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CBS Reveals Fall Slate
Day three of the Upfronts and this time it was CBS' turn to announce their new fall schedule. First of all, let me just say for the record I’m pissed that they chose to cancel "Jericho." How is it that a gripping, suspenseful, unconventional serialized drama gets the can while copycat shows like "NCIS", "Cold Case", "Without a Trace" and "Numb3rs" continue to survive?
Are the ratings really that fabulous? I mean who is watching this stuff because I cant name one person I know who does. They are the number one network so I guess someone out there is watching. I'd love to know whom.
Ok. Enough ranting about the injustice of "Jericho." Let's get to breaking down the new shows CBS wants you to watch.
Cane - By far the networks best option. The show brings Jimmy Smits back to TV after his turn on "The West Wing" and of course his Emmy winning days on "NYPD Blue." It's a family drama about a large Cuban-American family who run successful rum and sugar business. Smits is the adopted son who faces off with his natural born brother, played by Nestor Carbonell, over running the family business. Lost fans will recognize Carbonell as the ruthless Richard Alpert on "Lost." This could give us a hint about his fate with The Others. That pesky confidentiality agreement he signed wont let him say though. I digress. From what I’ve seen "Cane" is good. It's smart, sophisticated, sexy and drama fueled. Plus, it's up against two aging franchises on Tuesday Nights, "Law & Order: SVU" and "Boston Legal." The prediction for success is sweet.
Moonlight - The best thing by far about this modern day vampire tale about an "undead" private investigator is the lead actor, Alex O'Loughlin (pictured above). He is adorable in that Patrick Dempsey unassuming, non-chiseled way. During the presentation the two gals next to me jointly decided, "he's cute." The show did nothing for me. After it's abruptly cancelled, If there is an opening on "Grey's Anatomy" for a McVampy, give this cutie a call!
Viva Laughlin - Dare I say it? I'm going to have to rename this one Viva Awfulin. I didn't get it. Based on some supposedly wildly popular British series called "Viva Blackpool" this very odd show is a dubbed as a mystery drama with music. It's not a musical per se. They do however bust out on spontaneous songs set to regular music. It's more like a karaoke mystery drama. The show revolves around a businessman whose sole ambition is to open a casino and is executive produced by Hugh Jackman, who will have a recurring role. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler told the crowd this was a project that every network wanted and there was a huge fight to get it. Really? Maybe I am missing something but I can tell you that most of the people after the presentation were snickering about it outside. All I have to say is...Does anyone remember "Cop Rock?"
The Big Bang Theory - I'm telling you. This is a great time to be a nerd and here is a show celebrating that. CBS cancelled "The Class" and will try another conventional sitcom to round out its Monday night comedies. This one is about two brainy best friends who are happily ensconced in nerdville until a new hot blonde neighbor moves in. I didn't laugh once but there were chuckles and whistles after we watched the presentation. So, someone out there liked it. Maybe I was in a room full of nerds?
Kid Nation - This has summer reality show written all over it. However, for some reason CBS has chosen to give it a spot on the fall schedule. 40 kids ranging in age from 15 to 8 get dropped off in a ghost town and are put to the task of building a town. No parents. No supervision. They have to cook their own meals, clean the outhouses and create a kid government. I might be intrigued to watch it in June or July. Come fall, my schedule will be booked with adult TV.
Tomorrow my breakdown of Fox's new lineup.
I agree; Jericho was an excellent show: different and very well acted. It deserved to come back, and I am truly disappointed that CBS chose to cancel it!
Many of us Jericho fans have been trying to contact anyone who can help bring this great TV show back. Jericho was the best show on TV and I never missed a single minute of it. It was a compelling, original show that pulled you in the moment you sat down to watch it. The cast portrayed their characters extremely well, and many fans were able to relate to the characters on a personal level. I would love to get some answers on why the show was cancelled. I know you have been flooded with emails, letters and phone calls about the wonderful show, and I don't think they will stop until we hear something. From what I can tell, the show reaches out to all demographics. By watching Jericho I have been able to talk to older/younger people as well as people my age about the show. We all had one thing in common, we all loved Jericho. To see it go is like seeing a part of my life go as well. Fans spent 22 hours watching, being pulled in by the show and to see it swept under the rub is very disappointing. I, like many fans, feel betrayed by CBS Corp. Please do whatever you can to get the show back on television, either your station or shop it around for another station to pick up. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day do listen to a concerned viewer.
Jericho Fans Mounting NUTS Campaign Against CBS Executives
The CBS network’s decision to cancel the much-loved dramatic series Jericho has the fan base up in arms. A grass-roots campaign of phone calls, emails, letters, and now nuts of any type is clogging the voice mailboxes, inboxes and mailroom of the CBS offices in New York in an attempt to persuade the executives to rethink their decision or allow the series to be picked by another network. Even though Jericho held second place in it’s time slot, beaten out only by American Idol, Kelly Kahl, CBS’ chief scheduling executive stated, “…the show sort of lost its engine and wasn’t performing.”
This post-apocalyptic drama began with nuclear bombs being detonated in major cities throughout the United States and follows the residents of small-town Jericho, Kansas as they try to regroup and survive in a new world with no outside communication, information or assistance. What was promoted as the season finale ended on a cliffhanger with the first shot being fired while Jericho residents were taking a stand against the invasion of a neighboring town, New Bern.
The NUTS campaign is based on the words of a WWII military general, quoted during the final episode, Why We Fight, as a response to his opposition when offered surrender, “NUTS!”
For more information on this story, or how to make you own voice heard, visit these websites: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/jericho
http://www.jericholives.com/
http://www.jerichorallypoint.com/sm/index.php