I predict Jericho will do about as well as it did last week (a 3.8/6 HH Rating/Share and 5.67 million viewers) all The Talk about how election coverage screwed up the Nielsen results notwithstanding. All The Talk about how invalid Nielsen measurement is too. All measurement systems are flawed, but we do not live in a world where it's NOT badly flawed for House, Lost and HBO's The Wire, but is badly flawed for Jericho. If you want to live in that world and it makes you feel better, that's fine. But, that's as fictional as your favorite show.
It took me less than a month to watch the first three seasons of Lost. It probably took me less than 3 weeks to watch the first three seasons of House. I made it through four seasons of The Wire in less than a month. If it makes you feel any better, probably 10x as many people watch Jericho than The Wire, though if they stuck it on CBS at Tuesday's at 10pm, I'm not so sure The Wire wouldn't pull similar numbers to Jericho. I started watching Jericho Season One well over a month ago. I haven't made it through yet.
Like most people, I watch television to be entertained. Jericho is a good fit for me theoretically. Apocalypse? Surviving the end of the world? That has "I LOVE IT" written all over it. Only I don't love it. I like the basic story just fine. I think mostly the acting ranges from good to very good, too. What sucks for me is some of the storyline and the pacing.
Based on viewership and a very loyal following of fans, I think the show could do fine on a non-major broadcast network (that pretty much leaves CW on broadcast and SciFi, USA, and a host of other options on cable). But I'm not sure if it continues after this year because it seems to me like there is only so much room with the story arc to keep it interesting. That's the only reason I can come up for the show being so miserably paced. They could've made a really good two hour movie out of the premise, or perhaps even a 10 hour miniseries. I'm not sure it's cut out for episodic television without being as plodding as it is.
I don't want to hear about how I'm a lover of reality shows. I'm not. In fact, there's nothing on my DVR that's unscripted that isn't broadcast by ESPN. So spare me the "You love crap like American Idol" harassment. I don't watch American Idol. I admit I did recently add Extreme Makeover: Home Edition just because I wanted to see what it is because it pulled in more viewers than Oprah's Big Give. I'd have bet money on Oprah, and as with most of my wagering, I would've lost the bet.
Everything else I watch outside of sports is scripted drama. I personally enjoy Supernatural much more than Jericho. I thought the story arc involving Sam & Dean's dad that played out over the first two seasons was extremely good. I still enjoyed season three, but the current story arc isn't as interesting as the previous one, but I think the writers did a fair job of Season 3 anyway (I reserve the right to change my mind when new episodes begin airing!).
I grant that it could just be me. It seems like most episodic television winds up having parts I don't love. That's true for me with LOST, extremely true for me with Heroes, and true for me with one of my all-time favorites, 24. Any part of 24 that dwells on Jack's daughter, Kim? Eh. Just not important to me. I understand why they do it and at least in season 2 (I think) there was some humor in it when she wound up at some crazy guy's house in the woods and it was none other than Kevin Dillon (Johnny Drama on Entourage - and yes, I LOVE Entourage!), but those story lines don't interest me. But it's one small thing that I can ignore.
It's not as easy to ignore with Jericho. At least if I'm not drinking when I watch it. There are way too many storylines in Jericho that don't interest me so far. Dale's rise to becoming a murderous gangster? Yawn. Anything to do with Eric and his sordid love life? Yawn.
Amazingly I actually do very much enjoy the interplay between Stanley (Brady Beyer) and Mimi (Alicia Coppola) and I give some love to Stanley's little sister Bonnie (Shoshannah Stern) because I enjoyed Showtime's Weeds where Ms. Stern spent a season.
And while Ashley Scott is quite lovely, the Emily character itself has been a real snooze (at least through the first 18 episodes). If I was writing the show I'd have focused more on the Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) and Robert Hawkins (Lennie James) characters. Both are interesting and to the degree that their characters have been explored through the first 75% of Season One, it's been interesting.
I suspect for the loyal following the reason that they love the show is the same reason I don't: a very large ensemble cast, with a sprawling storyline that must focus a little on each of them. If the writers/producers can find the energy to do it off a broadcast network, I'd definitely recommend they do it. But CBS will almost certainly cancel this show from its primetime schedule, and there's nothing that can stop that because the ratings are not going to increase by 3 million people. You don't find three million new viewers who'll jump in during the middle.
Online streaming won't stop that. Neither will iTunes and most certainly neither will the DVR viewing (1.5 million DVR viewers for the premiere, about 1.25 million for the episode that aired the week after).
Please note that if you're a huge fan of Jericho - I'm sorry. I'd much rather agree with you that it's the best thing since high-speed Internet access, but I don't. I'm not alone in that either. Still, for the sake of the show's fans I do hope the show winds up living on somewhere - but CBS? I don't think so.
If it turns out 10 million (or you know what, even 9 million) watch I'll put my tail between my legs. 10.2 million people watched a rerun of CSI: Miami last night and it pulled a 2.7 in the 18-49 demo. If it beats that performance? I swear on my mother's grave, I'll eat nothing but nuts for a whole year. Probably not a hardship I LOVE sunflower kernels. I am a big fan of cashews and peanuts too. And don't even get me started on pistachios, because once I start, I can't stop.
I predict I'll be able to eat an egg sandwich tomorrow with impunity.
So how did Jericho do last night?
So how did Jericho do last night?
Hi, I just wanted to say I’ve seen every episode of Jericho and the reviewer is completely right. In fact, he said it was a good fit for him as it is for me. But somehow something in this show is off. I love these genre shows but Jericho just doesn’t cut it for me. About the other shows you mentioned, also I agree with every point you make, talk about similar taste. So I don’t think it will come as a surprise that my fave show at the moment is TSCC. That being said I will still always root for shows like Jericho because these kind of shows will always be better than self-contained episode shows or…ugh, reality tv.
Hi, I just wanted to say I've seen every episode of Jericho and the reviewer is completely right. In fact, he said it was a good fit for him as it is for me. But somehow something in this show is off. I love these genre shows but Jericho just doesn't cut it for me. About the other shows you mentioned, also I agree with every point you make, talk about similar taste. So I don't think it will come as a surprise that my fave show at the moment is TSCC. That being said I will still always root for shows like Jericho because these kind of shows will always be better than self-contained episode shows or…ugh, reality tv.
I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it is not an opinion when you are telling someone what to think. No one tells me what I like. I know what I like and I know what I think. I think that the Nielson Ratings are outdated and that they become a chore after a few days. CBS has other means to rate a show besides the Nielson. People like you, trying to tell people like me what to think are what is beginning to turn this into a Fahrenheit 451 escque society. Your “reports” are biased against shows that you just simply don’t like. Like others besides me have said, you go out of your way to trash Jericho. Just because you don’t like a show, that does not mean that absolutely everyone thinks the same as you.
I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it is not an opinion when you are telling someone what to think. No one tells me what I like. I know what I like and I know what I think. I think that the Nielson Ratings are outdated and that they become a chore after a few days. CBS has other means to rate a show besides the Nielson. People like you, trying to tell people like me what to think are what is beginning to turn this into a Fahrenheit 451 escque society. Your “reports” are biased against shows that you just simply don't like. Like others besides me have said, you go out of your way to trash Jericho. Just because you don't like a show, that does not mean that absolutely everyone thinks the same as you.
Also, I am sorry if that sounded kind of harsh.
Also, I am sorry if that sounded kind of harsh.
You are correct in at least one aspect though, being a free marked capitalist, the basis of capitalism is making money and entrepreneurship. If a show does not make much money BUT has a large fan base that clearly exists, then there should be better ways of dealing with the show than just simply canceling it. In business, there is a saying, “The customer is always right.” In this case the customers are the viewers of the shows on the networks. Here are some simple steps people could take to save Jericho.
1. People who watch Jericho could sign up for the Nielson.
2. CBS can go on an advertising campaign.
3. The viewers could send in 3 terabytes of emails saying why CBS should not cancel Jericho.
4. People can start a grass roots campaign to spread the word about Jericho.
5. People can have fund raisers, helping to keep Jericho on the air.
You are correct in at least one aspect though, being a free marked capitalist, the basis of capitalism is making money and entrepreneurship. If a show does not make much money BUT has a large fan base that clearly exists, then there should be better ways of dealing with the show than just simply canceling it. In business, there is a saying, “The customer is always right.” In this case the customers are the viewers of the shows on the networks. Here are some simple steps people could take to save Jericho.
1. People who watch Jericho could sign up for the Nielson.
2. CBS can go on an advertising campaign.
3. The viewers could send in 3 terabytes of emails saying why CBS should not cancel Jericho.
4. People can start a grass roots campaign to spread the word about Jericho.
5. People can have fund raisers, helping to keep Jericho on the air.
I misspelled market as marked for some reason.
I misspelled market as marked for some reason.
Robert, Thank you for the website. It is absolutely wonderful. I hope to see Jericho on for another season. I hope it stays on CBS but if not, agree with you about moving to another network. I do have one question that is somewhat irrelevant. You had mentioned one time before about the DVD sales for Jericho. Is there anywhere to get those numbers? I know it all has to do with ratings, but if you had that information, it would be some nice geewhiz information to know. Thanks for your time.
Robert, Thank you for the website. It is absolutely wonderful. I hope to see Jericho on for another season. I hope it stays on CBS but if not, agree with you about moving to another network. I do have one question that is somewhat irrelevant. You had mentioned one time before about the DVD sales for Jericho. Is there anywhere to get those numbers? I know it all has to do with ratings, but if you had that information, it would be some nice geewhiz information to know. Thanks for your time.
You know, I actually like the Dale character, but I do hope that the show sticks around.
You know, I actually like the Dale character, but I do hope that the show sticks around.
I have to say…despite my disagreement with the author regarding Nielsens…there is one thing we, as Jericho fans, should be APPLAUDING him on. And, that is, he has FAITHFULLY done an article almost solely on Jericho every week since Season 2 began. He is simply reporting the numbers. While it is depressing, he is actually doing us a service in giving us the facts, quickly. If we couldn’t get out there and get 3 million more folks to watch the broadcast time of Jericho, then that isn’t his fault. CBS, however, should be taking a lot more of the blame. Fans being required to “get the viewership up,” without decent promotion by the network (Strike 1), without a decent timeslot (Strike 2), and without at LEAST a 13 episode committment to help advance the storyline for those new viewers (Strike 3)…well, they’re behind the eight ball from the get-go. I think the most likely outcome of this, is that Jericho will, indeed, be cancelled. If it makes it to another network, we will be EXTREMELY lucky, because we are not hearing much on that front. FNL has already…after just a few weeks…interest from Direct TV in a partnership to air the episodes one day prior to NBC. This Jericho business has been going on for almost a year and there’s no move yet. I think CBS probably feels like the martyr now…as in, “Oh look…we did this really nice thing for the fans and put their little show back on…no numbers? Oh well…too bad. We tried REALLY HARD.” @@ And, they pat us on the head and move on.
In short…let’s don’t kill the messenger. It blows, but our ire is better directed toward CBS, or…just chalked up. At the very least, I think the fan ressurection of Jericho has put the spotlight on traditional ratings gathering and left an interesting footnote in TV history. Maybe that’s all it was meant to do.
I have to say…despite my disagreement with the author regarding Nielsens…there is one thing we, as Jericho fans, should be APPLAUDING him on. And, that is, he has FAITHFULLY done an article almost solely on Jericho every week since Season 2 began. He is simply reporting the numbers. While it is depressing, he is actually doing us a service in giving us the facts, quickly. If we couldn't get out there and get 3 million more folks to watch the broadcast time of Jericho, then that isn't his fault. CBS, however, should be taking a lot more of the blame. Fans being required to “get the viewership up,” without decent promotion by the network (Strike 1), without a decent timeslot (Strike 2), and without at LEAST a 13 episode committment to help advance the storyline for those new viewers (Strike 3)…well, they're behind the eight ball from the get-go. I think the most likely outcome of this, is that Jericho will, indeed, be cancelled. If it makes it to another network, we will be EXTREMELY lucky, because we are not hearing much on that front. FNL has already…after just a few weeks…interest from Direct TV in a partnership to air the episodes one day prior to NBC. This Jericho business has been going on for almost a year and there's no move yet. I think CBS probably feels like the martyr now…as in, “Oh look…we did this really nice thing for the fans and put their little show back on…no numbers? Oh well…too bad. We tried REALLY HARD.” @@ And, they pat us on the head and move on.
In short…let's don't kill the messenger. It blows, but our ire is better directed toward CBS, or…just chalked up. At the very least, I think the fan ressurection of Jericho has put the spotlight on traditional ratings gathering and left an interesting footnote in TV history. Maybe that's all it was meant to do.
There are many fans of Jericho (myself included) that felt the first half of season one moved at a slower pace than it should have so you’re not alone there. However, like some shows you listed – Heroes, Entourage, LOST, Supernatural – they’re all unique and I think viewers are seeking out this brand more than they used to.
I don’t like nielsen, I don’t trust them and try as you may, they ARE antiquated. How can you POSSIBLY think they are not when they still use paper diaries! That is mind boggling. You can’t say they aren’t antiquated just because they monopolize the sampling market.
Their sampling size is 25,000 to 113 million. That is not representative. That is outrageous and ridiculous! Not just for Jericho, for all shows. I’d like to hear your thoughts about the live DTV measurement.
Jericho fans followed this on 3/4 and noticed Jericho a strong #2 out of the gate at 10pm EST, and even spiked to #1 for 15 minutes. But then dropped to #2 in the last 10 minutes of the hour. That is not what nielsen reported.
Central time reported they carried #1 on DTV.
DTV has 16 million subscribers, at least. If only a fraction of that number opts in for the live measurement, I’d say that is a MUCH more accurate sample than nielsen is providing. How do you explain that?
There are many fans of Jericho (myself included) that felt the first half of season one moved at a slower pace than it should have so you're not alone there. However, like some shows you listed – Heroes, Entourage, LOST, Supernatural – they're all unique and I think viewers are seeking out this brand more than they used to.
I don't like nielsen, I don't trust them and try as you may, they ARE antiquated. How can you POSSIBLY think they are not when they still use paper diaries! That is mind boggling. You can't say they aren't antiquated just because they monopolize the sampling market.
Their sampling size is 25,000 to 113 million. That is not representative. That is outrageous and ridiculous! Not just for Jericho, for all shows. I'd like to hear your thoughts about the live DTV measurement.
Jericho fans followed this on 3/4 and noticed Jericho a strong #2 out of the gate at 10pm EST, and even spiked to #1 for 15 minutes. But then dropped to #2 in the last 10 minutes of the hour. That is not what nielsen reported.
Central time reported they carried #1 on DTV.
DTV has 16 million subscribers, at least. If only a fraction of that number opts in for the live measurement, I'd say that is a MUCH more accurate sample than nielsen is providing. How do you explain that?