CBS Drops the Bomb: Network Cancels "Jericho" Which Fuels Allegations of Conspiracy

On Wednesday, May 16, CBS dropped a bomb on the residents of Jericho, Kansas, effectively canceling it's cult hit of the 2006-2007 season, Jericho. As news of the announcement spread through various media outlets, fans of Jake Green, Robert Hawkins, Emily Sullivan, and the likes, grew furious. Message board posts, filled with anger aimed towards CBS senior executive VP Kelly Kahl, quickly took over the Jericho page on the CBS website. A show that averaged 8 million viewers throughout the season no longer had a place in the primetime lineup.

What seems to have left most fans outraged is the reason why the network gave Jericho the ax. Kahl anticipated backlash following the news, "I know we had loyal viewers... but the show sort of lost its engine and wasn't performing." Later, following the creation of multiple online petitions and threats to completely boycott the network, Kahl posted an official statement on the Jericho message board. "At CBS we never cancel a show without a great deal of communication between our public groups and you the fans." Placing blame on low post-"winter hiatus" ratings, Kahl added, "we always feel that a show must carry its audience regardless of breaks or temporary periods within the transmission season."

However, Kahl also made an odd attempt to alleviate any viewer frustration created by this season's cliffhanger finale. "CBS retain the full viewing rights to Jericho, and it is possible that a finale episode could be put into planning for the 2009/2010 season." As if irritating fans by canceling one of their favorite shows wasn't enough, CBS went on to insult their intelligence. The network canceled the show because of a ratings drop during a nearly 3-month long break. How could they possibly consider reviving it a full year later?

In response, message board posts pointed fingers towards politics as the reason behind Jericho's demise. Initially sounding like the concept of a conspiracy theorist, the idea that the impending 2008 Presidential election played a part in the cancellation is no longer far-fetched. CBS itself only fueled the fire with the 2009-2010 comment. Nevertheless, the show in question is one that ignites thoughts of government corruption and conspiracy, while small town life unravels in the midst of the chaos. Is Jericho hitting a little too close to home? Or is this all a ploy by CBS to generate buzz for the show before releasing it on DVD and making a final decision on the second season?

Adding further confusion is the show CBS chose to replace Jericho in the Wednesday 8pm time-slot, Kid Nation. Nation focuses on a group of kids, without parental supervision or modern day comforts, trying to build a new society in 40 days. The premise sounds like a watered down, "reality" [note: cheaper for the network] version of Jericho, substituting a cuteness factor (children) in place of a nuclear attack. Kids will disagree with each other on their ideals as means of a shticky reality series, rather than as the result of a life or death situation. Is this where networks are going: watered down television?

Chances are good that Kids Nation won't hold a candle to the consistent ratings Jericho produced, especially since the trend in reality is that competition-based programs are the ones that maintain viewers. At press time, CBS is sticking with its cancellation of Jericho, but if they really do make decisions based on the communication between their "public groups and you the fans," then maybe 8-million people can prove democracy is holding strong in America.