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Exclusive: Jericho Boss Eyes "Other Life" for Show
Skeet Ulrich and Ashley Scott by Michael Desmond/CBS
Might the folks of Jericho have some fight left in them after all? Not long after CBS announced its decision not to renew the drama for a third season (and thus air a series finale Tuesday night), I spoke with executive producer Carol Barbee about the sad news, the show's "amazing" fans, and this week's "emotionally satisfying" conclusion.
TVGuide.com: I'm sorry to hear about the show. We were big fans of it here.
Carol Barbee: You guys were great. I really appreciate it.
TVGuide.com: When did you get word about CBS' decision?
Barbee: Friday. I knew that they had an internal meeting on Thursday, to decide which of the endings we were going to show. At that time they gave us permission to speak to the cast, because we had requested to have 24 hours to speak to them, which I did on the phone, before it went out to the general public.
TVGuide.com: The response on our news blog was astounding, and I've seen two common refrains from the readers. Some are saying that the fans didn’t fulfill their end of the bargain, that they didn’t recruit new viewers. I think that's a bit unfair.
Barbee: I think our fans have been amazing. Our fans are not professional marketers! They are people with lives who gave so much of their time and energy and money to keep us on the air. They did more than enough, more than their share. We could not be more grateful to them. There's a limit to what a fan base can do when you're trying to reverse a slide in ratings.
TVGuide.com: Another refrain is that CBS perhaps isn’t placing enough value on online and live-plus-7 viewing.
Barbee: I can tell you that they definitely were tracking the numbers [differently] this time, in a way that they didn’t our first season. But ultimately, even though we added a couple million viewers when you added those numbers in, it looks to me like we're not in a network world where those numbers make dollars sense. The legacy of Jericho first of all will be the NUTS campaign and this amazing fan revolt, but also that we are not at a moment in time where the networks realize they have to start counting people [who watch] on the Internet and [on DVR]. It wasn’t in time to save us, but it will reverberate from here out.
TVGuide.com: Were you upset with the Tuesday, 10 o'clock time slot?
Barbee: It's so funny — Tuesday at 10 used to be the greatest thing ever because I ran Judging Amy, and it did great [in that slot]. But it's a tough time slot, and anything during the months American Idol is on has a tough row to hoe. When you're being thoroughly entertained by plucky musicians, it's hard to change that channel. I don’t think that means people aren't finding their way to scripted drama, they're just finding them on different platforms, so the numbers have gotten smaller. Hopefully those numbers will start being counted.
TVGuide.com: Skeet [Ulrich] told me fans will be "not too happy" with the alternate ending.
Barbee: I heard him say that. I think what [he meant] that if they show the alternate version, viewers will be upset because they know it's the end. But the actual alternate ending is very emotionally satisfying. It's very well done. We weren’t going to make something that wasn't worth ending our series with. The ending they're going to see is great. Depending on what happens with the show — we're still shopping it, talking to people about a possible other life — the original ending will probably be on the DVD.
TVGuide.com: Let's talk about that "possible other life." What are the chances of that happening, of a cable network picking up Jericho? And why it isn’t as easy as the fans would believe. A lot of fans are saying, "A cable network would kill for six million viewers."
Barbee: I wish I knew…. I really don’t know what [the cable networks'] business models are. We get compared a lot to Friday Night Lights, but Friday Night Lights shoots in Texas and their budget is much lower than ours. Even with the restrictions that were put on us for this second season, we cut it pretty much to the bone. We might be able to get [the budget] a little lower, depending on where we are shooting…. I would imagine, though, that people would be thrilled to get our audience! We had eight million for our premiere, and even if we retained three or four million for a cable station, that'd be a good audience. I'm hoping these talks work out, but you never know.
But wait, there's more. Coming Wednesday, in Part 2 of my talk with Barbee: A sneak peek at the original cliff-hanger ending, and a burning after-the-finale question is answered.
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Mar 24, 2008 6:12 PM
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Thanks for the excellent article/interview, Matt! Well done!!I'm very interested to see where the talks go with various cable outlets. Even if you're not a fan, this whole process of saving a show should be important to any avid tv watcher. I can't wait for Part 2 
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Mar 24, 2008 7:39 PM
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I have hope, I pray. I know God probably have better things to do but I still pray. And in the event I have to send another ten pounds of nuts to the studio, I will.
CT
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Mar 24, 2008 8:45 PM
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Great news indeed!! USA might be a good fit ("Characters welcome"), altho I'm still a little peeved about The 4400 and The Dead Zone being cut loose with no opportunity to wrap up. Still, even though I enjoyed those shows, I'd MUCH rather see "Jericho" on USA. (Or TNT, FX, whatever!!)
And yes, I know there's no guarantee on it, but still, there's nothing wrong w/ being optimistic... in spite of what some people might say.
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Mar 24, 2008 9:25 PM
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I just really believe in this show and the whole staff. I also believe we could bring really good ratings to a smaller network. I know I'd keep working to bring people in. I've gotten 5 people hooked on this show since February. It has to count somewhere. Any creative staff that can bring in a major character, completely new in the second season and make it fit like a glove has writing talent to kill for. This show ROCKS. (And we already feel the love.)
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Mar 24, 2008 9:34 PM
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I am hoping that a cable channel will be smart enough to pick up the show. I will be fighting and waiting for (hopefully) great news. I have the DVR set to record Jericho on any station at any time! ![]<img border=](http://community.tvguide.com/images/emoticons/devil.gif) ">
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Mar 24, 2008 10:19 PM
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Is there anything/anywhere we can contact to help persuade networks to consider it?
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Mar 24, 2008 10:30 PM
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>>>some are saying that the fans didn’t fulfill their end of the bargain, that they didn’t recruit new viewers.<<<
They will know we did a lot more than they want to believe we did as we all begin dropping CBS shows and cbs affiliates.
What they don't realize is with the writers strike, many people found out we can get along just fine without tv so leaving cbs won't be hard for my household.
Thank you for the interview, can't wait for part 2 and I hope Carol can find another avenue for our Jericho.
Cheers to cbs dropping to the bottom of the barrel!
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Mar 24, 2008 11:16 PM
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Matt/TVGuide.com: The response on our news blog was astounding, and I've seen two common refrains from the readers. One, some are saying that the fans didn’t fulfill their end of the bargain, that they didn’t recruit new viewers. I think that's a bit unfair.
Barbee: I think our fans have been amazing. Our fans are not professional marketers! They are people with lives who gave so much of their time and energy and money to keep us on the air. They did more than enough, more than their share. We could not be more grateful to them. There's a limit to what a fan base can do when you're trying to reverse a slide in ratings.
Matt,
I believe this is the first time one of my posts -- that you directly allude to, one perhaps among a few others -- has been so directly referenced in a TVGuide.com article. But I stick by what I said and I also believe that Ms. Barbee, for whom I have a great deal of respect, is also 100% correct.
Let's be clear: when Nina Tassler announced the 7 episode renewal of Jericho, she challenged the fans who had saved the show directly. This comes directly from Ms. Tassler's statement:
"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."
So to the point I made, can you or anyone else refer to any specific campaign by the forces that saved Jericho -- or any other fan faction, for that matter -- that campaigned vigorously to bring new viewers to the show? Did they take out ads in USA Today or The Des Moines Register? Did they get face time on Entertainment Tonight or Extra? Did they organize grassroots viral marketing campaigns on YouTube, MySpace or Facebook? I never heard of these efforts...and I am a fan who loved Jericho from episode one and has followed its fortunes closely.
Ms. Barbee is on target in her assessment of the fans of Jericho. Amazing people. But at the end of the day when Tassler first issued that 7 episode reprieve, the vast majority of fans seemed to have responded with self-congratulatory back slapping for having slain the fierce CBS dragon and many with backhanded insults, calling CBS brass "idiots" anyway.
So how can you argue that I and other critics of my fellow fans' rabid reaction to the second cancellation of Jericho, are somehow "unfair" to them when a) CBS promoted the hell out of the return of the show, b) scheduled it in a time slot against mostly repeats during a strike where it would be original scripted programming (American Idol notwithstanding), and finally c) when the ratings CONTINUED TO FALL EVERY WEEK?
Please, correct me where I am wrong. In the meantime, the facts are these:
The cancelation of Jericho is a shame...but it was ultimately a business decision based on the fact that it wasn't pulling the numbers in to justify its continuation on CBS.
The ratings system is outdated and needs to be overhauled..but until that changes (and it should), it is the baseline by which the networks measure those decisions. Methinks that "the fans" should use Jericho as an example to lobby the networks DIRECTLY about changing the measuring systems, instead of simply and endlessly bitching on blogs about how it needs to change.
CBS screwed Jericho with the 3 month hiatus (in a effort to run fresh episodes continuously instead of reruns, it must be noted).....but CBS did not have any obligation to bring Jericho back from the grave, juggle the production of another show (Swingtown) to make way for it, or even provide closure to the series, something that fans of many, many other series will never, ever see.
Therefore, once again, I want to thank Ms. Barbee, Mr. Turtletaub, the phenomenal cast and crew, and -- yes -- CBS for a great series that, in a perfect world, we would have been able to enjoy for years.
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Mar 24, 2008 11:30 PM
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DS9Sisko, are you really a fan of Jericho or one of the PR men hired by CBS?
It is really unfair to blame the fans for the low ratings. Because, really it's not our job to promote Jericho and yet we promoted it to the best that we can. It might not be enough but we did our part. And we did it on our free will and with our own time...without getting paid.
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Mar 25, 2008 12:30 AM
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Oh for the love of God, someone please take this show out back and shoot it once and for all. You had your second chance, and you blew it. Nobody ever said anything "deserves" a THIRD chance. It's over! Deal with it!
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Mar 25, 2008 12:49 AM
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cali-cnm wrote: DS9Sisko, are you really a fan of Jericho or one of the PR men hired by CBS?
Didn't take long for that predicatible "response."
But, for the record, I am a fan of Jericho. Not hired by, working for, paid by or speaking for anyone else other than myself.
It is really unfair to blame the fans for the low ratings.
I don't blame all of the fans for the the low ratings; only the ones to whom I referred in my post. But here is something to think about: Jericho's viewership ratings fell just about every week since the premiere of the 7 episode mini-season. Is it not reasonable to assume that many of those who were not watching were fans?
Because, really it's not our job to promote Jericho ...
Something that even I pointed out in my original post.
"...and yet we promoted it to the best that we can. It might not be enough but we did our part. And we did it on our free will and with our own time...without getting paid."
I don't take issue with this sentiment in general. But this doesn't dispute or disprove anything I said specifically.
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Mar 25, 2008 1:10 AM
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I for one appreciate this interview and am looking forward to Pt 2. Thank You Matt and Carol!
As for the cancellation of the show, it sucked, but I was mentally prepared for it. The numbers obviously weren't there for CBS so I don't hate them.
I really do hope that one of the cable channels pick up the show. I feel the producers are like rolling the dice right now saying "C'mon SCI-FI!...Craps! Shoot, okay C'mon USA!". If they do I'll take it with a grain of salt because I know that they will have to cut the production budget and I suspect that means losing some writing and/or acting talent.
In the end I'll hope for the best and I'll be watching the finale. As for boycotting CBS, I don't really believe in that, but you know what? The only show I was watching on CBS was Jericho.
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Mar 25, 2008 2:15 AM
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Where did you say CBS stands in the network war? My oh my I wonder why that is?
Actually our family doesn't watch much episodic television since we started buying series on dvd. If they went to dvd immediately it was found to be a winning show we'd be very happy to plop down the cash, and stay off the networks as much as possible.
Jericho is a class act, too bad the $$ signs got in the way. We'll be watching to see if this finale is as grand as they are trying to peddle it.
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Mar 25, 2008 3:32 AM
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let me tell the people in here...i am international fan of jericho....it has reached as far as japan,australia,brazil,all of south america and europe....ha....i went through hell and high water to watch season 2..im lucky to have made a lot of friends online and one of them helped me...i have only once been so hooked on a show and that show was MASH...JERICHO RULES....i will keep fighting as long as i have 1 breath left in me...
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Mar 25, 2008 5:01 AM
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