown NJ. I am a Client Manager for a Help Desk Company. I travel to places such as India, and Bulgaria with my job.
I live Jericho, but a number of episodes for me were watched on Comcast On Demand due to not being able to watch due to my international travel. I have purchased some nuts and sent some emails!!
Go Jericho Go
Thanks for the great article. I am a 31 year old EMT and mom and I watch Jericho because it's a great show and I'm sick of reality TV. CBS would be nuts, pardon the pun, to not bring Jericho back. I would like to think that they finally realize that the audience is there - we're using the outlets THEY provided to watch the show. The show does make money and the fan base is HUGE. Keep up the good work!
Awesome article. This just goes to show that the Nielsen system is overrated. I work nights and used my dvr every week to watch the show.I live on Long Island and work as a in retail. I'm 34. Nuts To CBS
We are also the people that Quincy Smith are looking for!
http://jerichoboard.cbs.com
/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&
nav=messages&webtag=
CBSMBJericho&tid=11862
David Carless
42, Chemist
Phoenix, AZ
Scott in Austin Texas. VPN\Remote Access Administrator for a State Agency as well as a Veritas NetBackup Administrator. I, like many others have never taken part in a campaign like this. Thanks for all that you have done to help in the fight. Keep filtering those e-mails Leslie...you're lookin at someone who can find a way around them. *evil grin* Seriously though, Jericho was more than just a bunch of bombs going off all over the country...that was the hook to get us in. After the bombs though, Jericho told a very real and personable story about HOW people cope and what their lives would be like. That story is about keeping your humanity, when everything around you says revert to your primal instincts. Jericho asked the question, if it was you and your family, what would you do...what choices would you make and why. Great show, great publicity, send more nuts and make cBS scream uncle...Season TWO of Jericho...nothing else will do.
I am a female, 29 year old student and I live in Washington state. Far from the uber-geek reputation, I spend my free time with my family and volunteering at a pet shelter.
I watched the show live or on my DVR. It was one of the only shows I ever bothered to watch in real time because I was so excited to see what was going to happen next.
I watch a lot of TV and what is different about Jericho is that it show that humanity and morality win if we don't let defeat beat us first. I am a 47 year old college eduacated stay at home mom my husband is a 51 year old business information architect
What a great article - Jericho deserves a second season. I started out as an ad buyer, and never agreed with relying on #'s alone in making buys.
My wife and i are 30 year old DINKs (dual income, no kids). I am a MarCom writer at a university/grad student, my wife is a CPA/grad student. We live in PA. Due to class schedules we often watched on OnDemand.
Male, 31, Artists/Trades Massachusetts
You hit the nail squarely on the head...the viewers have been here all along...The system is such that WE do NOT have a say, a vote, or an identity...CBS did wrong by each and every viewer they have , not just those who watch Jericho. It's time for CBS and the other networks to step down from their high horses and see the big picture...Nielson boxes are no longer enough, the world has changed, and now it's time for the networks to change with it.
Hi Rich :-)
I am so glad to read a new post from you on this topic, it has has become a daily event for me to come here and see what you wrote.
I am a 44 year old female from CA, living in KY for now, I am a Anthropology major, History minor, and my name is Lisa Coultrup.
I am a 54 year old professional grandmother of 2. (ok, I babysit for my peanuts) I waited quite impatiently for Jericho to begin, what little advertising CBS did "had me from the start". My husband and I both love Jericho, watch it every week, and want it back! Three weeks ago, my internet usage involved checking my e-mails and lurking the CBSJericho site. Now, I'm posting, asking questions, calling CBS, writing CBS, etc., along with thousands of people who feel just like I do. Thanks, Jackie
Hey,
Brain Kalinka Here. Great to see you mention me in the article. You were the one who came to me.
I am 16 years old, and am from New Fairfield, Conn., and a am a High School student.
Thanx so much for all your help thus far and 4 spreading the word.
Great article. The people really do need to be heard. The Nielsens also rarely take into account things like online viewers a big contingent to the Jericho fan-base. An important fact that needs to be noted.
Thank you!
BTW, I'm a 28 year old male, a technical director in the live theatre industry, and I live in Illinois. Oh, and when I can't be home to watch on TV I watch the episodes online.
I'm a 39 year professional and mother of a teenager from Denver, CO. I always watched Jericho on my DVR or computer. I've never participated in anything like the Save Jericho campaign before, but I love this show!
As always, a great article! I am a 54 year old Electrical Engineer who migrated to the health-care industry, married with 3 sons. We live in New England. I've watch the show live and with Comcast On Demand, which we got specifically to watch Jericho - before that I had to watch it online. (We usually had church activities on Wednesday nights that keep us from watching live.) I've never protested like this before except for sending in a letter when Joan of Arcadia was canceled. I figured I needed to do more this time because I am fed up with the direction that TV shows are headed.
I, and my family, watched Jericho dedicatedly because of the program's stellar level of quality. There is no other television drama we follow. I also re-watched and continue to re-watch episodes online.
I hope that CBS realizes a decision to bring the show back isn't "giving in to crazed fans", but rather a matter of correcting an error brought about by a lack of accurate data. Had CBS exectuives fully appreicated just how many people were watching Jericho, it would have been renewed in the first place. The ability to acknowledge an error and the flexibility to correct it are strengths, not weaknesses.
We eagerly anticipate Jericho's return, if not for a full second season then as a mid-season replacement.
I'm 38 years of age, self-employed and living in Southern California.
Excellent post Rich, once again.
As for myself, I am a 27-year old nursing student & father of two. Needless to say, I don't have much time on my hands but like many others I made it a point to be @ home every single wednesday to watch JERICHO. Many thanks to you for your articles.
Cheers!
-n
I am a 41 year-old female Realtor in Atlanta. CBS flippantly pulled Jericho based on data collected from obsolete equipment. Those of us who do not find people eating worms entertainment deserve some quality programming and that is Jericho. When a network ignores 10-15 million people, it is an insult. At the end of the day, it is the viewers who line their pockets. I am certain the fans of Jericho will boycott CBS until they are in last place because we are tired of having our favorite shows cancelled with little regard for their viewers. "It's too bad," they say. "I liked it too," they say. Trust me, that does not placate disenfrachised viewers. By the way, another demographic that is pertinent to this entire fiasco is that we watched Jericho on our DVR.
Sarah
I am a 25 year old full-time network engineer/full-time student from Lexington, KY. I watched this show religiously. During times she didn't have class or other obligations my wife also always watched this. We too were there, but not measured. This show is awesome, and I thank you for the great support you have given us. Whether we win or lose, we will have made history and probably changed the television industry forever. Keep up the great work Rangers.
i heard about jericho from my mother-in-law, so i viewed an episode at the cbs website, i became hooked immediately and watch the first 15 or so episodes, then i started using my dvr every week so i wouldn't miss them. i am a 37 year married mother of 2 in cincinnati, oh. i work full time as a nurse. jena
male 40 Computer Tech - Nova Scotia, Canada
Yet another great article for CBS to read.
I am a diehard fan that watched the show "old school" on network television. I even saw the commercials CBS ! :)
Give us our season 2 and don't alienate millions of viewers.
Once again thank you for an excellent article. I am a married mother of 2 who is 29 years old. I work full time as an executive assistant in West Chester, PA. This is the first time I have ever fought to keep a show on the air. This show captured my heart from day 1.
Super article, again.
I am a 34 year old teacher and entrepreneur. I am a Jericho Junkie and a Skeet Ulrich Superfan.
Excellent article as usual. I am 50 years old, a realtor and loan agent in San Jose, CA (Silicon Valley). I was never counted in the viewers because I watched the entire series on-line. I am too busy for much TV but my computer travels with me. Currently I am in Florida and watching Jericho again, on-line. The series brought together a melting pot of talent in its writers, actors, creators, directors and technicians. The story was riveting and that's why I watched it. Jericho is storytelling at its best.
Great article!
BTW I'm Mike, a 40 year old auto mechanic from the Champlain Valley of New York. I watched all but one episode of Jericho on innertube.
Thank you for your thoughtful article. Jericho is a show that I watched regularly on television, but also occasinally online through innertube. It's a quality drama that should not have been dumped as summarily as it was, without warning to the viewers--should not have been cancelled at all, actually.
I'm 34 years old, I live in Ohio, and I work as an administrative assistant at a private therapy/counseling practice.
Rob from The Netherlands, 26 year old male working for the Air Force....oh and BRING THE SHOW BACK ALREADY! Sigh
Demographic: Male, 34, software developer/designer/architect for a top-10 national bank.
My girlfriend and I bought an additional TiVO due to having more than one show in the same time-slot to compound with busy schedules.
When all major networks brought out their new shows for the 2006/2007 season, we recorded as many as we could, and then watched them one-by-one to pick which ones we'd follow. Several didn't make more than two viewings, such as "Vanished."
By the ending credits of the first show, we knew we'd be hooked on "Jericho." It quickly replaced my favorite show (24) which I watched from the very first broadcast of the first season.
I think Jericho falls along the same category as Lost and Sopranos in some regards. My girlfriend and I, after the Jericho cancellation was announced, reflected on the fact that we knew more than 10 characters on the show -by name- and could go into detail on how their characters changed (for better or worse). I sometimes felt I was part of the writer's creative endeavors; characters made decisions consistent with a thoughtful consideration of what would happen if a small town were disconnected from the world during a large-scale attack.
Overall, a great show. Doing my part to help bring it back!
i am 26 and a full time mother from england.
i love jericho it's one of the few things we actually watch from american t.v.
it has a good strong plot which most t.v. seems to lack these days.
i love your posts they make for a very good read.
thank you for the time and care you have put in to this.x.
I am a male age 33. I have a Masters Degree in History from Slippery Rock University and was awarded the Robert D Duncan Award for outstanding scholarship. And I will be attending Pittsburgh Theological Seminary this fall. And yes I live in western PA.
Rick,
Thanks again for writing and giving the SAVE JERICHO campaign more and more exposure! I am female, 42 and self employed, living in KS. I have never fought for any other cancelled TV show, but it's time to stand up and be counted! It's time to bring back more quality TV that the entire family can watch with great interest!
It's more important now than ever to get to the people who do not yet know that Jericho has been cancelled to join the fight and to introduce the show to new viewers!
Over the last week, I've been talking to people about it and many of them said -- Oh..that's the show about the bombs..I wanted to watch that, but I missed the first few episodes and once you miss a first few episodes...of course now they have been given all of the information they need to view JERICHO online for FREE!
Others, said they had never even heard of the show which speaks directly to the fact that CBS did so very little to promote the show to begin with. So, I had the opportunity to tell these people about what a great quality TV program they missed live, but how they too can go and watch online for FREE and they have the information now also!
It's been a few weeks since I've even turned the TV on, let alone watch anything on CBS! Today, I was sorting through my DVR, which is packed and I note that CBS is now running reruns of Cold Case and Without a Trace in their same time slots! They need to find a place in their schedule to run JERICHO again over the summer too! It would just be one more thing we fans of JERICHO would have to promote the show for NEW VIEWERS!!!!
Nice article again. Thank you. I'm Gayle, a 40 year old female from California. I have two jobs for one I'm a Staff Accountant and the other I'm a Sound Engineer.
Rich,
Thank you for your latest post.
We are the real and regular people around the world standing behind the CBS serial drama Jericho. Our voices and opinions matter.
I’m a 44 year old male veteran blessed with a wonderful wife and five children. I have earned two undergraduate and one graduate degree. I’m once again blessed to work in the Information Assurance field earning an annual income over $100,000.
In my opinion, CBS made an excellent decision to bring Jericho to the viewers. In short order, viewers such as I developed a close affinity and identification with Jericho and CBS.
CBS chose to abruptly break the Jericho relationship with its viewers in a manner that caught many including the viewers and others by surprise.
CBS may be able to stick the virtual thumb in my eye by maintaining the status quo regarding the cancellation of Jericho or deliver “closure” by ending Jericho. While CBS may do that one time to me, I will not enable CBS to do it again to me. I will choose to not watch CBS programming and certainly not in any manner that contributes to the CBS-preferred Nielson rating scheme.
Please note that Jericho not only attracted loyal and resourceful fans in the Untied States. Jericho resonates with many real people from around the globe. It is difficult for me to understand how any global business can write-off and ignore their global audience.
Going forward in the global economy with sophisticated digital communications, it will become increasingly unprofitable for businesses to ignore loyal customers.
Just imagine if CBS was as passionate or cared about their viewers as the viewers are about Jericho. If CBS wants to know who these people are, we are here as we have been throughout the first season of Jericho. CBS may engage us directly in thoughtful and meaningful dialog rather than delete posts or censor e-mails from the viewers.
While CBS may deliver a final closure episode or movie, I want continuity on CBS or another willing network.
In any event, I’m off to send more nuts tonight to CBS via http://www.nutsonline.com/jericho for Monday’s mass delivery to the CBS LA office.
Thanks again for your posts, Rich.
Best regards,
Raul
Orange Park, Florida
I'm a Male 36, full time student, disabled veteran and i live in Texas, i fight for the show due to the content and it was just amazing characters that bought the show to life...
Thank you for another spot-on article. CBS is NUTS!
My household watched it on DVR every Thurs. we are
ME =36 MWF Stay at Home Mom
Hubby = 30 MWM Food Service Manager
Roomie = 19 SWM Assistant Manager
All from Dallas TX
Excellent article again! Much thanks. I am A 52 YEAR old female, teacher with a PhD. I live in the first state! I too, have never fought for any show. Jericho symbolizes the very fabric of our free democracy.
I am a 25 year old male. I work in a hospital. I'd justl ike to say excellent article.
CBS wanted an online following for Jericho, they got it, they canceled it. We deserve better and we,re willing to fight to get it.
No more will we settle for multiple versions of the same show just because we actually know we'll get an ending. No more will we settle for every other program being a reality knock off. We will spend our time on e-mails, letters and phone calls instead of watching CBS programming. We will spend our money on NUTS, envelopes and stamps instead of CBS's advertiser's products. We will continue to fight until we are heard.... and things change.
Nice article!
My name is Jim, and i'm a student living in the UK.
I was fortunate enough to catch an advert for Jericho on a little-known UK television channel, and, surely enough, i became hooked!
The way CBS cancelled it was cruel. Let's get this show back on the air!
Excellent article again. I am a 33 year old married woman living in North Carolina. I have a BA in Economics and work in the banking industry. I love Jericho and want it back. Without it, there just isn't much on tv that interests me. Like so many others, I never thought I would be captivated by a show so much that I would devote time and money to bringing it back. This is a first for me. Bring Jericho back!
Rich-
Thank you again for another great article! I am another who has never fought for a show before, however, THIS show was truly a family affair in my house. I usually watched on DVR so my husband and I could watch together as our "date night". My 74 year old mother (who lives with us) is also a "Jericho Junkie". I have a fellow "Junkie" who called me Thursday afternoons to rehash the episodes. It is SO a show worth saving!
I am a 39 y/o female small business owner, my husband is a 45 y/o Unix Admin. We live in Pittsburgh, PA.
I am a 38 year old self-employed female from the Southeast US. I love this show, and am thrilled to see how many other people are speaking out to save Jericho from permanent cancellation. Although I have been involved with other campaigns to save a favorite show from network oblivion, I've never seen as much passion, organization, and dedication as the Jericho fans have -- all of that positive energy speaks volumes about the show that they love, I'd say! Thank you for a great post, and Long Live Jericho!
39 Female Indiana (fly over country) Geriatric Nurse, Mother of 2 teenagers, and Wife.
My family and I would eagerly await Wed. nights in anticipation of Jericho. All and I mean ALL activites were scheduled around, before or after "Our" show was on.
What a very sad and disappointing day it was for myself and my family when we learned that Jericho was no more.
My whole family has joined the fight and continues to help spread the word about Jericho and the campaign to save it! Thanks
Rich, I'm so glad I heard about your blog and have really appreciated everything you've written about the campaign to save "Jericho." It is, indeed, interesting on so many levels, other than just "saving a TV show."
I'm Mary (42)...my husband (43) and I, in the Southeast; both watched the show every week...usually on Wednesday nights (where the heck was OUR Nielsen box, huh?), but sometimes we did TiVO because the technology is available to us. I manage multi-million dollar aircraft support programs and my husband designs high-end kitchens. Both of us have friends and hobbies and activities OTHER than television, so when we DO watch something, you'd better believe it's something worth watching. We simply do not have the time to passively click through channels. "Jericho" was something we both really enjoyed.
I'd like to say something else to CBS or any other network executive reading this...and that is, that all of us who say that we've "never fought for a TV show before" are not making it up. Who would make something like that up? We are just tired of old media ratings gathering making the judgement call on quality television. And, "Jericho" was just sort of the last straw, I guess with a lot of us. And, since so many of us utilized new media technology to watch the show, we also used new media technology to complain about the cancellation. It certainly has been a right place/right time kind of protest, but one I really hope leads a paradigm shift. I'm sure you can see that the fans posting here are a diverse lot, but passionate. We will be just as passionate about PROMOTING the show if it is picked up for Season 2? Don't believe it? I wouldn't say it out loud if I were you...we have proven to be just a little...er...nuts...where this topic is concerned. :)
Rich, thank you for another excellent article. I am a stay-at-home mother, in my mid-30s, and a former editor. I live in Minnesota and have been a faithful fan of Jericho since the first episode. We need a second season!
Rich, good article. I am 40 years old married with 4 kids. I am an insurance company executive.
Due to my job I travel a lot and on many occasions I watched Jericho on demand on comcast cable here in Boston.
I watch the show with my youngest 3 kids. I like the show because the writing and acting is great. Together they have brought to life a small town and people who are interesting and you want to get to know. Jericho is a breath of fresh air in a landscape of reality shows and copy cat shows that the networks pump out. It is a combination family show, action, mystery show with McGuyver thrown in.
I hope CBS sees that it made a mistake and puts it back on for a Second Season.
For the record I usually do not use the internet to view the show or frequent the message boards. I got involved in the campaign because I finally had it with the large networks telling us what we will watch based on their numbers people cost benefit analysis of profitability.
Male 22 from Poland - Europe;] Save Jericho!! This is a great shows that deserves to give it a chance for at least season 2.
I live in Spokane WA and I manage a nightclub, I looked forward to watching Jericho every week and was extremely disappointed that it was canceled it is only one of three primetime shows I watch and the other two are not CBS shows. Jericho was also the only show my whole family watched together.
Nuts To CBS
Rich, thanks again for your time and insight as we campaign to get our show back. I am a 34 year old female clergyperson in coastal NC. I watched Jericho on my DVR often 2 weeks after it aired (on church meeting nights!). I loved the show because it dealt with real questions I see everyday: how do crises bring us closer/separate us? How do our relationships handle trauma? When does our best come out? Under what circumstances are we at our worst.
I have just about had it with reality shows (they are all variations on a theme and I think show us at our worst) and also with getting sucked into a story and being left hanging. Come on, networks: bring us quality tv we can relate to! I don't want to feel superior to whoever's been "eliminated" this week--I want to feel moved, connected.
Great article!!! I have watched Jericho from day 1 and became hooked from the first time I saw Skeet Ulrich and Sprague Grayden make eye contact.(Not to mention the other compelling storylines.) I will tell CBS that their audeince was right here under their nose the entire time, watching and anticpating for the next show. Jericho is indeed a show my "entire" family watched!My 8-year-old daughter started making "Save Jericho"(on her own) posters for our neighborhood, once the show was cancelled and the campaign to bring it back began. She did this because she understood an underlying message that the characters protatayed: No matter what is thrown at you, big or small, you can overcome them "if" you stick "together". Just as the citizens of Jericho did! That is how much my family loved the show. My demogrphic info is as follows: Special Education Teacher, early 40's, married. It is truly sad when the masses have spoken and the networks choose to ignore their voice! We are not "nutty" people we are a family of people who are sticking together so our voices will be heard. This also is a valuable lesson I(we) are teaching the next generation. I guess CBS did not count on that either or that we "their" audeince would ban together to fight so hard for something we believe in. Jerihco..This is "Why We Fight"..Once again thank you for the reports you have written. Die hard Jericho fan...joterri
Your emphasized some great points that are important to this issue. Thanks for your wonderful article!
The cancellation of this program and the position of the network immediately afterwards was the tipping point for a large segment of the viewing public. For too long we have been told "this is what we're offering and you can't do anything about it." Viewers, however, are now realizing that they can do something about it. The options for entertainment and their methods of delivery are more diverse today. We can take our viewer base and our advertising dollars and walk away from poor programming.
This is the first time that I have ever become a part of a movement on behalf of a television show but Jericho was a qulaity show that addressed the humanity in us all. It made us laugh, cry, and think. I watched most of the episodes using the Innertube option offered by CBS. I think it is ironic that CBS developed a network presence for this program then, when we embraced it, discounted our participation on it.
I am a 59 year old female defense attorney practicing in Alabama.
Rich,
I think that once again you hit the nail on the head. Fans are getting tired of networks canceling shows, especially serial dramas, before any sort of closure is made. I'm starting to see this as less of a business decision to more of a violation of my trust as a viewer. I have stopped watching a lot of television because I know that the networks will just pull the rug out from whatever show I invest myself in.
I remember being furious with Fox when they canceled John Doe after an amazing cliff-hanger season finale. Then they did it with Firefly and other networks did it with their shows. It's getting to be almost abusive. Why would a fan want to spend the time it takes to become emotionally invested in a program knowing how networks have been treating us?
Rich,
once again I was impressed by the way you succinctly addressed the issue. I am a 40 yr old Catering Professional (Service) in the Greater Pittsburgh area who also happens to be a determined Jericho fan. I tend to view my Jericho on dvr or online due to time constraints caused by my work, although I have watched several episodes normally.
I am not a crazy person, nor am I stuck to my couch, I am just an average consumer who has found something I enjoy and prefer to the glut of garbage television today and want to have it returned. As an option, Jericho by far outclassed much of the television that was on offer during the week. It has many thought provoking and interesting sub-plots as well as an all around wholesome appeal. Thanks again for the posts you have made in the last 2 and a half weeks, they are always greeted on the cbs boards with much accolades.
it amazes me how so many people so different and so geographically spread could share the same passion for a show to the extent these fans have, one have but one goal bring jericho back
Female, 37, New Zealand
I am a 21 year-old female who graduated from the University of Southern California last month.
I am now an avid fan of Jericho - but up until a week ago, I had not seen a single episode. After hearing all of the justified fan uproar following the cancellation, I decided to check out the episodes online. In less than a week I was hooked, in awe, and finished with the season. I was also dying for more.
I am certainly not alone in this position. The hype that has been generated by the cancellation and subsequent campaigning is sure to draw people in. If the show were given a second season (which is necessary for all of the explaining left to do), CBS- or any network smart enough to pick up Jericho- will find the ratings exponentially higher. The extensive and wonderful media coverage of this has been such amazing free publicity!
Thank you for this article, drawing attention to the campaign and the interesting cross-section of fans participating in it. I have faith!
Hi Rich,
I am a 35 year old homemaker of two from South Carolina and a huge fan of Jericho. Thank you for all the coverage you have given the show. Jericho was a refreshing change from all the reality shows or all the crime shows where we need to figure out who killed the person this week. Of course Jericho started out with a bang (no pun intended) but every episode after that was about hope. Every episode was about survival and as the season went on, we as fans began to feel like we were part of that community and watched fervently every week to see what would take place next. We were all horrified by the cancellation and will hope and fight for it to be brought back.
Rich, thanks for all of your advice and encouragement! You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar, and we all greatly appreciate your efforts. Like many of my fellow "Rangers" I have never before taken part in a campaign of this kind, but Jericho is something on television that's finally worth fighting for. It's not just a show, it's a positive statement about who we are as a society, where we might be headed, and what is really important in this troubled world.
I am a 29-year old graphic designer changing careers to become a college professor of military history. Married, with 5 children ages 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, who watched Jericho as raptly as my wife and I every Wednesday night.
In the immortal words of Jake Green and Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, I say "NUTS!" to CBS! Give us back our show!
Jericho lives!
I would like to say that Jericho is a show you could talk about. You know like the what if or what would I do questions. Not just myself but with my kids also. We would watch and talk about it. We would watch it online(not counted in neilsens.) Save it to DVR. Or watch it on wed. nights at 7pm. This is ourdemographic. Male 47, Female 36, Male 25, Female 21, Female 16, Female 9. We would all watch and be sitting at the edge of our seats. Cbs has done a poor job. Now when Jericho gets great rating when it comes back on, What ya gonna do CBS?
Rich,
Thank you for hitting the nail on the head. My wife and I watched Jericho and looked forward to it each week. I'm 43, my wife is 33, and we are Pharmacist in Binghamton NY.
The save Jericho campaign has gone beyond saving a wonderful show. It's mobilized millions of fans (within hours) to tell the Networks that they need to update the way they count the viewers of their programs, and that those viewers will no longer be told what to watch or when to watch it. Viewers can now "time shift" the programs they watch, whether by DVR, computer, or some other medium.
Jericho is a unique program, that is well written and has a well developed cast. The fans of Jericho have spoken. We want Jericho back for season 2 and beyond.
Thanks for shining a light on this "cause", and your time.
Sincerely,
Gordon Belmore(AIR312)
Thank you for such a nice article that shows Jericho fans in such a postivie light.
Thanks for a great article. I'm female, 50, work in finance department of a nonprofit company that helps homeless and disabled, and live in the Grand Traverse Bay area of Michigan. I watched with husband also 50 and we have 1 child in college. I wouldn't miss watching Jericho. It was the only show that was a must see for me during the week. Loved watching the characters evolve and how the plot would evolve during the season. Can't beleive CBS cancelled such a great show. Nuts to CBS. I don't want another reality show.
Here are the stats for this Jericho fan:
38 years old, full time mom, work part time in husband's company, living in North Carolina, 90% of TV watched on TiVo.
Bring back this show, and re-think how you judge the support any particular show might have. Find a way to hear more voices.
Thanks for this excellent article!
I am female, age 42, a stay-at-home mom (was a scientist before that). I live in the mid-Atlantic area. Love Jericho. Love the fact that it's different from most network shows. Love the characters, the writing, the whole story!
I am a male 42, and watched Jericho faithfully with my 14 year old son - CBS was able to hit two demographics at once! We were both captivated by the mystery of the story and the characters, more interested in seeing how they would overcome all the trials their new world threw at them.
Also, being a Canadian viewer I'm not sure CBS gave to much weight to our viewing habits. However, CBS sold the rights to broadcast in Canada not only once, but twice! Out specialty cable channel SPACE (Much like the Sci-Fi channel down south) also broadcast Jericho on the weekends.
It seems that the local stations had a better idea of what appeals to their market than CBS did.
I'm a 33 year old Canadian, who is a college graduate and works in the computer software industry.
To me, Jericho became part of my holy trinity of shows that I watch. Jericho, Smallville and Heroes (notice the lack of reality T.V.?)
The show is a original, with excellent writing and acting.
Please bring back Jericho for at least Season 2.
Hi Rich--as usual great analysis and food for thought.
As for demographics I am a 49 year old female and a college-educated VP for a media monitoring company based out of Metro Boston. My husband is a 59 year old educational consultant and behavioral psychologist. We live in a suburban community that, I am told, houses a highly coveted demographic for advertisers.
I consider myself relatively technically "savvy" and have been on the internet since the days of the Commodore Amiga and Compuserve. :) I shop, bank, read the news, research and invest online. I also watch broadcast content online. That is what has made the cancellation of Jericho so distressing to me personally--that a show I loved and watched religiously, a program I actually looked forward to viewing I had a likely hand in killing. I have since discovered that my viewing preferences do not count simply because I choose a non-traditional method of viewing the episodes.
Why do I like the program? I have always liked science fiction and it was likely why I moseyed over to watch. But I stuck around because of the performances, the writing, the production values. After somewhat of a rocky start the program has grown from its original premise into a rich character study, a look into the souls of characters faced with a world where everything's changed.
I watch because it shows what I fervently believe is the character and spirit of the America I live in.
And it's Rah-Rah, red-white-and blue, shamelessly heart on its sleeve patriotism is something even a dyed in the wool liberal from Massachusetts can love.
In a word: It gives me hope.
Thanks again Rich.
Thanks so much for your insightful "Jericho" articles.
We live in Ohio. I'm a homemaker and my husband works in the trucking industry. We DVR the majority of our television programs, and there are only a handful of network shows among them.
We've watched "Jericho" from the beginning, always commenting on the quality of the story, the cast and the production.
We have lively discussions after every episode with friends and family across the country, often reviewing episodes on Innertube. CBS needs to pay attention to the internet audience they so wanted--we've been here all along.
I am female, 23, full time student from North Carolina.
Thank you for your continuous support in the Save Jericho Campaign. This is yet another amazing article from you.
I am 33 year old female from the mid-South and I run my own business. I, like many others, have been disappointed at the cancellation of shows in the past, but have never gotten involved in such a "protest" before. Jericho was a breath of fresh air in a world where TV executives seem to think all people care about is reality TV. I like shows that challenge my mind and make me think and Jericho does that. It also has a great group of actors. We are not a bunch of morons with nothing better to do...we are just people who fight for what we believe in.
My name is Peggy O'Connor, I am a 60 year old database admin and web developer, grandmother twice over, huge fan of Jericho (sent nuts, bought T-shirt, sent money to the Kansas tornado fund, posted in various places -- I've never done anything like this -- ever, ever, ever before.) I think this is an important show. I think people need to have hope that in a failed, collapsing society, there will be love, snacks,hope,courage, and beer. We've been told since 9-11 that something terrible might happen. Jericho puts a human face on that possibility, and has struck a deep chord in the American psyche.
Thanks for the article! My husband and I both love Jericho and are really hoping it comes back for a second season. This is the first time I have ever been apart of a save a show campaign. I decided to join the fight because my husband and I watch almost all of our favorite shows on the weekend either online or on our DVR because we work long hours during the week. We are both in reinsurance administration in Florida , early 30's. This is more than just a show being cancelled. It's about showing the networks that people matter, even those who have to record and watch the show on the weekend.
Loved the article as always! I'm Yvonne, age 40, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Analyst, and I live in Virginia. I usually watched Jericho on television at it's usual time, but did watch a couple of episodes via internet during the season.
Hello Rich,
I'm a 44 year old female sales rep in Massachusetts and I have never done anything to try to save a television show before.
Thank you for your attention to us Jericho fans. Jericho was the best program to come along in years. I do not tune into reality television, game shows and I'm finding all the "cop" shows to be so repetitve I'm growing tired of those as well.
Jericho was so different, in addition to the action packed drama, this show was about people coming together and helping each other during the worst possible senario, it made us feel very patriotic, made us laugh, made us cry, made us THINK and taught us that no matter what, if we stick together we can try and overcome anything. Oh but I could go on and on about Jericho.
Like many, our schedule did not allow us to watch in the conventional way, we watched most episodes via my on-demand cable provider.
This has gone above saving a show that we all loved. This is also about saving quality programming, programming we could watch with the whole family.
Thanks for your time!
I am a 41yr Regitered Nurse from Philadelphia. I watch Jericho each week with my family. It opens up channels of conversations with my teens. I will fight to have our voices heard that Jericho is the kind of TV show we want not the mindless reality shows offered. Thanks for bringing attention to Jericho and what the people want.
Thank you for the great article! I am female, 50 years old & live in west central Illinois. I am manager of a HVAC-PLBG-ELEC sales, service & installation corporation. I would always watch Jericho live because I couldn't wait for it to come on each week. But, I also watched repeatedly on Innertube and bought each episode from iTunes. I had never posted to a message board before, but since the cancellation, I have been involved in that, emailing, snail-mailing, calling and sending nuts to CBS! There's something about this show that gives you a good feeling when you watch - can't wait to find out what's going to happen, how each character evolves with the different situations they are thrown into, and you really care about the characters. Please bring it back!!
Pat
Thank you for another wonderful article. You are right . we were here .. on the internet, watching from CBS's Jericho site, watching on our TIVO, watching on ComCast On Demand - we are the faithful fans but, alas, we are also the hidden fans. We do not belong to Nielson - but we should none-the-less be counted. We appreciate shows that make us think, that keep us on the edge of our seats, that cause us to have discussion, and even bring about a few tears.
We are not into Reality shows, for most of us our lives are reality enough - we like Jericho because of all it offers us - fine acting, great mysterys, and a show we can watch with our family. Our question now is why does none of this matter to CBS?
Wendy (& family)
female, 45, Pediatric Therapist, East Coast USA.
male, 50, Landscaper
male, 7th grade,
male, 2nd grade
PS This is also the first show I have ever cared enough about to fight for ..
Thank you so much for your support. Jericho is the best television drama that I have seen. It is well written, acted and executed. I appreciate the idealism of the program, and it is just entertaining. I watch little network television and am able watch Jericho only because it is available online. I was simply outraged when it was canceled to make room for fluff. I am a lawyer, wife and mother of 2 in upstate NY.
Thank you so much for your support.
Another wonderful article Rich. I am a 46 year-old single female living in New York City. I work at a major investment bank in the strategy and analysis group. For me, Jericho was an escape to the ordinary hassles of life. I would try to watch the show live every week, but with the nature of the Investment Banking business, there were many times that I did not get home in time. In those instances I would watch the recorded episode from my DVR. I also purchased the entire season on iTunes so that I could re-watch episodes on my daily commute to and from work. This show deserves a second chance and I hope that CBS can see that.
Rich -
I am a 51 year-old part-time grocery store cashier living in Aurora, IL. I am on SS Disability w/ MS - working part-time only for the health insurance and food. I hate to admit it, but I am a television and computer junkie! Jericho was on my scheduled DVR recordings every week, so that I could watch it without interruption.
Jericho is a quality program cast aside. We want it back on CBS – If a full season is not possible, then as a mid-season replacement. This must be the message not only to CBS, but distributed in ALL the media coverage we get. The story isn’t the NUTS. It was never the nuts. It’s the message. Why are we shipping tons of nuts around the country – We want CBS to hear us, listen to us, and save our quality show – Jericho.
Thanks for the great article, Rich! It's nice to know that you are on our side!
I am a 46 year old business owner, my husband is a 43 year old professional and we have a 15 year old daughter, all who watched every week. We watched live and on our "On Demand" service through our cable provider. We are educated, affluent and exactly the folks that advertisers drool over. No, we're not a Nielsen's family. We weren't counted. But I promise any network exec who might be reading this, we watched and we bought your sponsor's products. Shame on you for not holding us dearer to your heart. I'm sure another network will be happy to take your place.
Hey Rich;
What can I say, another insightful, almost prophetic blog (as most of your Jericho fare has been)...and as far as the prediction that we'll "win"....all that I can say is, "from your mouth, to God's ears".
My name is Tom, I am a 46 yo former cop who does a little freelance writing, and owns a wholesale flower business in College Point, N.Y. (Queens). I am an avid TV viewer, but, unlike many of my ranger compatriots, I look at our campaign as more than just a historical effort to save a television show - frankly, I am pretty fed up wilth all of the major networks, and have been for some time. Our business seems to mean little, or nothing, to the empty suits making the decisions about programming.....and when we dare to question a cancellation, as with Jericho, we typically get a condescending little snippet of hate mail, such as was authored by Nina Tassler, and later reinforced by clue-LES, that essentially it is we, the viewers, who are to blame for the cancellation. How typical these days...and how annoying! I have been trying to mobilize people on various forums to draw a line in the sand, wait for the proper catalyst....and strike back. Well, it seems that I was far from alone, in those sentiments. So we struck back, and struck hard.....and all of the fumbling, bumbling, and lack of respect from the suits just fired us all up more, and caused us to redouble our efforts. It's like any historical revolution, wherein the vanquished goliath is left scratching its head, and muttering, "what the hell happened??".
Or as you so aptly put it, Rich, " Who are these people??"
Great article. I'm also a Jericho fan and have been writing, calling, sending nuts, etc. in support of our campaign to reinstate Jericho. CBS needs to start listening to their viewers. I'm amazed at the response and your right that this shows has mass appeal and doesn't necessarily fit one type of person. You can't stereotype Jericho fans. I'm from Louisville, KY, 40 years of age. NUTS to CBS!
Great Article!
I'm a 30 year old parent, student, and business owner from Florida. I watch Jericho with my husband(31) and daughter(10).We love this show because it is well written,and has a great cast. We were tired of watching reality shows and our other favorite shows were getting boring because each "new" episode was just a remake of another with different character names. Jericho is something new and different from other shows and episode plots have sparked many discussions between us. We are all fighting for the show that we love so much!
I appreciate the attention you have paid to the campaign to save Jericho. I'm a 36 year old social worker in the Pacific Northwest. I have found Jericho to be though compelling and engaging. It has spurred discussion between parents and children, friends, coworekrs on things as varied as character development to what people would do if they were really faced with the issue. It is a show that family members can watch together. It was both superbly written and acted. Unfortunately it suffered greatly from poor promotion and scheduling. CBS put it on hiatus for 12 weeks with barely a hint of promotion and brought it back to face the ratings juggernaut of American Idol, a show that consistently crushes all its competetion. An yet, it continued to consistently finish second in its timeslot. CBS says the viewership declined. Well, given the above, of course it did. However, they did not take into consideration the online presence that they, themselves created. Alot of people were viewing episodes online and downloading them from iTunes. They were hoping for a younger demographic than Nielsen was reporting, and yet, ignored the fact that they younger demo that they were so hungry for, were the web savvy users of the internet community created by CBS. The failing of this show was the network's not the program's/
Thank you for another great article, and for continuing to chronicle and analyze this movement.
I am 36, male, and a Ph.D. physicist in Maryland. My wife (34 y.o.) and I watched every episode of Jericho. We watched it on our DVR because of our schedules.
I've never participated in a campaign to save a TV show, even though it seems like every year a new show I like is cancelled. But Jericho is a truly unique program with top notch writing and acting, and I would hate to see such a quality product taken off the air when it hasn't been given a fair chance. CBS, please find a way to bring Jericho back!
Thanks for this geat article and giving us a chance to identify ourselves.
I am a 38 year old single mom. I am a Title Co. Abstractor and live in Texas.
I watched Jericho at first because an actor enjoyed watching in the past was in it.
I continued watching because it made you think. Most shows go off the air after an hour and your done. Not Jericho. Days afterward you would be going about your daily business and see something that would make you stop think,'What if we lived in Jericho times'. As a parent that thought alone will make you just stop and think.
Add to the facination of the great storyline, that Jericho had the best acting that I have ever seen on the small and big screens.
This show is exciting and entertaining. It deserves a second season and more.
As for the people behind this campaign, we came together because of a common like for this show. Then we discovered and became friends and those friends include the cast and crew that gave us Jericho. We want to be heard and we want to give the cast and crew their fun job back. They deserve it.
Lindamae7, Texas
Great article. I really enjoy reading what you have to say.
I'm a 51-year-old college-educated graphic artist, female, who lives in Kentucky. My 48-year-old husband and 17-year-old daughter religiously watched Jericho with me every week. I also accessed the website for sneak peeks, episode commentaries, and the forum.
I am a mother of 3 teenage boys. we watched Jericho every week, when it was over we would discuss what happened and if that would be how we would have handled a certain situation. PLEASE bring back our show! will stop at nothing short of a second season!! Nuts to CBS!!
Male-32-Kentucky-Sales and farming.
This was a nice article once again!
39 year old, college educated Managing Director of a non-profit multi-arts center.
I care about this show not only because of the well written, well acted characters, but because of what this show can teach everyone about human nature when faced with the struggle to survive under extreme circumstances. While we have not yet faced this sort of struggle on our own soil we must be aware of the fact that some day the same scenarios played out each week in Jericho could take place in a real town in a real state in the United States.
I am a 26 year old with a 6 year old son. My husband is the one who found Jericho on the internet. I am in administration in the healthcare field. My husband is an insurance adjuster. We live in Gainesville, FL.
We like Jericho because the story line is so different that anything that has ever been on the air. It shows the depth of how good we as humans CAN be. How we should work together to overcome our problems. It shows us how connected we really are in the face of tragedy.
Thank you very much for asking who we are. That is a considerate thing to do.
I am a 42 year old secretary and my husband is a 48 year old high school teacher. We started watching Jericho and were caught up with the stories of the families that make up Jericho. Thank you for writing this article!
I have never fought to have a show brought back from cancellation before, but this show is worth my time and effort! Please bring back the best show ever -- Jericho!
Rich,
Thanks for the wonderful article. I'm 39, a librarian, and I live in Boston.
Jericho is the best show I've seen in a long time, it brought me back to network television. I never missed one episode, I watched religiously every Wednesday at 8pm, but I don't have a Nielsen box, so I'm not counted.
I fight because I love this show, and because I'm tired of the networks telling me what to watch. It's time they took notice of the fans and listened to what we want for a change.
My name is Lori. I'm a 25 year old single mother of two from Middle TN. I am a full time college student pursuing a degree in computer science and I own a business that specializes in creating DVD slide shows.
I liked Jericho because of the realism that it provided- if a nuclear attack were to ever happen on US soil. It was interesting to see what might happen in small town USA, without the aid of the government and what the residents have to do to survive. I also liked that CBS provided a platform to watch the show online- it made it convenient when I could not catch the show at it's regular timeslot.
Thank you for the great article-which really says it all.
The fans of Jericho used all the options for viewing tha CBS provided us-as their "experiment"-and then when we used those alternate viewing sources, we were penalized for it by having our show cancelled. Look at the CBS message board-there are fans from literally every continent represented there-some watching on their local stations, some downloading via I*Tunes or other sources, some watching on videos sent them by family in the States.
We represent every facet of society. Rich, poor, young, old, unemployed, students, full-timers, etc. You name it & you can find someone who is a fan.
We're fans because the show is smart. It's stellar cast, writers & crew created a town we-no matter our background-could relate to as our own. It's citizens were as flawed and as noble as any one of us are. Jericho made us think-"What if?" "What would I do if this happened-who would I become?"
Jericho's fans became a family because the show brought home the fact that we ARE a family. Race, creed, nationality doesn't matter. What matters is what you do when everything falls apart and you need to start over.
CBS-what will you do?
Thank you, what an awesome article. I'm a 58 year old operating room manager living in Arizona. I for one have grown tired of CSI (isn't 3 enough?), for the most part the medically shows are a real joke-I've lived better drama than you protray. With Jericho, now this was different, endless possiblities. We are your consumers, and NUTS to CBS,there are other networks.
Hi Mary from Michigan. 43, Mother of 3 ,I work 40 hrs outside the home as an optician and Jericho night is my night of RR. Jericho made the best night of RR. My daughter and I watched it together( at different house) and only called each other during commercials. It was the best thing ever, the best show on tv since I don't know when . Please we need our Jericho.
Thank you so much for giving us positive recognition, and letting the world know that we are not "nuts", just normal people who happen to be very passionate about a beloved television show that has so much to say to so many people. I have never been an avid TV watcher, in fact really do have much interest in anything on television now or in the past, but Jericho caught my attention. It presented a wonderful message, was superbly written, presented and acted, and produced a thought provoking yet family friendly subject matter, really a show worth fighting for. I hope CBS will reconsider its decision and give it another shot at season 2, this time with proper advertising, promotions, and in a time slot where it can flourish. I really feel that with all the free publicity to CBS for the last two weeks, if Jericho is given a chance CBS will be pleasantly surprised at its success, even in the dinosaur Nielsen ratings system.
I am a 41-year-old Caucasian male, married with two children, employed as a software developer for a high-profile project. I am active in my church and I am an adult volunteer in a nationally-known youth service organization.
I have never been involved in a fan protest like this before, but I was on the phone to CBS/NY on May 16 to complain about the cancellation just as the Save Jericho movement was beginning to get organized. I had only lurked occasionally on the message boards before then, but I signed up that day to make my voice heard.
Jericho is compelling drama. It's the only show that I actually cared about following. I really want to see the story unfold as the producers and writers intended. CBS, please bring back Jericho for Season Two!
Thanks for continuing to follow this story.
I'm a 35-year-old mother and freelance writer in Illinois. The kid and I watched Jericho in real time every single week, and then I usually caught it a second time with my husband, a 34-year-old sous chef, the next day on Innertube. (Neilson apparently thinks second-shift workers don't exist.)
Jericho was one of the only shows we could all agree on and made a point to see and discuss every week. Now we're off CBS permanently until it comes back.
Who am I? I am 41 year-old healthcare professional, mother of five, and a very busy woman. I like the fact that I can make up my own TV schedule through all the outlets now offered to viewers. What I don't like is being told that I don't matter because I didn't watch JERICHO the way they wanted me to. If that is so, why give us the other options. I am a viewer, I am a consumer, and I am tired of being told, by networks that are supposedly in the business of entertaining the public, that I don't matter.
I am a 37 year old, married female with 2 children. I am a full-time paralegal in Honolulu, Hawaii. My 37 year old husband is a network engineer in the Air Force. We watched every single episode of Jericho during the season. We DVR'd them, rather than watched them live, because of the time difference. I have never fought for anything before (I am a "don't make waves" kind of person), but I am sure trying to make some waves now. Jericho is the best show I have ever seen. During every single episode I turned to my husband at least once and said "god, I LOVE this show!" Then CBS took it away. I cannot tolerate reality shows, talent contests or game shows. Jericho was original, entertaining, and thought provoking. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE MILLIONS OF FANS, BRING BACK JERICHO.
I am an 18-year-old male high school student (senior, soon to be college freshman) From who watches a lot of TV. And when I say a lot, I mean at least about 24 hours per week, which includes live, Comcast OnDemand, online, and downloads.
Being so new to the 18-49 demographic, the group that is so desperately needed in ratings, I hold a lot of power given the amount of TV I watch.
I will give almost every show out there a chance (mostly because I am constantly watching so much TV that I am starting to run out of airing shows), and knew that when Jericho came out it would be something. With the amount of TV I watch, I can tell when something will be good...and CBS had something good. It took me no time to put it up on my list of top 5 shows (a hard feat to manage when I have over a 100 favorites).
To be honest, about 90% of the TV I watch is either online or downloaded. Jericho was that one show I watched entirely on Comcast OnDemand. I was never counted, but I was there, EVERY Thurday afternoon as soon as I got home from school. I could have spent my time doing a plethora of other things (including homework), but no...you had me.
CBS, do you REALLY care? If so, remember the voiceless viewers. Just because we weren't counted because our hands weren't raised high enough to be seen amongst the shouting throngs, doesn't mean we weren't there, trying...to make ourselves heard.
~ Nicholas
I am female, 51, Accountant from Oklahoma. I usually watched real time but bought a DVR just to make sure that I would not miss an episode of Jericho. I join with like minded people to protest the cancellation of one of the few thought provoking and worth while shows left on network television. FYI: I have never protested the cancellation of a series before BUT I too am tired of investing in a series only to have it summarily canceled. Especially because of an antiquated ratings system.
I am female, 42 years old and a business systems consultant from Apple Valley, Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul suburb). I have never fought to save a TV show after it was cancelled, but this quality show was one of the best on TV. It was a "must-see" show for me - I always stayed home on Wednesdays to watch.
"Jericho" was a breath of fresh air, something different from the all reality shows and various iterations of procedural dramas that currently clog network television.
CBS, do the right thing and renew "Jericho" for a second season!
Using my husband's account to post! Thanks for all the great articles on the campaign. We are REAL people and aren't NUTS! Just like sending them :-) I am a 38 year old mother of three. I have an MBA and I am a Collections Manager and bookkeeper. My husband and I anxiously looked forward to each episode of Jericho (which is unusual for my husband to get into a show - so this was great for us to share together!). We always watched it on our DVR, as we had other committments with the kids on Wed. night. My father-in-law was also a fan, and we enjoyed sharing our theories on what was coming next. It was thought provoking and entertaining - -which is a rarity these days! We are all shocked that CBS did not have the foresight with this show, and give it the opportunity it deserved to develop. Hopefully they will see the error of their ways, and give this show a new life -- SECOND SEASON!
Thank you for the article.
I'm 38, and a single mother. I work full time as an accounting clerk in a hotel mamagement company. I'm proud to call Cincinnati, Ohio my home. I watched every episode of Jericho on television.
Thank you for such an insightful article. I'm a single mom n my mid 40's who works full time in a manufacturing plant in Massachusetts. My family and I have sat down together every Wednesday night to watch Jericho, a rare thing in my house, but we did this EVERY WED NIGHT without fail. I've never fought to keep a show on before this. Jericho is special. It's a wonderful, thoughtful show in a sea of "reality" shows. It's different, unique. Sadly, CBS showed how much they care about quality programming by not advertising Jericho when it was on, by not running reruns of the show, and putting it on a THREE MONTH hiatus on top of it. On top of all of that, they don't bother taking into account the huge numbers of people who recorded the show for later viewing via TIVO and DVR and watched on Comcast's ON-Demand nor did they bother to take into account the numbers who watch the show online, an ability that CBS ITSELF encouraged and made readily available.
Mine is not a neilson family so I suppose according to Mr. Les Moonves we don't count. He even admitted to having his emails filtered so he doesn't have to see the fan emails about Jericho. That's sad, because apparently the fact that my family and I are among the millions that love a fantastic show don't matter to him, or seems not to. CBS cares? Apparently not. If CBS cares, they need to show it by bringing a fantastic high quality show back and ease up on the dumbing down of the audiences of this country with such reality shows as Kid Nation and Survivor among others. Until they do, I will continue blocking CBS from my television.
If CBS cares, why don't they seem to be listening? Maybe they love nuts?
Following this blog has been every bit as interesting as being part of the campaign! Thanks for the insightful writing.
I am a married 39 yo SAHM to 2 boys under 10 (soon to be a part-time substitute teacher). I hail from Jericho country--rural Kansas. I watched primarily on DVR (DirecTV) because my kids were going to bed during the show, but I had to use Innertube to catch 2 episodes before I started recording. Because I wasn't sure about the whole idea of the show at first. I didn't want to watch a weekly remake of The Day After. Wow, was I surprised at what Jericho really was!
Thank you, Rich.
You've been writing some incredible articles about our campaign and I have loved reading them!
I am a 39 yr old female from Las Vegas and watched Jericho with my mom (age 65) every week. With differing work schedules, we are only able to watch shows together on Tues, Wed and Sat. We actually had become hooked on Bones last year, so when Jericho first started we DVR'd it and watched Bones. However after a couple of episodes THAT changed!
We became so caught up in the story of this town pulling together and trying to survive with their humanity intact after a disaster occurred, we had to watch it every Wednesday in real time (Bones got the DVR treatment). Jericho had so many wonderful characters and storylines, and the actors did such incredible jobs portraying them, that we couldn't wait to see what happened next. We were all set for a 2nd season when CBS dropped its own bomb and cancelled it!
I have been disappointed before when series were cancelled (Firefly, Angel and Everwood for example), but never participated in a Save the Show campaign before - and mom had not either. But this show brought us together to fight, and we will continue to do so until CBS or another network pick it up for another season. This show is well worth it.
Thank you very much for paying attention to our fight, once again.
I am a married woman who turned 50 during the hiatus. I live in the mountains west of Denver and work as an Escrow Officer (professional paper pusher). I started watching Jericho only because my husband thought it was interesting. By the second episode, I was totally hooked. "Is it Wednesday, yet?" became our mantra. Nothing was allowed to interrupt our Jericho time.
I became a huge poster on the CBS forums and have made many great friends because of this show. I actually have written my first fan fiction, thanks to help from the same Clarke mentioned in your article. That is something I never dreamed I would do.
I have called, emailed, I have written letters, postcards and sent multiple orders of nuts. Jericho is that rare type of show that grabs you, draws you in and won't let go.
Thanks for covering our struggle.
I'm a male, 32, Canadian Forces member from Victoria British Columbia Canada.
I've been so busy with training and moving my family from one end of Canada to the other (St John's Newfoundland to Victoria BC). I haven't had much time for tv, and what's been offered on tv over the last few years (ever since Survivor and other shows of that nature) made me shy away from prime time programming.
I only started watching the series this year, after a friend of mine told me an episode he saw that caught his eye. I watched the following week, and I was hooked too.
Its programming like this that's been missing from tv. I can't understand why CBS cancelled the show.
Being from Canada, I can't watch the show online, and I'm sure everyone not living in the US are in the same boat as I am. There are fans of Jericho around the world, and we're all making our voices heard.
I don't have much time with all the training I'm involved with at the moment, but I'll set some time aside in order to save Jericho, because it's worth it!
Hey there, thanks for your sharing your thoughts!
I am a huge Jericho fan. Female, age 35. I am one of the regular network TV viewers who far prefers a quality scripted work to 'reality' shows. Jericho is great writing and great acting. To me, this program provided an wonderful theme of ordinary people faced with extraordiary circumstances. For example: Gail Green calmly yet clearly expressed her distaste for Eric's marital situation; Hawkins tried to rebuild his relationships with his wife and kids; and Dale tried to deal with very "normal" teen angst in the midst of running his own store. All the day-to-day issues still plaqued these survivors.
Great article. I am 42 years old, female, llive in Tulsa, OK and work as a Veterinary Technician.
Jericho's viewers aren't cubicle working, 9-5 business people. We're working class people, much like Jericho's citizens, that work all hours of the day and night, sometimes more than one job, in order to make ends meet.
You provided a way for us to "have our cake and eat it too" by allowing us alternative viewing methods. Those of us that could not be home by 8pm every Wednesday night knew that we still wouldn't miss an episode because CBS allowed us to watch Jericho online! How cool was it to have a network understand its viewers?
Apparently I was mistaken. Even though CBS had set up an elaborate online presence, those who took advantage of this weren't considered real viewers. And here, I always thought my viewership, as well as sponsorship, was just as good as those who could afford to be home at 8pm.
Jericho let us think.. let us dream.. let us hope once again. Watching the citizens of Jericho rise above impossible odds against them was like watching the American spirit soar. It's not "just a t.v. show". The citizens of Jericho went beyond citizens in a television series. Each character symbolized America. We could all watch and relate.
Television that tugs and captures the heart does not exist anymore.
If you truly believe we are welcoming a second "Golden Age" of television, then you need to understand that an online presence is going to factor in heavily. You can no longer rely solely on Nielsen ratings as your guide. If you create an online medium, don't be surprised when your viewers use that medium instead of the more "old fashioned" way of couch + tv set.
I'm not tech-savvy. But I did enjoy the opportunity I was given to still be able to watch my favorite television show even though my life conflicted with your programming schedule. Now I'm just sad that CBS didn't give the rest of us a chance.
Melissa Spencer
Jacksonville, FL
32, Caucasian Married Mother of 2
I am Scott K. 36, restaurant manager, from Rochester, NY. I watched Jericho live when I was not working on Wednesday nights. On Weds nights that I worked I recorded Jericho on dvr and watched it as soon as I got home.
This show is a quality program with excellent writing and acting. I did not miss an episode and looked forward to it every week as it quickly became my favorite show. I am fighting for Jericho because it is a great show!!!! When season 2 is picked up I will encourage everyone I know to watch it, as well as past episodes on the internet. SAVE JERICHO!!!! Thank you
I’m a 51-year old white male systems integrator who loved the show. I especially liked the second half which concentrated more on the battle between New Bern and Jericho. I found the last few episodes to be so exciting and interesting that I watched them “live” without waiting for my DVR. Also, I have several friends in the same business ranging in age from 30 to 51 who also love the show. So bring it back!
Great article,
I'm a die hard Jericho fan, hooked after the first episode. I'm a mid 40's male from Western North Carolina in the wellness industry. Not only am I a fan but my sisters entire family of 6 watched every single week, my mother, almost 70, taped it for viewing at her convenience. I myself not only watched online at CBS, but have also downloaded the season through Itunes, and will be purchasing the DVD set when it is out. This show is the ONLY network show I watch on a regular basis. CBS needs to do the right thing and give it a season two.
Thanks, Rich, for a typically fine article. And thanks to you, too, Kim for pushing the story like a true Jericho Ranger!
As usual, you have correctly assessed that the campaign to save Jericho has burgeoned into something far greater for many who are involved -- a movement for disenfranchised TV viewers to be heard by TV execs stuck firmly in the 20th century. But I'll confine my comments to Jericho.
I have an Engineering degree and I own a small construction business. I'm the only other 60-yr-old thus far to post to your blog. Curiously, this makes me more of a typical CBS viewer than a Jericho viewer, judging from all of the comments that have been made on this blog and on the WSJ article. I wonder if CBS had previously been aware that they had so successfully reached the demographic that they had coveted? Perhaps another reason for the surprise cancellation -- cheap market research!
I've never before gotten into a protest over a TV show's cancellation. I've been dismayed by many of them. IMO, Jericho wasn't the only good series cancelled by CBS this season. "The Class" at least got 19 episodes; "Smith" and "3 Lbs." only got three apiece. Other networks' series that were prematurely axed were "Kidnapped", "Vanished", "The Nine", and "Justice". The last was the only one I watched after recording because it was episodic, not serialized. I learned after last season's "Reunion" not to get invested in a show that may not have a complete resolution.
Why was Jericho so special? It had the unusual ability to be compelling, entertaining, and disturbing at the same time. The idea that the way of life so strongly desired by the rest of the world could suddenly be ended by a consortium of hatred was no longer unthinkable, but plausible. There were probably too many characters at the beginning, but they were interesting. (As the season progressed, the writers eliminated ten characters we knew by name, not counting Heather, who returned in the finale.) And even though Jericho had its flaws -- dangling character destinies, an unrealistically imposed isolation from the rest of the remnants of America, technical and technological gaffes, and overly soapy plotlines -- it kept me coming back every week.
Living in rural Western PA in an area without cable, I rely on my trusty antennae to bring in my TV signals. I must admit that I didn't watch the first half of the season until the ill-fated hiatus, but by then, CBS had greenlighted a full season. Thus, I had the advantage of other latecomers of being able to watch the first 11 episodes in a marathon. When it returned in February, it became old-fashioned appointment TV -- I watched every episode as it was being broadcast. Each new episode was eagerly anticipated, the final six being the series' best. Then came one of TV's all-time memorable cliffhangers with the promise of a second season having been confirmed by the producers.
Could it be that the cancellation announcement was a calculated move that CBS knew would generate publicity that they could never buy? Or was this just dumb luck that they can now capitalize on to their advantage? We'll soon know. And thanks to you, this campaign has been given another boost.
Great article, Rich. I'm 37, male, and an aspiring entrepreneur from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
I must admit the first time I heard about Jericho I thought it was going to be something like the Day After or maybe even Mad Max. This sounded like a show that should have been on during the 80's when there was a real threat of nuclear attack from the Soviets.
But after watching the first episode, I realized it was more about the town and the people in it as opposed to the attacks. The situation seemed to bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. In viewing the other episodes it became clear Jericho had a clear vision of where it wanted to go and before I knew it, I found myself going along for the ride.
During the season, I would either tape Jericho or watch it on the two channels that carry the show here. Being a Canadian viewer, I probably wasn't counted in the "numbers" that CBS says weren't high enough to renew the show.
In any case, I'm committed to getting Jericho back on the air for season two!
Thanks for your comments, Rich. Jericho was simply my favorite show this season. It was the only one that kept me enthralled and excited every week.
I'm a 35-year-old female, a former media buyer, and live in Atlanta.
Thanks Rich for giving us chance to chime in with our Jericho stories.
My Jericho story. I did not find Jericho right away. I had knee surgery, that didn't go so well. I was well into my 8th month of healing but still have bad time of things. I had to move to Denver and well if you all remember the 30 plus inch snow storm of this last winter that hit Denver. I was pretty much stuck in my house for good 2 months. I couldn't risk getting out and falling, my knee was not stable and last thing I needed was to fall and re injure it again. So I was stuck, I was still able to work, as I do freelance graphic design, in both print and digital media. But you can only work for so long in day. One day I found after day of my graphics work, and cabin fever setting in my on-demand channel. I watch some previews, and saw something about this show called Jericho. It looked interesting so watched. It hooked me from episode one! I found myself unable to not keep watching. I kept saying only one more....only one more...I watched all of the episodes strait through. It was still 3 weeks before it's return to primetime after the mid-season break. I could hardly wait for more! I've watched it since though always on line because I can fit it in to my often long hours of work.
I was inspired by it, provoked me to thought, it filled me up with hope. It was specially valuable when I was trapped in house with bad knee. Jericho was my escape! I want this back is it any wonder.
A Country Lady now living in Kansas City, age 32, who misses her Jericho.
I am a 51 year old married photo lab technician with a college degree. I live in Indiana. I was hooked on Jericho when I first saw the ads and never missed an episode. Until Jericho my wife and I rarely watched TV and so I am one of those who will never be counted by the out-dated nielsen system as we use a good old-fashioned roof antenna! But we would consider getting a decent system if Jericho came back. It was that good! On Wednesday nights people knew not to even call us because we were watching Jericho and it amazed our friends so much that we were actually watching TV that many of them tuned into Jericho just to see what could get us to change our minds! They too became fans of the show.
Never been one to even look at a show's fansite before but I did with Jericho and now I'm in the fight to save it. We want Jericho renewed!!
I am male, 24 years of age from Kentucky. I am an entry level account admin for Novell, Active Directory and Lotus Notes. Jericho is seriously the ONLY show I have watched, and been attached to since I first saw Band of Brothers. Jericho is one of 3 movies or series that has actually made me care about the characters. The last episode especially. Having been put up against American Idol I rarely got to watch the show live, I do not have DVR technology in my home. I typically "lost" control of the remote during the time slot for another show which I can barely tolerate. I viewed the show almost exclusively on innertube, and was deeply saddened when I heard of the cancellation.
Ever since the first episode I knew this show was something special. Especially once this movement has started, the actors, writers and producers really seem to care about the show and about their customers (us!). Read that line again CBS...
NUTS to CBS.
Hi Rich !
Good article,well done ,but You missing a lot of show dedicated fans,whom are out of USA.
I'm,for example is a resident of Israel,32,collage educated,married ,with baby daughter .
Thank you for the great article!
I am 31 year old attorney currently residing in NC (but have lived all over the US, and formerly in Los Angeles). While I don't claim southern heritage, it is incredibly refreshing to breathe something other than pure corporate air for a change..and speaking of which, CBS would do well to remove their head from the corporate clouds and take a more holistic view of the reality that is TV viewership in 2007 and beyond (and considering they promoted so much of the alternate media sources for viewing/being involved with Jericho, it would be rather hypocritcal of them not to).
There's little that can be said about Jericho that hasn't already been said so well by so many loyal, dedicated fans. But I'll say it anyway - I'm addicted to Heroes, trying to break the Lost addiction, and yet no show has ever moved me, compelled me, challenged me, intrigued me, etc., in quite the same amazing way as Jericho has... it may be a rough diamond in some respects, but a diamond it is. And kudos (not nuts, mind you!) to a cast who truly makes me believe!
Hello again, Rich!
Thanks for all these articles you've been putting out, and all the advice you've given us.
I'm eighteen years old, living in British Columbia, and I'm set to graduate high school in just two weeks. After that, it's on to secondary education.
Jericho surprised me, actually, in that it was the only program which I would begin watching only to find that both of my brothers (ages fourteen and eleven, and neither of whom share many interests with me) had come downstairs to watch with me. We were all downcast by news of the cancellation. Since, I've tried my best to help the Ranger effort, and have spread the word, too.
Anyways, I'm rambling. Sorry!
Thanks again for all you've done,
Nick
Thank-you Rich for all of your wonderful articles. I am a 45 year old woman from the Pacific Northwest who works in state government. I'married with two teenage children and we all watched the show together - a rarity in today's TV climate! This show is more than a simple hour long respite from reality (gotta "love" reality shows - NOT!), it is intellegent and thought provoking. Without a show like Jericho, there really isn't much worth watching anymore. Thanks again for all your help in this fight!
Great article Rich, thanks. I'm a 41 year old Software Engineer in Beaverton, Oregon. I'm certainly not a "tv junkie" and never would have imagined myself involved in a fight to save a show. But this was quality programming, something the networks are sorely lacking these days. It was very upsetting after finding a show that was actually worth my time to tune in every week, only to have it ripped away in favor of plans to add more ridiculous "reality" programming to the schedule.
Thank you for the heartfelt article. I am a 60 year old female, real estate investor from southern California and I have loved Jericho from the first minute and will not ever give up this fight. The show did not deserve the cancellation and neither do the fans. CBS was wrong and we are her to right that wrong....simple as that.
Jericho is the only show that I watched every week. I have lived outside the States for 10 years for various reasons; currently, I live in South Korea. For this reason I do not see Jericho through 'normal' TV. I have had to download it off of iTunes; it is the only show that I have done this too.
I graduated with History and Applied Ling. Right now I am a teacher. I am 27 years old. And I WILL be back in time for fall ratings.
Beth
I am a 51-year-old female in North Carolina. I have a home-based business, helping court reporters finalize their transcripts. We all love Jericho -- me, my husband (also 51), and our nine-year-old grandson, who lives with us. The three of us would watch the episodes live and record them on the DVR at the same time, and our younger daughter (26) and nephew (24) would come from work on their lunch hour the next day and watch from our DVR. All three generations would love to see Jericho brought back for another season.
I am a 31 year old manager from the UK. I am glad that the fans have started to fight for Jericho and am happy to fight along side.
I had joined the campaigns regarding Stargate SG1 and save Carson Beckett both campaigns by fans and got results!
HI rich
I am a 38 year old mother of two. my 11 year old boy and I watch jericho and heroes together!This has become one of my most favorite times with him! I am a Critical Care Nurse at the number one trauma hospital in Boston. I hate reality shows and all shows like er and greys.(i cant stand the "emergencies") This is really the first time I had watched TV regularly since little house on the praire. I am a die hard very liberal democrat And I am wiccan. thanks
Hello, and thank you for mentioning the campaign.
My name is Melissa, I'm 32 years old, and an Administrative Assistant, and a Graduate student from the southeast. My parents also watch the show, they are 60 and 62.
This is the only show I make time to watch. It's also the ONLY show that has a truly original premise and takes chances. The storyline is rarely predictable. I want so badly for it to return.
I loved your article today because I believe it came straight from my head. Last night I ran across a thread at JERICHO RALLY POINT entitled “So Who Are You?” The posters made an incredible impression on me. There were 36 pages of demography any media group and it’s advertisers would covet. Most are professional people, collage graduates with varied levels of academic achievements. Some listed their income, some didn’t. I would venture to say the majority would be in the triple digit range.
My husband and I (mid 50’s) live south of Chicago in Indiana. I was a reporter, columnist, and managing editor for a decent sized newspaper - far from The Chicago Tribune or Chicago Sun Times. My husband; a tool & die maker.
My two sons and their wives - ages 27 and 30 are all professionals with household incomes I would venture to guess $150 - $200,000 a year
The interesting thing about our family is its location. We live between Chicago and West Lafayette (home of Purdue University) therefore, our cable company gives us two CBS affiliates WBBM out of Chicago and WLFI out of Lafayette. Heaven forbid someone should miss a Purdue basketball game.
To me this is a fantastic advantage. Unlike many who have written and said JERICHO was the only show they watched on CBS, I had several favorites: JERICHO was my ultimate favorite, followed closely by The Unit, Criminal Minds, Numb3rs, and Shark. I have two DVR’s and a VCR attached to our main TV. One DVR’s is programmed to catch the shows on WBBM, the other WLFI - JUST IN CASE there happens to be a Purdue game, or local news coverage that would pre-empt either affiliates normal programming schedule. The VCR, when necessary, catches the few shows I enjoy on other channels - one of which was/is Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
Thank you for your articles, for allowing us to represent ourselves, and most importantly for not only asking the question “Who are these people?” but being interested in the answers. I can’t believe CBS would turn its back on this opportunity. It would be insane.
Thanks so much for all the effort you're putting towards our show! My name is Lisa, I'm a 40 year old homemaker in Pa. I watched Jericho with my 11 y/o dd and ocassionally my 42 y/o dh (a blue-collar guy) watched it as well.
Jericho was an excellent show for several reasons: it was (mostly) family oriented. The show was about family (and community) and also a show you could watch with your family, younger viewers especially. There are some of us out here in the nation who want shows that you can watch with kids that don't include foul language, ridiculous, gratuitous sexual situations and are overall just plain *wholesome*. (Yes, there were some more "mature" themes to Jericho but they were minimal, showed reprucussions and consequences and handled tastefully). Also, the idea behind a nuclear bomb is very real (sadly) in this day and age. The writing was excellent, the acting stellar. I enjoyed this show like no other I've ever watched. I'm a busy mom, with two kids, I homeschool, I have a home and hubby to take care of, yet I make the time to send emails, postcards, write letters; to make phone calls, fliers and signs for my van (and even willing to feel like a dork with those signs in my van windows!). Why do I do all that? because this show is worth it. I sincerely hope CBS will pick it back up. I'd love to see them bring it back and have it be the hit it's destined to be. However, if they don't, I hope another network will snatch it up and I will then sit back and watch that network profit from CBS's mistake.
Married couple,professionals, kids grown, mid 50's,from the South. Watch reruns of decent shows, Hallmark channel etc, as opposed to most current shows. Drawn to watching Jericho at first because of Gerald McRaney and Pamela Reed. Quickly came to love and admire the whole cast. Watched religiously on Wednesdays. Missed 2 episodes due to medical issues, watched online as soon as possible. Watched shows again online multiple times, plus each of the other videos associated with the show. We have never been involved with the Nielson ratings. Frankly, I have never met anyone who ever had the ability to rate through them. It is unbelievable that CBS has the unmitigated gaul to cancel Jericho, but to replace with Kids Nation? I'll wait for reruns of the CSI shows on other channels before I tune that station in again if they do not renew this show.
Rich,
Once again, right on the money.
So many shows I have invested my time in, to watch each and every week, only to have them ripped away with a cancellation. Well what is Mine or any Other Viewers Time worth? I could name the shows, but that has been done. What I will say is Jericho, is the best series ever Cancelled, yes its subjective, but its how I feel.
So I will fight and fight long and hard, just like any Marine would.
Semper Fi and keep up the fight.
I'm 34 Mail small business owner and Paralegal student.
This is a fantastic article, thank you for it! This is a wonderful show and not only do I want it back I am sick of the networks force-feeding reality shows instead of something worth watching. There are massive viewers not counted and even those that were counted were consistent against stiff competition, dispite the false statements some at CBS have claimed.
Where were we CBS? We were here we have always been here. Where were you?
Male 43 Inflatable designer Oregon
Jericho was impossible to watch @ regular slot. Itunes and divo are my medium. CBS execs are blind to the audience and evidetly VERY hard of hearing. Bring it back
Thank you for your support
Kathy K, San Juan Capistrano, CA:
My husband and I watched Jericho and when my 22 y.o. twin sons came home for Christmas I got them hooked and they caught up on CBS.COM. When they went back to college did they watch the show on CBS-NO! They are busy college students, the time slot was too early, and they either watched it on CBS.COM, itunes, or TIVO. Did CBS consider that?? NO, and this is their demo audience!!! What a huge mistake. CBS needs to bring Jericho back for a FULL SECOND SEASON with no six week hitaus.
Great article and thanks for your vision! I am a 45 year old Analyst for a global manufacturing company living in NE Oklahoma. I never missed an episode of Jericho from start to finish. With my busy travel schedule, if I didn't watch live, I watched on InnerTube. I even complemented CBS for the idea of doing this in the first place (thinking that they did this as a convenience for their viewers!). Because of DVR, Streaming Video, and Live airing of the series, CBS hooked in many more viewers than they realized, obviously. Media has changed, veiwers have changed, the networks need to recognize this, and they need to change. The Jericho series was considered enjoyable family time in my household, it sparked engaging conversation, anticipation for the next segment, and was continuing to gain viewership despite the hiatus. Even my extended family were fans. When the series was airing, it was common family conversation, now all we talk about is how disappointed we are with CBS and why they would have taken off such a great show. Bring Jericho back, please. Everyone interested in joining the campaign please check out www.jericholives.com. BTW, I have never joined in on anything like this before. Thanks for the post!
Tox988
NE Oklahoma
I am female, 21, Student, & I live in upstate NY. I've fought to save shows before and I have never seen anything quite like this campagin to save Jericho. As the show progressed I began to love it more and more every week. It was one of the only shows that I had to watch every week. Heroes fell to the wasteside. Lost and Grey's too. While those shows grew stale, Jericho kept me engaged. Please save Jericho. I was there all along, the Neilson Ratings just didn't count me.
I enjoyed your article. I am hoping for a second season of Jericho. This is a GREAT show! My wife and I watch every week. I am 38 & she is 34.
Thanks for your comments and your continuing coverage of the save Jericho campaign.
I am trying to get the opinion of several of the bloggers who are covering the Jericho campaign. I do have a question for you. Actually more of a request for an opinion.
Every successfully renewed TV show has had some form of physical protest or picketing near their main base of operations. Several of us have been trying to drum up support for an actual physical protest on cbs. Nothing crazy or illegal. But a peaceful protest with several hundred ( or more hehe ) people. Having the people dressed in their SAVE JERICHO tee-shirts and hats. Even having a few individuals dressed as peanuts. We could have everyone holding their save Jericho and nuts to cbs banners. We would have plenty of flyers to hand out to people passing by as well. We could do this in both NY and LA ( preferably on the same day. ) So far the idea has been pretty much ignored besides a few diehard fans.
In the past, these forms of “viewers going on strike against a tv network” have always gotten media attention and have brought new blood into the campaigns. Do you think such a thing could work for the save Jericho campaign? Do you think it would generate some additional publicity? I know if I personally saw a group of people, especially some wearing a giant peanut outfit, it would get my attention if I was walking or driving by.
Do you have any thoughts on this…. Any suggestions? We really do need to reach the everyday normal tv viewers. They are those who do not subscribe to the high end entertainment magazines. The people who do not read blogs or news sites. Do you have any suggestions on how to try to reach them.
Thank you for all the time that you have invested on reporting about this campaign. Your thoughts and suggestions have been well appreciated.
I have never posted anything on the internet before but the cancelling of "Jericho" made me realize that it is up to the viewers to let themselves be heard. I am a 41 year old mother of two teenage boys. It is the one show we would watch together. It had such a great plot line and stimualated great conversation about humanity and morality. It seems to me that all we get on network tv lately are reality shows, but this show was a keeper. I hope CBS rethinks their views and supports a quality show that can be viewed by families. We live in New England
Again Rich a lovely article. I like everyone else here have been folowing your coverage of the Jericho campaign since the beginning. I am a 29 year old mother of 2 and a full time stident ( I am studying my pre-reqs for entry into the Radiological Techinician program at my local state college). I live in Massachusetts and from the beginning I was hooked on the show.
That said when it was canceled my husband and I could not believe it considering we knew it had a large fan base and we had thought that they where keeping track of the numbers through innertube and dvr ( which is how we watched Jericho ). I do sincerely hope they see how good this free publicity has had for the show since more and more people come and visit the JerichoLives.com website and become new fans of the show. They should see it is worth a second season.
Again thank you for the great article. Keep up the good work
Sincerely,
Nicole
Huge Jericho fan here, CBS PLEASE BRING BACK JERICHO! I'm 33, male, living in California. I'm a manager of operations for a medical device company (I have very little free time, but saving this show is worth my energy!)
I am a female, 29, Denver and I'm an assistant editor. I've never been so wrapped up in a cause like I am with Save Jericho. The news that it was canceled brought tears to my eyes!
Rich
I have read all of your articles concerning the save Jericho campaign. I think they have been right on the money. I hope CBS realizes before it's to late.
My household demographics
Male 45 Manager
Female 45 Accounts payable
Saint Louis, MO
Great article. Thanks. My husband and I are BIG fans of the show Jericho. Only one problem, my husbands "click" was never counted. You see, he worked every Wednesday night and either recorded the show, or watched it on InnerTube. We fight for the return of Jericho because #1, it is a fantastic program. #2, Jericho is a symbol for the return of quality programming. And #3, change an outdated rating system.
My husband is an Optician. I am a self employed contracter for our area's Air Force base. My husband and I deliver their military paper. Age group 45-55. Location Northwest Florida.
This is the only show I have ever fought for.
Thank you for taking the time to post about the fight to save Jericho. As usual, you nail the crux of this fight - that it is much more about just a simple television show. When all is said and done, this may just revolutionize television.
For what it's worth, I'm a manager in the telecommunications field, 28 years old, from Kansas. My wife and I watched the show through all the methods CBS encouraged us to use - live on Wednesdays, online through the CBS website, and using download services, such as iTunes and the X-Box Live Marketplace.
I've never been involved in saving a show before, but I don't think I've ever seen a show like Jericho before.
Rich,
Thanks for quoting me in your article. As you mentioned, I am the Operations Manager of two radio stations in Pittsburgh. I wish I could say I am in my 40's, but that number has just rolled over recently. :)
C.
Amy, Art Director, NY, in my late 30's and a white liberal... Hubby, who's also a fan is early 40's, Sales VP, and a hispanic liberal. That enough demographic info for ya ;)
Jericho was one of our favorite shows, and one of the few we flocked to the TV for each week. We always DVR'ed it. And yes, while we watch Idol live, we always tuned into our recorded Jericho shortly after.
As of yesterday, Jericho was the #1 downloaded show for CBS on iTunes. But I supposed those numbers don't count either!
I'm 55, female, and a physician. This is the first fan effort I have ever joined. Jericho is my favorite TV show, and I can't stand by and see it cancelled. I've sent the nuts to LA, and snail mail to NY and CA. I want Season TWO.
I'm a 29-year-old male living in Las Vegas, an IT professional and small-business owner.
Personally, I know of absolutely no one with a Nielsen box, and I receive my HDTV over-the-air. I'm sure there are thousands and thousands of viewers who are in the same boat as I am. We are dedicated fans, not counted by Nielsen, so therefore we must not exist to the CBS bigwigs. Well, here we are! And we've been here since episode one of the greatest series ever: Jericho. How long we stay with your network depends on you.
Jericho is a rare show that actually causes its viewers to think. If you go through the roster of recent television shows, there are very few which are actually engaging and stimulating to the brain.
Jericho needs, at minimum, a second season to truly show where the many story and plot lines are going. A two-hour made-for-TV movie certainly will not due justice to a show as complex as Jericho.
Rich, I thank you for discussing this issue when many other people fear it.
This is awesome and is proving one of my theories that this diverse group of thinking people. Please keep them coming (anyone who wants to) ... these comments are going... um, places. :)
Mostly though, I just wanted to toss my hat in the ring and say I'm 39 and the lead hired gun for a bunch of companies and currently live in Las Vegas. :) What's fair is fair. Yes, I liked Jericho. It was one of the few shows my family watched together. (We used to be a Nielsen family too, but not this season.) I have also become a huge fan of the fans because, well, you rock!
A quick answer for Renee. Media rallies are cool, true enough. But if Jericho fans were to stage something like that, it would be best to pre-confirm a boatload of people. There is nothing worse for the media than seeing a few dozen fans at a protest where hundreds/thousands might be expected. I know how ... but it would not be easy.
Have faith ... you ARE reaching people beyond the Internet everyday, even the National Enquirer (one of the largest publishers in the world). More celebrities are starting to rave about the campaign (because it's working!). So keep doing what you are doing ... sure, try new/small items and see if they stick (make them big if they do), but don't get too hung up on the public debates about strategy.
More importantly, don't fret the supposedly being the underdog card. It's not the same thing, but I know for a fact that you can win, even if you are outspent 20-1 by a 20-year incumbent with the right message. You have the right message. It's right here, 159 times over and growing ... :)
Great article!
My husband and I have signed petitions, sent emails and gone NUTS over Jericho!
I am a 30 year old female from Western NY and I work in Quality Control. My husband is 31 and works at a transportation company.
My husband watches tv all the time, I, however, DO NOT! But I was captivated by this series and NEVER missed an episode. It was the one show I would stay awake for (I get up VERY early)! However, when I was unable to see an episode, I watched it online! I truly hope that our Jerico efforts as CONSUMERS will not go unnoticed! So many people give up when something they want is taken away, Jericho fans WILL NOT.
NUTS TO CBS!!!!
For the record, I'm 49...CFO and managing partner of a regional brokerage firm...I live in NJ and work in PA.
I've never been involved in anything like this before. I watch little network TV as I find little that interests me. Jericho was different and I got hooked. I mostly watched on the Internet or by DVR.
My guess...I didn't get counted...and CBS missed the boat!
Hi Rich,
I have read several of your articles and I thank you for every single one of them.
Nielsen ratings can measure SOME of the viewers, but nothing can ever measure the heart of this show. My family and I are addicted to Jericho! I am a 28 year old married mother of two. I am a stay at home mom who also operates a daycare. My husband is a 30 year old Assistant Supervisor at a local company here in northern Indiana. Between the Girl Scout meetings, Religious Education Classes (on Wednesday nights by the way), T-Ball, Baseball, and Soccer practices and games, Cheerleading practices and performances, family bike rides and walks, and regular school activities, we rarely have time to watch any shows when they are on "live". Also, it is hard to find shows we can watch as a family due to graphic violence, sexual content and the total lack of intelligence in reality TV. Jericho was a show that we all loved and my husband and I felt comfortable allowing our 9 and 4 year old children to watch with us. I can't count the number of times, we cuddled up with our kids, popped popcorn and settled in to watch Jericho. Afterward we would have a REAL conversation about what happened in each episode. Jericho gave us a chance to talk to our kids about the very real dangers that exist in our post 9-11 world.
Every week our DVR is set to automatically record Jericho just in case we don't make it back in time to watch it "live" (which happened a LOT!!). Quite honestly, I think it's extremely arrogant of any network to tell it's fans that if we don't their shows on "their" schedule, we don't count!
I agree with many of my fellow fans that this about much more than Jericho. There are many of us who are tired of being told we don't matter. You are right, we do come from different regions, background, and social standings. However, this show has managed to touch each and every one of us deeply in spite of our differences.
The ratings system needs to be updated. Every single one of us should count no matter what our viewing styles are. For WE are the people watching the shows and the commercials. WE are the ones buying the products advertised. WE are the ones emotionally involved in the shows. And yet WE DON"T COUNT TO CBS!!
If you still need proof of how truly remarkable Jericho is, consider this. When was the last time you knew of thousands of people from every different race, religion, social class, region, age stood together as one voice and fought for something they ALL believe in? I can't even think of another time. That is what the show Jericho has taught us. We have learned that even though there are many ways we are different, there are also many ways we are the same. In our time of need it is those similarities that allow us to bond together and fight for what we believe in. We believe in Jericho!
Thank You,
Heather
Rich,
Nice article about "Jericho" and its fans.
My demographics: Female, over 50, masters degree in economics and information tech, currently stay at home mom. My husband is a Critical Care Physician and we live in Massachusetts.
First, I want to actually thank CBS for bringing us such an outstanding series. So many of your commenters have captured my thoughts and feelings on the subject already. However, I do want mention that I have zero interest in television, "Jericho" is the series that brought my eyes back to network television (albeit via DVR) and its advertisers.
The preseason media drew me to the show in the first place and I was hooked before the first episode ended. I hear that it was in a difficult time slot, but I watch no other television, so I don't know the popular shows. I can't even begin to describe all the things I enjoy about "Jericho" ... that it wasn't a reality or crime show was good enough for a start.
Finally, to CBS you ask where were the "Jericho" fans, we were here all along, where were you looking?
I have loved reading all your posts regarding Jericho-they are very insightful. I,among many others, have never done anything like this but I guess you could say this was the last straw for me. I wasn't part of the original 8+million viewers but had always wanted to watch. Kudos to CBS for putiing it on on demand and my husband and I spent an entire weekend catching up. We were watching after the hiatus and luckily didn't have the long break to wait through (and I was getting bored with American Idol anyway). I was surprised by how quickly I got caught up in the show and enjoyed every episode immensely. When I found out it was cancelled you can imagine how I felt-totally let down. I am tired of investing my time in television shows only to have them not even given a chance. NUTS to CBS!
Dear Rich,
Although my husband replied earlier to your post, I wanted to respond as well. I'm a 37 year old social worker and mother of a blended family of two younger and three older children.
Like thousands of other Jericho fans, including the cast and crew of the show, I was totally shocked and saddened at the cancellation of one of the best shows on television---Jericho. It was one of the few shows that had no sex, nudity, drugs, or cussing. It taught so many great lessons and morals that the world really should learn from.
I just cannot understand the reasoning behind the decision to cancel the show. The reasons for the “low” numbers-----Neilson ratings cannot count those who Tivo the show or watch it on the Internet; the hiatus----there was not a lot of publicity about the return of the show; and it was up against American Idol!
I have read in an article by Jennifer Godwin from E! Online dated May 25, 2007 11:19 am that Jericho “consistently held 8 or 9 million viewers, even going up against Idol...” And that’s Not Counting Thousands of Tivo Fans Including Me.
I am one of those who had to Tivo the show in order to put my 2 toddlers to bed during that time. There are also a lot of people I know who attend Church on Wednesday nights and had to Tivo the show. How could CBS not count my “number” for viewing the show?! I am a loyal fan who never missed an episode, thanks to Tivo.
I’m sure there is another night CBS could move it to first since hopefully they now see how many people really love the show. If CBS just read some of the heartfelt e-mails/comments on the Jericho websites. How can CBS not listen to their own viewers? Would it hurt CBS to “sell” it to another network if they really want to kill it anyway? I’d like CBS to please explain that part to me because it is beyond me (except for stubbornness) if CBS doesn't want to renew the series why won’t they sell it to someone who does?????
There would be a much more positive reaction to CBS in the future, I think, if CBS chose to listen to those who have been so loyal during this wonderful series. Also, We Don’t Want “Closure”-------Not In a 1 HR, 2 HR OR MINI-SERIES. We want Jericho to return for a second season! Please listen to our phone calls, e-mails, peanuts, etc. We want you to renew Jericho for a second season or sell it to a network that will.
Rich, thank you for your time and posts.
CBS, please listen to your viewers.
Kim
I've been here watching all along on Innertube - I'm sure I wasn't counted in the Nielson ratings.
Thanks for the article.
Rich, great article! I am female, 43, single parent, software salesperson and trainer turned nursing student. Live in Mason, Ohio. Got hooked on Jericho, wanted to talk with others like me about the writing and acting. Found LOTS of people like me of every profession, age, gender and race -- an amazing community of people. Due to my schedule (and lack of interest in network TV) I watched 90% of the episodes online so CBS missed me too in their count.
Thank you for your continued insightful articles. I am 40, living in Massachusetts, with an advanced degree in economics (working in finance). I support Save Jericho! I love Jericho because it makes me think! The writing and acting are excellent. I refuse to waste my time with entertainment that is not compelling, and Jericho is well worth my time.
Who am I? I am a 36 year homemaker with 4 boys. I have been married for almost 14 years. I live near Columbus, OH. Jericho was a favorite in our house. It is a 'family friendly' show. I can't believe I'm saying this but I wanted my kids to watch Jericho. It made us all think. How would we handle something like that? What would we do? I think Jericho has a lot more to tell us. I am tired of good shows being cancelled and replaced by reality shows. That is why I am here. I want more shows like Jericho. I want more Jericho.
We have 3 Jericho viewers in our home (36,34,12). My husband works midnight shift and would hurry home every Thursday morning so we could watch Jericho as a family on our DVR. The only day of the week I didn't have to fight with my 12 year old to get up! Season 2 for Jericho!
Excellent Article!
I am a 25 year old male, the Technical Director at a college, and a fan of Jericho. I was watching every week; sometimes online, sometimes on the television, but never missed an episode. I even watched the countdown episode every week. I have rallied with these thousands, if not millions, of people I have never met because Jericho is more than just television. It’s television with a soul, and not always a pretty one. It gets to the core of what it meant to be human: to struggle in the face of adversity. Accordingly it is universal in its appeal, because we are all human, and we all care about the struggles of humanity… even if only our own. The premise of Jericho is not so far fetched that the wrong twist of fate wouldn’t put us all in a similar position. It’s also refreshing to find a television show that can mirror life. Jericho’s premise is such that any story can be told. It’s not just about finding the killer each week. CBS, if you are watching, please continue to give us compelling and thought provoking drama each week. Please continue to give us Jericho.
I am a 45 y/o professional in Erie, PA. I didn't want to watch this show. I don't usually do dramas or doomsday type entertainment. I have enough to deal with in my professional life so my tastes gravitate towards levity. However, others in my household wanted to watch. At first, I just sat in the family room with them and caught up on reading. But the, this show got to me, got through to me. Now I'm hooked. I make sure that the DVR records every episode just in case I can't due to other obligations. I can't believe that CBS cancelled this excellent show. I've never fought or wrote or e-mailed any network before, but I am furious that CBS is ignoring it's viewers.
Save Jericho! Nuts to CBS! And shame on CBS for cancelling such a wonderful show!
Thank you for writing about the fans of Jericho and the customers of CBS. I am not in the habit of watching TV that often, let alone protesting a cancellation of a show. I have never emailed, sent nuts, posted comments, called or donated to advertising. It should tell CBS Jericho is something special to get a tired overworked mother/business woman with little spare time to do all these things.I am educated with 2 degrees, 41, a mother of 2, own a video production company and live outside Nashville. I came upon Jericho and was hooked by the incredible acting and fabulous writing. Jericho made me laugh, cry, cheer cringe and think. It literally warmed my heart. It deserves a second season plus. CBS has an incredible opportunity here, they should not blow it. The free publicity, if CBS brings back Jericho will be talked about for months. This is a fan base that likes 24, Heroes, Stargate and Lost but it is CBS's show, the others aren't. The viewers are intelligent, resourcefully and have money to spend, what more does CBS want? I can tell you we are writing emails to the other networks and cable to pick up Jericho. Why would CBS let this cash cow slip through their hands? We do not want anymore reality shows. We want quality programming and we have found it in Jericho. Respectfully, I have boycotted watching CBS until they bring back Jericho. NUTS CBS! Bring Back Jericho!
This is a great article, thank you. I (36 F), like many others, have never participated in a tv show campaign before. I was just too busy to spend my time on things like that. Instead, I spent time with family, friends and my business. But when Jericho was cancelled, it hit me so strongly I couldn't let this show go. So I have scheduled it into my week as a priority and devoted time to saving the show, just as I spend time doing everything else in my life. It's just that important to me.
If you think we are a small group, think again. My husband (32 M) was a Jericho fan as well, but does not write and campaign the way I do. There are millions of people just like him that are fans but just not vocal about it. We are very loyal watchers and CBS was absolutely short-sighted when they made the decision to cancel Jericho.
Thank you for the article. I am a 34 year old college educated Construction Administrator. I live in South Carolina. My Husband is 41 year old Heavy Equipment Transport Driver who is not computer literate. I do all the computer talking in the family. We have 2 kids. Jericho is such and exciting show! It has the perfect blend of drama and comic relief, with a great family friendly message. Both of us can watch the show and enjoy it without worring about it being to adult for our young children.
We as viewers are taking a stand against CBS and the other networks. We want to have our voices heard. We don't Have a Neilsen box, and our viewership should be counted just as much.
Thank you
CBS wonders where the viewers were during the season????
CBS - CAN YOU HEAR US NOW???
Wonderful article, wonderful show.
Thank you for your comments. I am 61, female, in graduate school, in the southeast. Like many others, I've never protested the cancellation of a televesion program (they could cancel all of them, for all I care) but this one was different. I hope that CBS CARES about the comments and efforts made, and brings back Jericho.
Dear Rich: Thank you for your voice! Your pieces are an excellent example of well-punctuated, erudite op-ed, and I've enjoyed reading your blog. Thank you for this opportunity to express my feelings.
My name is Mary Rowe; I am 54, and "administrative assistant" (in my parlance, a SECRETARY), living in Torrance, CA and working in the city of Long Beach. I also have an associate degree - and watched the truck advertisements during Jericho with rapt attention. CBS, Les Moonves has asked where we were during the post-hiatus broadcasts. We were there for our show, watching on Innertube, watching on DVR, watching on our non-Nielson television sets at home, that's where we were! As your moderators must be aware, we were buzzing about plotlines, characters, and everything else about the show (hey, isn't Kansas flat?). The show rekindled my interest in many corollary interests which I'd long neglected.
I looked up a map of the United States to "find" Jericho on the map. Instant geography reminder lesson!
We really, really want the saga of Jericho to continue. Can you tell?
mary
Rich,
Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of our protest. It is greatly appreciated.
Yes, we want Jericho back for a full season, BUT the protest is about Quality TV and the system that measures viewers. Jericho's viewers were not all counted, e.g., there is a very large international population viewing on InnerTube and downloading from iTunes as well as watching on whatever station their country is showing it -- were they counted by the Neilsens??
Additionally, we are hearing that only the 18 - 49 year old demographic counts. So, what CBS is saying to me is: "We don't care." And the advertisers are saying to me: "You don't count." From the comments I am reading, this show reached across all age groups, yet the largest generation out there doesn't count? That's funny because the last time I looked at my bank account, I was a consumer.
Furthermore, CBS did very little by way of advertising the show and what advertising it did do was focused on the "post-apocalyptic" aspect of the story which gives a very wrong impression. Of the six low level nuclear bombs that were set off, only ONE MUSHROOM CLOUD is seen in the distance. Viewers were not treated to the sight of death and dying and total devastation. The story is about a town that remains untouched by the bombs but is cut off from the rest of the world. How are they to survive?
They stand United!
The amazing thing about this protest, is that a group of individuals from all over the world who have never met except on-line are standing united to change the way TV treats it viewers.
We want our show back, but the message is "We won't take it anymore. Will you? If you have ever had a quality program cut out from under you, join us. Stand United and be counted!"
I am 56 years old; an Executive Assistant to a CEO & CFO and I live in Philadelphia.
Rich,
Thank you so much for your on-going discussion of our show, Jericho. Your continued support has been well said and quite interesting to someone who doesn't normally pay attention to the business end of my favorite television shows.
I am a 38 year old, single female. I work as a temp and take my free time to work on my writing and artistic endeavours. I have a small group of friends, all single, from 32-40 years of age who watched religiously, and happily discussed the ramifications of each weeks storylines on our beloved characters. We are all college educated (with a couple of Masters degrees in there), and have rich and varied careers.
I have watched from the sidelines as other fans fought for their shows, now it's our turn to try and change the way we are counted.
SaveJericho! Go Rangers!
I am 37 and The Wardrobe Supervisor for The First National Broadway Tour of Monty Python's Spamalot. Even though I travel all over the US, my home is in Brooklyn NY.
If the Network executives aren't going to figure in the online community when deciding their programming, then why do they bother offering their shows on the internet?????
I enjoyed Jericho very much because it was different from the crime dramas and reality TV shows that clutter up network TV. It was a show about people coming together to survive, and in some ways mirrors the post-Katrina envirornment that I live in. My wife also enjoyed the show and we were both regular watchers. I am a 37 yo male and she is a 48 yo female. We are from kenner, Louisiana.
Rich,
Again, another great post. Thank you for correctly capturing the Jericho movement and the people behind it. I am a 30 year old female, Sr. Financial Analyst in BioTech in Boston, MA.
NUTS to CBS. Fight On Jericho!
It is time to start acting like it is a real war. As I posted before at the cbs forums and it got "deleted" and my account was "unusable"......
A network survives and flurishes because of the viewers. If there are no viewers, there are no sponsors. If there are no sponsors.... the network stocks fall. When the stockholders bail out.... the company folds.
Therefore the viewers hold the ultimate power. So far in tv history, the viewers have acted like we were at the mercy of a network. That we should just be thankful for whatever they do give us. The only real times that there has been any change.... is when the viewers uprose against the networks. Example: tv show renewal protests, protests over like the regan movie, and so forth).
We need to start acting like we hold all the power. Because we do. The networks don't fear us because they don't think we realize that. Then they don't feel that we can get enough people banned together to do something about it. So they continue along their merry ways doing whatever they please.
WE need to rise up and show them that we realize we do have the power and we are going to start using it. It is time that we make not just CBS, but all networks start fearing and listening to the fans.
These executives at cbs ( and the head of their pr department and security department who are singing and bashing us ) and other networks wouldn't have those jobs if it wasn't for the viewers.
When the audiences start trying to take control and actually learn how to wield their power..... only then will real change occur. And with this protest, I think they are beginning to see signs of that. FOX and NBC started saying that they will look at more than just nielsen numbers. Nielsen is trying to now find ways to move into the new technology. Cbs was trying to pacify us with a 2 hour movie idea. They are now holding their peace hoping we go away and fail.
We started something here with this protest. It is time to start making use of that. We are in a war. It is time to start getting troups together and act like warriors. Otherwise stuff like this jericho thing and all the reality tv and the mocking and bashing of viewers is just going to continue.
I'm a 40 year old Canadian woman, currently working as an administrative assistant, but with a varied background which includes mostly technical writing and employee communications. I don't watch a lot of television, and never expected to love Jericho as much as I did. It's such a disappointment that it has been cancelled, and I hope all our efforts are fruitful. Keep fighting the good fight.
--Fromage
Thanks everybody. This stuff goes a long way; feel free to add if you don't mind sharing.
It's very overwhelming, especially since most of you had to create an account to even post here.
I also wanted to say that this was classic:
http://www.jesseroland.com/
Hat tip! :)
I am a 26 year old stay at home mom,(from fort worth, tx) I watched on tivo, since Jericho would come on during bedtime ritual of my 1 and 2 year old children. My computer professional husband(28) and I watch together. (My mother-in-law also watched the show, she watched it live.)
Great article! Thanks!
I am a male, 40, Computer Technician/Store owner, Indianapolis, IN. Watched mostly DVR recordings because of my job. Wife 35 and daughter 12 were always waiting on me with the DVR paused and ready to go! Keep up the good fight!
Great article Rich thank you. I am a 42 year old business owner and mother and I am from Des Plaines, IL. My husband 36, son 11 and I would always watch this via DVR seldomly did we ever watch it live. I have never felt so compelled to fight for a tv show but feel Jericho is worth fighting for, it is truely a great show.
Thanks-Save Jericho
My name is Jane, I am 55 and live in Florida. I am a nurse. Thank you for all the wonderful things you have said. Jericho is the only show I have ever enjoyed enough to fight for. I proudly follow every link and suggestion to save this show. It is well written, acted, directed and exhibits people caring for and helping other people in a time of crisis. Bring it back please....
What a great article. I was also amazed by the diversity of the audience of Jericho. I watched the show the old fashioned way, with rabbit ears and all, but can understand that many people used new media to follow the show. I hope all networks, not just CBS take notice to this campaign and realize times and media are changing, along with their audiences. I am a 24 year old, married female from South Dakota. This is the first show I've cared enough about to fight it's cancellation.
Well put. Thank you for the article. I'm an attorney (age 42) and my husband is a software engineer (age 43). Married for 21 years, three children. We live in Escondido, California. I don't think we qualify as geeks, nerds, screwballs, or freaks, but if it means that Jericho is renewed then cbs can call us anything they want. We tivo'd Jericho, but would watch it within 24-48 hours. Busy schedule, you know how it is. Love the show, sent emails to cbs, called cbs, posted on message boards and blogs. Thanks to all the fans who took the lead and the many more like us that did what we could. Now that we know, we will watch the show at the time it airs (no more tivo).
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