Jericho Fans Take Their Continuing Fight to New Heights

What do you do when your favorite TV show is cancelled? Well, if you are one of the many devoted fans of the former CBS serial drama Jericho, you just might get a little nutty.

When Jericho debuted in the Fall 2006 TV line-up, it appeared to be a promising contender. The 'life after a nuclear explosion' story line was a suprisingly refreshing change after years of crime dramas and reality shows. The cast was comprised of a talented variety of upcoming stars, as well as veterans such as Gerald McRaney.

Fans were hooked by the continuing drama and twisting storylines. Would the small Kansas town of Jericho find a way to survive the lasting effects of numerous nuclear explosions crippling the entire country? The dwindling food and fuel supplies, the stream of refugees, and an attack by the neighboring town of New Bern all threatened the town's residents, who had quickly become like family to the many dedicated fans.

Unfortunately, Jericho suffered from scheduling issues and limited attention spans of some viewers. In November 2006, CBS gave Jericho a two month hiatus. Though the show started back in February 2007 with a recap episode, viewers had been lost. The complex storylines were difficult for inconsistent viewers to follow and new watchers had missed out on integral parts of the plot and character relationships. The show had started with 11 million viewers but only managed to bring back 8 million after the break.

The story was a continuing, open-ended question which kept some viewers coming back week to week, but lost others who wanted situations wrapped up in a package with a neat bow after each episode. Short attention spans of the reality show generation found it difficult to wait for the many mysteries to be solved.

In May 2007, CBS announced the end of Jericho. After one season, the promising drama was finished. Fans blamed a lack of promotion, the long hiatus, and outdated Nielsen rating systems. For most shows, this would have marked the end. It would have slipped quietly away into oblivion. The self-named Jericho Rangers refused to allow their beloved show and its fictional town to go down without a fight.

Unbeknownst to show writers, they had given the Jericho fans a battle cry. In the first season finale, town badboy-turned-hero Jake Green led Jericho into battle against neighboring New Bern, using the defiant statement "NUTS". What started with a few fans sending CBS packets of peanuts grew into one of the largest fan revolts ever. Online retailer Nutsonline.com offered Jericho fans a venue to purchase large quantities of nuts to be dropped at CBS en masse. Over the course of three weeks, Nutsonline.com shipped 20 tons of nuts purchased by Jericho fans around the world. This included a massive 10,000 pound delivery to CBS New York on May 29, 2007. Media and bloggers took note of the outpouring of support for the underdog show and brought the fight to the public in waves of articles published almost daily.

On June 6, 2007, CBS raised the white flag of surrender and agreed to renew Jericho for a shortened, mid-season run. Though not the full season desired by most Jericho Rangers, the decision brought an end to the nutty siege.

The Jericho Rangers spent the time waiting for new episodes by working to build the fan base. Blogs and websites devoted to the show sprung up. Chat rooms were formed. They became involved in charitable endeavors such as the rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas and DVDs for the Troops (which aims to increase deployed troop morale through sending them Jericho Season 1 DVDs). Conventions, cookbooks and contests were developed to help keep the Jericho fans involved in the fan community during the show's break. Cast and crew opened lines of communication to interact with the fandom; thanking them for the opportunity the add more to the Jericho story.

Season two debuted in February 2008 with a wave of promotion on the part of both CBS and Jericho fans. The seven action packed episodes were well received by the dedicated fans but lacked the ability to draw in new viewers; something required by CBS to continue the show. In fact, viewership dropped to a consistent 6 million viewers. On March 21, 2008, CBS announced the end of Jericho.

Once again the Jericho Rangers banded together and put their minds and money to work. Fans began a mass postcard mailing campaign to CBS, Paramount and several venues interested in possibly continuing the Jericho story. They pooled money for ads in Variety and Hollywood Reporter, offering the show for sale with contact information for CBS. This week the Jericho fans brought their efforts to the streets-literally. After raising funds from donations, as well as Ebay auctions of donated items autographed by cast members, Jericho Rangers took out a one month lease on a Studio City billboard. The Ventura Boulevard location should draw attention of the TV executives the Rangers are hoping to attract. As with the publication ads, the billboard offers the show for sale with its six million viewers to follow. More promotional campaigns, such as possible TV commercials, are also in the works.

Will the publicity brought about by billboards and trade publication ads be enough? Unlike the previous nut campaign, this round of antics has not brought about the same level of awareness to everyday TV viewers. Many are probably unaware that a fight for the show's survival is ongoing.

Whether Jericho will return on another network, as a movie or book, or perhaps not at all, is yet to be seen. Whatever the ending, Jericho's dedicated fans have set a new standard for fandoms of any cancelled show. For years to come, any fight for a show's return will surely be measured against the gallant efforts of the Jericho fans. Will it be enough? Well, in a bet, I would put my money on the nut-lobbing Rangers.