Jericho Could Return Next Month

CBS is ready to bring Jericho back in the next month if their new fall lineup doesn’t score well in the ratings. The seven-episode second season has wrapped production and the network is eyeing the show as a potential replacement for one of several time periods that might open up in the coming weeks. If freshman efforts Kid Nation, Cane, Moonlight or the upcoming Viva Laughlin tank in the ratings, CBS is considering bringing the cult hit back early.

CBS’ other midseason drama, Swingtown, is not going to be ready until next year, though network also has The Amazing Race and game show Power of 10 available to fill one-hour slots. Last season Jericho aired Wednesdays at 8 p.m., the time period now held by Kid Nation. Though the slots occupied by Cane, Laughlin and Moonlight also have their pros and cons as potential slots for Jericho’s return.

The unique seven-episode Jericho order was prompted by fan outrage when CBS moved to cancel the struggling series. Jericho ended on a tantalizing cliffhanger, with the show’s heroes on the brink of war with neighboring town New Bern. A fan campaign that included sending tens of thousands of pounds of peanuts to CBS famously helped sway network executives to give the show another shot.

While CBS was on the fence, Jericho producers met with the Sci Fi Channel, which expressed interest in picking up the series as a potential companion and successor for Battlestar Galactica. CBS renewed Jericho shortly after, though network sources say any cable network interest had nothing to do with their decision. Regardless of which ending is used, executive producer Carol Barbee says the short season will satisfy fans. Though Barbee wouldn’t comment on any past or future cable network interest, she wouldn’t rule out shopping around the series if CBS doesn’t renew the show.

The season premiere will open after the Jericho vs. New Bern war, but includes flashbacks to the battle itself. For the finale, Barbee has shot multiple endings this time to ensure fans are not left in cliffhanger lurch should CBS axe the show. There’s also nothing scripted in the finale like last season’s never-surrender “nuts” battle cry that might haunt CBS executives.