'Jericho' scoop straight from the TCA floor: CBS built the online network that defeated it

By the time they faced TV critics here in Los Angeles, you couldn't wipe the grins off the faces of the producer and stars of CBS' Jericho, likely just the fourth series in history to be canceled by a network and wiped off the schedule, only to see a massive fan effort (to the tune of 50,000 emails) change the network's mind.

"Our audience became faces and people and lives; these are real people who said 'This is my show and I love this..stop treating me like a number,'" said Lennie James, who plays enigmatic soldier Robert Hawkins, his British accent lending a saucy lilt to his words. "It was a rare insight for the networks; I hope they learn from it."

First, the facts: producers expect to focus on Jericho in the seven new episodes CBS has agreed to produce, though they had originally hoped to split time between Jericho, rival town New Bern and New York, which has survived the nuclear attack which seems to have fractured the country.

Viewers will initially see the battle between Jericho and New Bern, and then flash forward weeks to the arrival of the new government from Cheyenne, which will take over as an occupying force trying to stem revenge killings and friction between Jericho and New Bern. Executive producer Carol Barbee expects lots of parallels with our real-life adventure in Iraq, and says she's fully prepared for blowback from the Limbaughs and Hannitys of the world.

Star Gerald McRaney is definitely off the show, his character Johnston Green killed to make room for star Skeet Ulrich's Jake Green to complete his character arc as the prodigal son who becomes an unwilling, but natural leader. Farmer Stanley Richmond will ask Mimi Clark, the IRS agent who had come to Jericho to audit him, to be his wife. But the show's focus will likely fall on Jake and Hawkins as they seek to save the world.

Production starts Monday on the show and will finish by September's end, meaning they'll be long done before episodes begin to air. And even though CBS executives said star Skeet Ulrich helped get the cast back on board once CBS decided to bring Jericho back, Ulrich himself said he was mostly calling just to tell everyone the show was coming back.

"I don't think I had to convince anybody," said Ulrich, who joked about thanking fans door-to-door. "I just love sharing shocking news...It's been an incredible experience from the lows of cancellation to the fans rising up to save us. I think the best way to thank fans is to do a great show."

The only fly in the ointment for this love-fest was the departure of McRaney, whose Johnston Green character seemed to be the heart of the show, though he died at season's end.

"Jericho is a town where people need to be able to die," said Barbee, noting that McRaney knew his character was to be killed, but likely didn't know it would happen in the first season. "When I called him (to tell him the character would die), his final comment to me was 'Let's go kick some ass.' He understood it."

Fans sent loads of nuts to Jericho -- and CBS helpfully provided bags of nuts for critics at the press conference today. What would castmembers have sent to the network if they could choose?

"Snakes," quipped Ulrich, only to be topped by castmate James.

"Strippers," James said, laughing. "Strippers that bounce."

Which led a colleague of mine to wonder if there weren't 12 hackers somewhere in Colorado masterminding this whole exercise.

And biggest irony is that, in spending money to build a special Web site and online community to keep fans focused on Jericho when the show went on a long hiatus last December and January, they helped build the community when eventually forced them into a highly public reversal.

"What it did give us was an amazing Internet community," said Barbee. "We're very grateful."   

Comments

[Jodi]

Thanks for the great article. Even knowing a bit of what to expect when the next seven episodes air, I'm as anxious as ever to see them.

[Debby Balcer]

Thanks for the information. I can't wait to see the new season. It should be exciting.

[Marlene Nice]

"Strippers"? Lennie James is great!

I agree with you that the Johnston Green character was the heart of the show and I can't believe they killed him off. It won't be the same without him, he had the best lines!

Thanks again for a great article.

[Linda]

Wonderful article. I love reading spoilers for upcoming episodes. Enjoyed the casts & producers comments. Can't wait for new episodes.

[Grace]

Sure wish McRaney was coming back. His character died too soon. I don't buy Barbee's explanation, but the fact is that McRaney is gone.
Best of luck to all....the stars, crew, production team and us..the fans. I hope the show will have the same 'heart' that it had the first season.

"You never know when you might need a tank". Johnston Green

[Tom]

Thanks for the great article. We just love this show.

[jackie]

What an exciting article, it's so great to hear from the cast, boy wouldn't I just love for Skeet to drop by this fans door to say "thanks". I can hardly wait for season 2. Thank you so much.

[Jayhawkgirl]

Great article. I can't wait for the new episodes to begin, and I too would love for Skeet to come to my door. I believe he also offered to buy all the fans a beer too. : )

[PhillyPhan]

Lenny said it: "This is my show and I love this..stop treating me like a number," The problem is they didn't treat us like a number -- had they done that, they would have counted us! ALL of us.

For me, this the secondary objective of this campaign.

Thanks for covering Jericho for all of us NUTS!

[Lily]

Why would Lennie send CBS strippers??
I don't quite get that answer. I like Skeet's answer better...SNAKES!! LOL!!
CAN'T wait for the new episodes!! Just wish that McRaney was along for the ride as well. :)
I hope all you NIELSEN FAMILIES will give the show a chance and WATCH IT just a few times. I PROMISE you that you will love it as much as we do.

Skeet can knock on my door any ol' time. :)

[Dwayne]

Thank you so much for this article. I can't wait till the new episodes come out. This is the first solid news of the new season I have read.

I too regret the loss of Johnston Greene, but I would be surprised if his character doesn't appear in a least a couple of episodes in flashback. Given the fact that two full episodes and several part episodes were in flashback.

[judist63]

I adore Skeet Ulrich and find his remark about the snakes kind of symbolic for how he must have felt about what CBS did with Jericho's axing in the first place. But the cast of Jericho is so classy and forthright, one reason we fans love this show so much. This article is wonderful and very informative. Thank you so much for giving Jericho the attention it deserves.

[kestral]

Thank you for a great article! I enjoyed reading the casts comments. Reading their comments reaffirms in my mind that I am right in continuing to fight on for season 3 and more. I have enjoyed falling in love with Jericho all over again through the reruns airing on Fridays at 9pm est. Once again, thank you so much for your article!