As has been rumored and speculated on over the last 24 hours, CBS head Nina Tassler has officially announced that Jericho will return to the network as a mid-season show. There is, however, a big catch. Tassler calls on the tenacity that Jericho fans showed in campaigning for its return to now be applied to building the audience. So for Jericho fans, this is a victory in that their show gets one more at-bat, but on the other hand the notice is a grim, if well poised, reminder that Jericho was canceled for a reason, and if that reason persists, the cancellation will stick. Here is the full text of Tassler’s announcement.
Wow!
Over the past few weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented display of passion in support of a prime time television series. You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard.
As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of “Jericho” for mid-season next year. In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more “Jericho,” we will need more viewers.
A loyal and passionate community has clearly formed around the show. But that community needs to grow. It needs to grow on the CBS Television Network, as well as on the many digital platforms where we make the show available.
We will count on you to rally around the show, to recruit new viewers with the same grass-roots energy, intensity and volume you have displayed in recent weeks.
At this time, I cannot tell you the specific date or time period that “Jericho” will return to our schedule. However, in the interim, we are working on several initiatives to help introduce the show to new audiences. This includes re-broadcasting “Jericho” on CBS this summer, streaming episodes and clips from these episodes across the CBS Audience Network (online), releasing the first season DVD on September 25 and continuing the story of Jericho in the digital world until the new episodes return. We will let you know specifics when we have them so you can pass them on.
On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for expressing your support of “Jericho” in such an extraordinary manner. Your protest was creative, sustained and very thoughtful and respectful in tone. You made a difference.
So in other words, start turning that grass roots revival effort into a grass roots marketing campaign! Your pay will be a whole new season of Jericho.
– Jon Lachonis, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image © 2007 CBS)
(Source CBS Jericho Forums)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
