Leaving Jericho

Arabelle's Alley was born from a desire to showcase the Save Jericho campaign in May of 2007; it then evolved into an outlet for Jericho news and information.

This chapter of the Jericho saga is finished. Jericho has been cancelled by the people who can't see the future so it is time for me to move on.

All content will be left online for viewing but I will not continue to post. I would like to thank everyone who contributed, commented, dugg, and those who were faithful readers.

JerichoMonster will remain active but, in coming weeks, will have a different look and broader scope. Jericho will continue to be a part of the Monster.

My friend, Beth, and I are happy to have a new blog named Margie and Edna's Basement. Margie and Edna are fictional characters created by Beth and myself. They have lived in Jericho, Kansas all their lives but have decided it's time for them to branch out beyond their beloved town. We hope you will follow their hilarious adventures.

Special Announcement

Special announcement:

We are Margie and Edna. We have lived in Jericho, Kansas all our lives but we've decided it's time for us to branch out beyond our beloved town.

We'll still keep you informed of all the gossip-I mean the goings on here in town-but we're also going to talk about anything and everything else.

Please visit us at our new blog: Margie and Edna's Basement.

We do love having company.



"Fox passed CBS as the most-watched television network after its "American Idol" singing contest topped ratings and the Hollywood writers strike limited competition from scripted shows.

Fox's 6.8 rating among U.S. households in primetime for the season through March 16 snatched the lead from CBS Corp., according to Nielsen Media Research. CBS has been first for five consecutive seasons, Nielsen spokesman Gary Holmes said."

Jericho: Social Networking

"Some suggestions on how the Jericho fans could use social networking to get the word out about their show."


"Endings are hard. One of the most unusual things about American television is that success equals an endlessly deferred ending, an aspect I’ve previously discussed as the “infinity model” of storytelling. In other countries, most shows have a limited term with a clear understanding that a show ending is an important part of its run. But in the U.S., most shows keep going until the ratings erode or the producers pull the plug. One of the many things to love about The Wire is that the producers had a finite scope in mind, and that HBO allowed it to play out despite weak ratings (not that HBO cares about ratings per se)."

Season Finale ??

"OK, here’s my immediate thoughts on tonight’s episode.

First, who else noticed that at the end of the “coming next week” promo, it called it the “SEASON FINALE”??? Are they trying to tell us the good news that way or are they just trying to keep us guessing?"

**** I think CBS is jerking us around.****



What is a Widget?

"We're talking about small, fairly straightforward applications that can run on your desktop or online: floating clock faces, scoreboards, weather monitors and so on. Think of them as miniature, portable web experiences that can be installed on your computer or -- increasingly -- embedded in MySpace or Facebook pages, in personalized home pages such as iGoogle, or on blogs."

Marketing TV

I'm posting early today as severe storms are supposed to arrive by afternoon.
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"Wherever people of similar interests congregate marketers are soon to follow. It happened with newspapers and radio. Then in the 1960s broadcast television ushered in the great era of advertising which was followed 25 years later by the proliferation of cable programming.

The requirement to segment an audience for targeting and tailoring of message is the driver of communications. Gender…cultural background…age…income…topics of interest...these demographics and considerations influence nearly $300 billion in advertising expenditures a year in the United States."



"CBS' experiment with a spring season of "Big Brother" may not be attracting huge crowds, but the network wants the reality staple back for the summer.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS is still planning on another installment of "Big Brother" for the summer, with the show's 10th season running essentially back-to-back with the current "Big Brother: 'Til Death Do Us Part."

Changing Television

"Television, as we know it, is changing as we know it. Think about it. Talk to anyone who was born before Television even existed and they’ll tell you how much it’s changed since its inception. Talk to anyone who was born within the last 40 years, and they’ll tell you things have changed since even they’ve been around. Color television was only introduced into households in the mid 1950’s early 1960’s, but very few shows were actually filmed and broadcast in color, though NBC’s ‘Ford Theatre’ became the first color filmed series in October 1954."




" There are so many websites with LOST theories. Almost every little detail is analyzed and each time I read a new theory I discover meaning behind things I didn’t even notice.

And of course no one knows if he or she is right.

What we experience is, I think, one big puzzle (”Second Degree White Belt Sudoko“). So if you want to read up on some theories and have your own brilliant ideas, you absolutely need to check first “what is already know”, unfortunately that is more than a day-task. Here is a by-far-not-complete-list of 20 LOST sites that you can scan completely for info. On these sites you will find links to dozens of other (official) LOST sites and communities."

Nutty Nielsens

More on Nutty Nielsen ratings.

"Nielsen recently announced time frames for two major data initiatives, including a new "enhanced weighting" procedure that has the potential of generating differences in ratings estimates effective with the next television season. Nielsen said it will revise the algorithms it uses to weight national ratings beginning in September 2008, and that the revision would likely have an effect on both program and average commercial minute audience estimates."
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"Nielsen's calculation systems are so complex, especially since they've weighted people in the database so that a person is not a simple person. A person is 1.1 on one day and 1.5 on another day," Brooks explains, adding, "Therefore, when they do multiple calculations they run the risk that people who were heavily weighted in the 'live' sample, may not be in the playback sample."

Nielsen Out-Of-Home

"The Nielsen Co. has begun to get some traction for its newest research services that are designed to analyze TV viewing beyond the traditional home-bound TV screen. In a first-of-its kind agreement announced Thursday, Zenith Media Services has signed for three new Nielsen services, becoming the first subscriber to the Nielsen Out-of-Home Report.

Set to launch next month, the Out-of-Home Report is a joint service of Nielsen and Integrated Media Measurement that uses a cell phone-based methodology to track TV viewing outside the home in bars, hotels, airports and other locations. "




"Most Lost fans have a favorite character, or even a few favorites. Now all of the Locke fans, Kate admirers, and Ben disciples can settle their differences--March Madness-style. Since March 7th, the Washington Post has been hosting Lost Madness, a bracket-like poll to determine the best all-time Lost character."

Lost and Moonves

Thanks, Amy, for the Lost recap.

"So more lies and more coverups, people. Some are speculating that maybe Jin is still back on the island, presumably with the other survivors, but given that this gravesite visit was a private one, I’m guessing that Jin is really, truly dead in the future.

The question is: What happened to him? And why did Sun have to lie about him dying in the crash?

And, oh yeah, WHO THE HECK ROUNDS OUT THE SIXERS?!? Is it indeed Claire’s son, Aaron? Or were the writers teasing us, and is another member yet to be revealed? Producers Cuse and Lindeoff have some explaining to do…"




"Speaking at the Bear Stearns Media conference in Palm Beach, Fla., CBS CEO Les Moonves said he's surprised by Rupert Murdoch's slowdown comments. If CBS has seen any ad sales drop, he says, it's been offset by political spending.

On the eve of the Hulu launch, Les also criticized his competitors' attempts to go online, though he didn't call anyone out by name. He said he doesn't want to see just a regurgitation of programming on the Web. CBS should put interactive programming on the Web, not just replays of TV shows. This sounds an awful lot like what CBS digital boss Quincy Smith has been saying.

Three to four years from now we'll have $750 million in digital revenue primarily from CBS properties spread out across the Internet.

Online is going to grow in leaps and bounds, but certain things work better in certain mediums. Says he doesn't want the Internet to just be TV on a smaller screen.

Psychologically people are saying that Showtime is the new HBO."

Charter Goes Nielsen

"The Nielsen Co. has struck a deal with Charter Communications to analyze set-top box data from 330,000 homes in the Los Angeles area, the parties said today.

Nielsen has similar agreements with other undisclosed MSOs but the Charter deal goes a step further in that it licenses the ratings company to also create ratings reports from the data that it can then sell to clients. Nielsen said such reports would be available to clients starting in the second quarter of 2008. Adweek is a unit of Nielsen.

Charter struck a similar deal in November 2006 with Nielsen competitor TNS Media Research, which sells reports based on the Charter set-top box data to clients via a syndicated package it calls TotalView. Publicis Groupe's Starcom was the first media agency to sign up and other buyers and sellers of TV time have signed up since then.

Set-top box viewing data has attracted a lot of interest from agencies and their clients who are looking for more detailed analyses about the TV viewing patterns of the consumers they reach with ads. Set-top box data has the potential to offer more detail because it offers a second-by-second look at how viewers watch, as opposed to the minute-by-minute view offered by the current Nielsen national ratings service."

Stand and Fight

Jericho: Episodes and Clips

"Using DVR and TiVo does help. Remember CBS shows are advertiser supported shows and so skipping though commercials means the advertisers can more easily ignore you. On the other hand they can’t tell if you’re off making a quick snack or got up to let the dog out. Ratings track how far after the air date a show is viewed and the sooner the better. When possible try to watch in the first three days, and failing that within the first seven.

Online viewing of episodes has CBS’ attention (and the Jericho writers actually get paid for them now). Episodes and clips can be viewed here.



SciFi Channel shows confidence in Jericho by turning over this Friday’s lineup to Jericho.

Starting at 8/7c this Friday SciFi airs Jericho for four full hours of primetime programming. The episodes start with Rogue River, Crossroads, Red Flag, and end with Vox Populi.

Nielsen Monopoly and Sampling

""The digital set-top box represents the Holy Grail for marketers; a virtual treasure-trove of TV viewing data -- if it can be effectively harnessed.

It could also mean the end of Nielsen Media Research's monopoly over the $600 million TV ratings business, if TNS, Comscore, ErinMedia or a host of other startups have their way.

An example of that is the skirmishes with Florida-based ErinMedia, which has developed technology it believes will make the concept of a "Nielsen Family" obsolete.

The company is in the middle of an antitrust suit against Nielsen in which it argues Nielsen's longterm, staggered contracts with media companies prevents others from entering the ratings market."
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"Mistakes in Sampling
And there are mistakes. Mistakes that have forced advertisers to lose money. Nielsen has acknowledged, for example, that in Los Angeles that fault rates for Hispanic households have been 27% higher than the rest of the sample. Audits by the Media Rating Council also found that Nielsen’s local people meter system used in New York failed to record viewing data from over 25% of African American homes in the sample.

I have only come across three people who were invited to be a part of the Nielsen family through People Meters and diaries used during sweeps period. All three admitted that with their busy schedules and viewing patterns it was hard to know what they actually watched. In addition, they often forgot to write down what they watched and decided to simply fill in the blanks with their favorites. One couple with a People Meter was on vacation and kept their television on PBS during their whole vacation in hopes of helping the non-commercial station.

In an effort to please advertisers and critics, Nielsen has been doing a few things that it believes are making them a little smarter. While its efforts can be applauded, some of the steps remained flawed."

Bringing Back The Monster: Season 3

" Bringing new life to the monster."

"Save season 3 initiatives are starting to spring up for Jericho. In chat rooms, on message boards and through private message the call is sounding throughout the Jericho fandom to be proactive and act before any decision is made about the show. There are a number of fantastic resources we can visit or revisit as we think about which tactics we personally will employ to keep our show alive."



"Welcome to the News & Information Update site for the New Home 4 Dresden Petition & Campaign!"

Another One Bites The Dust

Ben Silverman is probably hating Nina Tassler these days.

Not because he's the chief programmer of NBC and she's the chief programmer of CBS. But Tassler is at least partly, albeit indirectly, responsible for the fact that Silverman is being buried under baby booties.

Silverman has angered "Las Vegas" fans because he canceled the show. Not just because he canceled it, but because the final episode was no finale at all — it ended on a cliffhanger involving Delinda Deline (Molly Sims) being pregnant.

Which precipitated "The Save Las Vegas/Operation: Baby Booties" campaign. Which was in no small part inspired by what happened at CBS last year."



"AT&T has joined two venture capital firms and a Hollywood talent agency to invest in new digital media companies, reports The New York Times.

The VC firms are Accel Partners and Venrock; the agency is William Morris. The partnership seeks companies interested in developing entertainment content and technology.

AT&T hopes to get in early among technologies that might improve the ease with which ads are run on mobile devices."

Online Videos

"Everyone knows most online videos are watched at work. Right?

No, they're not, says CBS. The broadcaster says its online viewership peaks twice each night -- once at 7pm on the east coast, and then again three hours later, when west coast viewers get home.Veoh has told us a similar story, which may mean that while most video is watched during the day, certain types of video -- presumably longer clips or full shows -- are not.

For CBS, viewing for individual shows online tends to peak right before a new episode airs, as fans catch up on ones they've missed. The downside: The more people watch at night, the more likely they are to cut back on honest-to-goodness prime time television, which is much more valuable for the network. CBS execs say that's inevitable, but that it hasn't yet affected ratings."




"Disney is going to raid the TV archives, a move that may allow viewers to watch 50s-era series like "Zorro" and "Davy Crockett" via ad-supported streams or by paid downloads through Apple's iTunes, CEO Bob Iger said at Disney's annual meeting.

Iger didn't actually say which shows from the ABC/Disney library would make a digital comeback, but it's clear he's eyeing the free money discovered by CBS and NBC, both of which have been pleasantly surprised at the online popularity of oldies like "The A-Team" and "Star Trek." Vintage shows cost the networks nothing to repurpose and they can be packed with ads."

Jericho: Sedition and More

"CBS today posted the press releases for the next two episodes of Jericho, named “Termination for Cause” and “Sedition.” I’ll let you read through them and find the surprises yourselves, but please take a special note of the guest cast in “Sedition.”




"As a filmmaker, I truly appreciate the films and television shows that are able to take me out of the “business” and into the story. Jericho is one of those shows and that is why I am happy to tell everyone about it. 24 captured an audience with excellent writing, acting, producing, directing, and a unique story. With Jack Bauer not returning until January of 2009, Jericho is set even more so now to capture a number of the audience that once faithfully tuned into 24. Hopefully, CBS will market the next three episodes well, run the series again during the summer to capture a greater audience, and then come back in the fall with a full season of episodes."

Oversight: Recap

"DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT READING PAST THIS SENTENCE IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED EPISODE 4, “OVERSIGHT.”

There’s no crying on Remote Access, consider yourself warned.

They freakin’ killed Bonnie!!

I didn’t see it coming until Bonnie didn’t follow Mimi into the pantry.

But how badass was Bonnie, killing every J&R goon except Goetz? She was incredible! I have to say, if I had to go out, I’d want to go out just like her."



Beautiful tribute to Bonnie Richmond.

See it here.

Journeyman On YouTube

"A Save Journeyman Youtube Channel has been created.

See it here.



"A while back we wrote about the campaign by "Jericho" fans to save the series from cancellation — they sent thousands of nuts to CBS execs (related to a line in the season finale). Now fans of the soap opera "As the World Turns" are gearing up to send kisses to CBS execs. Hershey's kisses, that is. Fill in your own Reeses joke here ...

Fans of the fictional romance between Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer are baffled about why the two characters haven’t kissed on-screen since September, wondering whether it’s a sign of squeamishness by CBS or show sponsors Procter & Gamble Co."

The fans have started a letter-writing campaign, posted an online petition and even have a Web site that counts the days, hours, minutes and seconds since Luke and Noah last locked lips."

March Madness: Journeyman

Journeyman fans need help. March Madness. Great idea.


"Announcing Journeyman March Madness: This is the first week of Journeyman March Madness and we need your help to turn up the fan volume! This week, our target is the press. We're asking each fan to visit this thread and then write at least one email to the press about Journeyman and its campaign. If you've got contact info for more press, post it there for all the fans to use. Check back each week for more Journeyman March Madness Events."

Journeyman episodes are also available on Mondays on savejourneyman.net



Another new fan blogs Jericho.

"I've discovered a new show (to me)!

Jericho.

It's awesome and filled with so much glorious writing, fleshed out characters, and tough tension-filled situations. It took a few episodes for me to really get into it, as the first few felt slightly forced/awkward in parts. It is *so* worth it to continue on. Never underestimate the human factor or evil corporation's power to royally frack everything over."

Watching Journeyman

Here's a brief interview with Kricka who loves Jericho and Journeyman. I appreciate her comments and will have more from other fans this week.



1. What makes you love Journeyman?

For me, Journeyman was one of those shows that got lost in the mix of new shows this season. I had wanted to catch it because I love a good time travel story. So, I checked it out online and was hooked right from the start. Kevin McKidd as Dan Vasser had a strength and kindness, and a strong love for his family that I found very appealing. As the season went on, the stories became more twisty and we started to get some very interesting answers to his time travel, and his reasons to try and help these people. Many people compared this show to Quantum Leap at the beginning (as did I), but it was so much more than that, because Dan had a whole life and family that directly impacted his new ability to travel. And, like most shows I come to love, it is smart, it is real, and it was obviously conceived by someone (Kevin Falls) who was just as invested in the characters and story and I was.


2. Can people watch episodes online? Where?

Unfortunately, NBC.com has pulled the full episodes from their site, but all 13 episodes that were produced can be found for free on hulu.com and on veoh.com, and are still for sale on iTunes and Amazon's Unbox.

3. Why does Journeyman deserve another chance?

The creator, Kevin Falls, gave us a big present by wrapping up some of the questions in the 13th episode, for fear that the show wouldn't make it past the original 13 episode order, but he did leave plenty of room for more. After watching all 13 several times (I can't help it, when I get obsessed, I am obsessed), I am sick to death of really good shows being yanked without any effort from the networks. NBC smashed us over the head again and again with the Bionic Woman, a show that was seriously flawed and never seemed to recover, yet they barely even mentioned Journeyman right from the start. By the last few episodes, it was as if NBC didn't even know it was still on! The show never really got a chance, and I really think it deserved one. TV viewers do want good TV. There is definitely an audience for a show like this if it had been promoted at all by NBC. NBC has gotten a rep for giving good shows a shot (see: Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock, et al), and I wish they hadn't just shoved this one under the rug.

Jericho Streaming

New Jericho Photos



The Veoh.com site is used by more than 23 million viewers per month. It allows viewers to watch streaming web video from across the Web. Jericho included.




"But now that Nielsen wants households to let it eavesdrop on many more activities — from Web surfing to cellphone use — how far will people open their doors?

In one potential setback to its ambitious modernization plan, Nielsen last year ran tests to determine the willingness of its television-monitoring households to allow electronic tracking of a second behavior, Web usage. So many people said no because of privacy concerns that Nielsen said this month it would scale back the plan — for now, at least — making the Web tracking optional."

CBS: Not Most Watched

I think Moonves and CBS need to open some eyes.


"If you spend any time watching CBS you’ll hear them celebrate the fact that CBS is the most watched network. It’s no longer true though. FOX is the most watched network in primetime and its lead is growing.

CBS can certainly proclaim “The MOST watched network among people age 55 and over!”, but outside of that, Les Moonves and the crew at the Eye network have nothing to crow about."



"Not knowing is better than knowing bad news, but seriously, the suspense over the future life or death of “Friday Night Lights”has become excruciating.

To ease the tension, ardent fans are on the march, hoping to force NBC to give “Lights” a chance. Some 40,000 pounds of peanuts saved CBS’s “Jericho,” but will thousands of plastic footballs do the trick for “Lights?”

That’s the goal of the official rescue Web site, www.SaveFridayNightLights.tv, which urges supporters to swamp the office of NBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman with petitions and, yep, little toy footballs. As of mid-February, about 7,000 mini-footballs had been tossed the waffling execs way."

Internet Viewing

"According to a recently released Digital Life America tracking study conducted by Solutions Research Group, nearly 80 million Americans (43% of the online population) have watched one of their favorite TV shows on the Internet, up significantly from 12 months ago when that figure was just 25%. 20% of the American online population said they watch TV on the web on a weekly basis, and that's ahead of the 14% who say they take advantage of cable's video-on-demand offerings."



Laura from TV.com interviewed a number of "Jericho" cast members this past weekend (2/24/08) at Wondercon. Check out these videos. Thanks Laura.


If you live in the N. Alabama area I'd love to hear from you. I haven't met many fans from around here. You can drop me a line at sweat1951@rock.com

Jericho: The Underrated

"I think that if CBS doesn’t pick Jericho up for a 3rd season, they’ll be making a terrible mistake. Everyone knows that Jericho is a fantastic underrated show. By now everyone understands that the Rating system is completely flawed and overrated, no pun intended."



"The price of a TV commercial routinely runs into the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. And if that wasn't enough, the three oldest broadcast-TV networks have for decades required another fistful of cash known as an "integration fee." Two big ad-industry trade groups are now fighting to keep that money in advertisers' coffers."



"Will couch potatoes give up their ability to skip ads if they can watch a program at a time of their own choosing? ABC is making its best-known programs available to media distributors who can promise exactly that, prompting a hot debate over whether advertisers should follow."

New Jericho Video

Fantastic New Video form K4ist.

CBS: The Unwatched

"While CBS still constantly pitches itself on-air as the most-watched television network, that is no longer the case, at least not in prime-time where advertising dollars go for a premium.

Also worth noting is a very unhealthy longer-term trend for all the big guys (ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC) where there are appreciably more 35-49 viewers than there are 18-34 viewers. The youth seems to be phasing out of TV, and while that can somewhat be masked in the overall 18-49 and 25-54 categories, it won’t get masked forever."



"Earlier talks this year can only help the broadcast networks, who likely are going to have fewer new fall programs to tout due to the recently ended writers strike holding up production schedules and pilot development. The big TV outlets have other problems, too: their prime-time ratings continue to erode and penetration of ad-skipping digital video recorders continues to increase.

That's led to a growing sense among major advertisers that TV commercials don't work as well as they once did. A survey of 78 leading marketers conducted by the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research found 62% of marketers believe traditional TV ads have become less effective during the last two years. More than 50% reported that when half of all TV households use DVRs, they will cut spending on TV advertising 12%."

Jericho: Weekly Recap

Nielsen ratings


CBS: Know Your Audience


Count All Viewers


Exclusive interview with Bjo Trimble who is responsible for saving Star Trek.



Jericho Advertisers Contact List

Please Contact these advertisers and thank them - let them know you enjoy their product or are now interested.

Jericho Fans: Not At Fault

I am very aggravated by the articles that are coming out every day that seem to imply that Jericho fans are somehow at fault for the bad ratings. Can't these people read? Do they ever venture out from their blog? Like this comment:

"Well, you Jericho fans out there can’t say CBS didn’t give your show a chance. Networks rarely uncancel a show as it is, but they did it with Jericho after fans got riled up enough to engage in a brilliant resurrection campaign, but apparently all the publicity from that didn’t generate enough viewers, because Jericho’s Season 2 return from the abyss, starting with its first two episodes, netted well below average numbers."

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I beg to differ. CBS has never given Jericho a chance. There was the long hiatus, lack of advertising,summer reruns that were constantly being preempted, and affiliates who replaced Jericho with other programs. Many affiliates did not air the episode last Saturday night.

Furthermore, CBS told us to get viewers. Thanks for telling us to get viewers who don't count unless they're Nielsen families. Let me get my list of all those families that we don't know who they are. Thanks for never giving us any marketing help.

Are Jericho numbers below average? Compared to what? All the strike did was chase off viewers and some have never returned. Ratings are down all around us.

Joe says it best when he writes:
"If last season’s “Save Jericho” campaign taught them anything it was that this show has an audience, a damned vocal and clever one at that. Connecting to that audience is CBS’s job. In other words, each Tuesday night all of those hardcore Jericho fans are tuning in (to the tune of about 5 million). CBS needs to grow that audience. Too bad they’re not doing it."




Even Kelly Kahl of CBS says he realizes audiences are down so Jericho's ratings cannot be compared to last year's. What will CBS do now?


" Once the networks are back it remains to be seen whether viewers will be back as well. Expectations of audiences flocking to rare instances of original programming during the months-long strike proved incorrect. This year's Grammy Awards broadcast, after receiving a waiver from the Writers Guild of America, went on as usual in the teeth of the strike but got one of its smallest audiences on record. Likewise, there was much speculation "American Idol" would do its biggest numbers ever, based entirely on the fact there would be so few viewing alternatives. Instead, while far and away the most watched show on television this season, "Idol" is down this year from last.

"The real interesting thing when we get back up is what [viewing] levels are going to be at," Kahl said. "Are viewers going to come back, or will there be a strike hangover here?"

Nuts and Rice-A-Roni

" Your One Stop Source for Journeyman"



"Journeyman has been nominated for two Saturn Awards, awarded by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The series has been nominated for Best Network Television Series, and Kevin McKidd has been nominated for Best Actor in a Television Series."



"Some critics came out firing after the first episode that the Jericho Nuts fans didn’t do enough and the show was doomed after the first episode. Yes, numbers don’t lie but a silver lining is starting to shine, Jericho appears to be doing very well in the coveted 18-49 group. Now some of those wrong-headed critics appear to be changing their tune."

Jericho: CBS Boneheads

From Rich at Copywrite Ink comes hopeful news for all of who love our TV shows.


"According to The New York Times, NBC will be committing to a new lineup of shows earlier than any of its competitors, while also inviting advertisers to build marketing plans around specific shows and perhaps to integrate brands and products into the plots of the shows themselves.

The departure places a real question mark on the viability and importance of the Nielsen rating system. Nielsen is not prepared to measure a 52-week season; the bulk of its measure is based on traditional sweeps. Tradition, it seems, is dead.

Whether this decision plays well for the fans of recently cancelled shows, or those on the bubble, has yet to be seen. For NBC, the show is Journeyman. So far, despite the inventive Rice-A-Roni campaign, the best outcome for fans seems to be based on a rumor that a few more episodes of season one might see the light of day.

For CBS, everyone knows the show is Jericho. With season 2, episode 2 ratings being called a virtual disaster, even sympathetic critics seem to think there is little hope left."



"Nope, pin the responsibility for Jericho’s failure on CBS’s boneheaded scheduling and marketing. Putting this show right after a show that’s been dead for 5 years was a brilliant move if you’re trying to open up some space for yet another CSI. Otherwise, it’s a drain.

Look, I’m as thankful as anyone that CBS gave this show another chance. But what I don’t get is why they’re only giving it half of one.

If last season’s “Save Jericho” campaign taught them anything it was that this show has an audience, a damned vocal and clever one at that. Connecting to that audience is CBS’s job. In other words, each Tuesday night all of those hardcore Jericho fans are tuning in (to the tune of about 5 million). CBS needs to grow that audience. Too bad they’re not doing it."

Marketing Television

"Sixty-two percent of marketers believe traditional TV ads have become less effective during the last two years. Given that belief, it's no surprise that close to half of them already have experimented with other ad formats that work with digital video recorders or video-on-demand programs. And more than 50% of marketers reported that when half of all TV households use DVRs, they will cut spending on TV advertising by 12%.

Eighty-seven percent of advertisers believe branded entertainment is the key to TV advertising in the coming year, and 65% of them are eager to try ads in online TV shows."



"To CW Network:
We, the undersigned fans, want Supernatural renewed for a 4th season. Supernatural makes Thursday nights one of the best nights on TV. We love this show too much to let it go off the air without a fight.

Please sign this petition and show your support for a Supernatural Season 4. Send it to your friends, family, co-workers, put the petition widget on your MySpace and FaceBook page. Let's not see another great show become a memory."

Jericho: Season 2 DVD

Jericho Season 2 DVD Release:

On June 10th



Interview with Lennie James.

More here.



"In the next couple of days, BlogCatalog is launching Social Dashboard beta, a new feature that displays your latest activities across many social networks — Digg, Flickr, Last.fm, Twitter, YouTube, and many others. That means automatic cross-networking and promotion right from your personal profile page. It also means that the your post updates, Twitter comments, Digg submissions, and other activities will appear on the Social Dashboard of all your BlogCatalog friends, and maybe their friends too. This is the kind of networking that can make posts go viral. And that's just for starters."

Fighting For Journeyman

While browsing for Journeyman websites I found this one from Australia. I wanted to know more so I asked the owner, Edgeman, to tell me why he started this site and more about Journeyman.

Here's what he said:

"Journeyman started on Australian TV in it's "out-of-ratings" period, which as a start is pretty bad, it means the Australian TV network that showed it (channel ten) did not have much faith in it. Funnily enough they started "Everybody Loves Raymond" exactly the same way, and it took a couple of seasons for them to bring it to prime-time, and within ratings season.

To make matters worse Channel Ten have now moved this (my favourite show) to their Hidh-Definition channel, which means I can no longer watch the show (I don't have a HD set-top box). Luckily there are other means of watching TV shows these days!

I started my web site as soon as I heard that the show was not being renewed. This is the first time I have come out to support a show like this (and yes, I watched Jericho, and many, many other shows that have been cancelled prematurely to be replaced by reality tv dribble).

The purpose of my web site, and please bear in mind it's growing is to provide easy resources for other fans to show their support, it's an "add-on" site to savejourneyman. I found it difficult to get all the resources I needed in one spot (faxes, e-mail addresses, links, etc, etc), so I built my site. I am also about to publish another round of fax / letter templates, again, to make it easier for others to show their support. My feeling is that a lot of people really like the show, and will even post here on savejourneyman.net, but I want those voices, those people heard by NBC & FOX directly.

I am passionate about this show because of the show itself. It is not only the first show that I've come across with SCI-FI concepts that my wife likes and enjoys (almost) as much as me, I just found it to be the perfect package for a show. In terms of acting, script, location, concepts, etc... for me, it's got it all and I believe it would appeal to many, many people (given some proper promotion, lead-in and a good timeslot!!)."

Another Nielsen Error

Here's a concern for all of us. This is what recently happened in Ireland regarding a Nielsen error.
Just one more thing that worries me about networks depending on Nielsen.

"The company that compiles statistics on television viewing has made a serious error with its calculations, costing some TV stations hundreds of thousands of euro in lost revenue.

Channel 6 is threatening legal action over the mistake by AGB Nielsen, claiming it has lost €400,000 in advertising revenue because of the ongoing error. An independent auditor is being appointed to investigate how the mistake - which is to do with the weighting of Dublin audiences in its data - was made."

Jericho: The Return

"This week’s second-season premiere of “Jericho” will now repeat on CBS Saturday (Feb. 16) at 8 p.m. -- perhaps a tiny test of whether the series now airing Tuesdays at 10 should return to an earlier time slot. I can’t be the only critic getting emails from parents outraged that their kids’ once-favorite show has returned at a weeknight hour too late for them to stay up for.

The episode is also streaming online at CBS’ extensive “Jericho” site, either with or without commentary."



"Whether Jericho fizzles back out due to incredulous audiences refusal to give the new plot a try, or if the series pulls off what seems to be the impossible and builds an audience sizable enough to warrant a full season renewal, it certainly can be said that the Jericho crew took CBS’s cancellation and subsequent revival as a mandate to deliver something worthy of a second chance. Jericho 2.0 is definitely worth a second glance."



"Al Norton: Fact. I have written it before and will do so again here - the return of Jericho is the greatest accomplishment of the TV Viewer in my lifetime. Bringing a show back from the dead simply doesn't happen, so all who sent nuts to CBS deserve high praise. What makes it even better is that these episodes are the same high quality as where the series left off last spring. I have seen the first four of the year and can tell you they have not lost one iota of their trademark intensity, while at the same time boosting the heart of the show with more of the Stanley-Mimi relationship; how Alicia Coppola continues to fly under the radar screen is beyond me. Esai Morales is a fine addition to the cast, and while I know there are some Skeet haters out there, he is a very good fit as Jake. On some level whether or not the show does well is beside the point, that the triumph is simply in the resurrection, but I do hope Jericho meets with some success as it will encourage other networks to consider second chances in the future."

Jericho: Whack -The -Mole

Remember how Jericho fans showed CBS that they were not being counted by Nielsen ratings? We told CBS that everybody should be counted. Well, Nielsen made a little stab at it but nothing much has changed.

Now Nielsen has a plan to track how many people are watching a TV show via computer.Don't get excited though. This plan won't be introduced until the end of this year. Notice I said introduced and not implemented.


"Last year, when Nielsen came under fire by the fans of several cancelled television shows, I had some faith they could fix it," says Richard Becker of Copywrite Ink.

"Nowadays, it seems more that they are playing whack-the-mole. There is no clear focus. They have to fix the rating system that drive entertainment decisions before they can hope to provide better analytics for something a simple Google program or StatCounter can do."


Thanks Rich. Whack-the-mole seems to fit well here.

Saving Journeyman

Saving Journeyman

A Step-By-Step Guide to saving the show.

Everything you need from signing petitions, faxes, letters, and more.



"Literally, as he makes his way back in to work for the first time since the writer's strike to chat with fellow writers about the last four episodes of this season, Eric Kripke takes time to chat with ACED about The CW's super show, Supernatural. (Yes, I do mean four MORE episodes THIS season)."

Nielsen: Too Little, Too Late

" In a sign that viewers are growing more interested in watching television shows on their computers, The Nielsen Co. will begin measuring TV viewing on PCs by the end of the year in its people meter household panels, the company said.

The effort is part of a broader plan to measure television viewing on mobile devices such as iPods and cell phones, according to the audience measurement company."

********What about now? Don't cancel any shows until then. Count everybody.*******



Midori Miller: One Voice At A Time

Such a sweet lady who loves Jericho



Send a Valentine from Lost, Ugly Betty, or Grey's Anatomy.

Kristen Bell, Moonlight, and The 4400

Video interview with Kristen Bell here.



The 4400 Sunflower Seed Campaign

"June Terrell, of Memphis, Tenn., a member of the Save “The 4400” campaign, talks to Media Life about the “Jericho” effect, USA’s reaction and what her group is hoping for."



Will Moonlight get new episodes?

Jericho and Supernatural

Jericho premiere day at Remote Access.

Thanks for a wonderful week Amy.



The first new episode of Supernatural went up against Lost. The second show numbers declined.This led to a fan campaign entitled:

"Supernatural Will Not Get Lost."

To find out more about the campaign go to:

http://www.winchesterbros.com/index.php

http://www.supernatural.tv/index.html

Jericho Returns

Where to watch Jericho online.



Amy's Bonus Links at Remote Access

Lots o links here.


The Last Ordinary Day at Jericho Junction.


Back from the dead.

Polls And Letters

"Has infighting amongst Jericho fans been affecting the fandom? Please vote in the poll to help everyone to get some idea."



"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write."
John Adams

Since I bought my first computer I don't think I've sent anybody a hand written letter. I realize how much I miss sending and receiving them. Looks like some other folks may miss them too.

"John Adams (October 30, 1735 - July 4, 1826) was one of the leaders of the American Independence movement and served as George Washington's Vice President, before being elected our second President."

Adams and his wife, Abigail, exchanged over 1000 letters during their 40 year relationship and HBO will present a 7 part mini-series "John Adams" which premieres March 16, HBO.

Jericho: Viewing Party Sweepstakes

"Hello Jericho Fans:

We have more info on the Viewing Party Sweepstakes you can enter for a chance to win a trip to meet the cast of Jericho. The Sweepstakes will begin on February 12th, after the Premiere Episode of Jericho. It will open at 10:00PM et.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Host a Jericho premiere viewing party for friends and new recruits (or enjoy it on your own).

2. Right after the premiere, return to CBS.com/jericho return to answer a question about the episode.

3. Enter for the chance to win a trip to meet the cast of Jericho at WonderCon 2008 in San Francisco or win one of ten $100 gift checks.

Sweepstakes will end at 11:59 pm ET on 2/13/08.

Thanks,
CBS Jericho Web Team"

Jericho: Wonder Con

Meet the stars and producers of Jericho.

FEBRUARY 17, 2008 CONVENTION

LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION


Wonder Con SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24


"1:00-2:30 JERICHO— Get a sneak peek of a new episode of JERICHO, followed by a moderated panel discussion led by TV Guide West Coast Bureau Chief Craig Tomashoff with series stars Lennie James (Robert Hawkins) and Ashley Scott (Emily Sullivan) and Executive Producer Carol Barbee. Returning for a second season as a result of one of the most unprecedented and impassioned displays of fan support on behalf of a television program, JERICHO is a drama about what happens in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion in the once peaceful town of Jericho. Hall A"

Jericho, Amy, and Dexter

Amy's Daily Fix of Jericho.

She's loaded us up today with lots of interesting reading material.



Another new fan for Jericho.

I love reading these.



"`Dexter" is a serial killer cop who kills other killers. Gavin McKiernan with the Parents Television Council said it's not only too graphic for TV, but sends the wrong message to kids.

``The problem with the show is that it's not just about the gruesome killings, it's that you empathize with the killer. He's a great guy, you want to pal around with this guy, you're rooting for him," McKiernan said."

Tidbits

Amy at Remote Access has a post about hope for fans of The Dresden Files. She also writes about Men in Trees fans which is quite interesting.

There's more about other shows so be sure to see it all here.



If you're a Lost fan and like Sawyer try the Sawyer Nickname Generator here.



A new fan explains why and how he became a Jericho lover.

"And to all you who were fans from the beginning, I’m sorry for showing up so late to the party, but I hope you’ll have me. If you refuse, I have just one word for you."

A Message From Jericho Rally Point

"With only seven days to go before Jericho returns its time to kick it into high gear!

Jericho needs you! Now is the time to start getting those new viewers, and old viewers, back to Jericho and make sure that we get a third season. Its time to go back to some of the lessons we learned back in May and go out there and spread the word.

Post on as many message boards as you can find. Post comments on blogs and articles. Digg It! In addition, come back to Jericho Rally Point and post links in the Jericho 2.0 ~ Promote Jericho forum that fellow Rangers can go to post and Digg as well. Visit the Visual Jericho board for printable materials you can hand out.

We are only going to get one shot at this so we have to make it count! Its time for Jericho fans to rally once more and work toward keeping Jericho on the air. We cannot sit back and wait because if we do it will be too late. So let’s all put our heads together and get the ideas flowing again.

Also, Jeritopia is having a week long Jericho Season 2 Premiere Pep Rally with special guests and chat nights. Come, join everyone, and show your support. The CBS board also needs a show of positive support from all Jericho fans. Let’s show new comers what being a part of the Jericho fandom is all about!"

Margie and Edna Need You

Rich of Copywrite Ink has an interesting post today. I enjoyed his discussion concerning bloggers as consumers and "possibly customers." He makes some good points and, as always, makes us think.



Okay folks, here’s your chance to get some advice from Jericho’s #1 gossip mavens. Do you have a question for Margie and Edna? Submit your questions, and Margie and Edna will tackle your toughest post-apocalyptic problems and concerns. You may submit a question either for an existing Jericho character, or for yourself. However, if you submit a question for yourself, it must be as if you are living in Jericho or New Bern—no real world problems allowed.

Send your questions to: sweat1951@rock.com, put “Ask Margie and Edna” in the subject line. We reserve the right to edit questions for length, spelling, etc. Please bear in mind, it’s possible that not all questions will be selected to be answered. Keep watching this space, maybe Margie and Edna will answer your question next!

Special Announcements

Special Announcement:

Jeritopia Rocks.

Chats ahead:

Monday Feb. 4-- Townsperson Jennie Sword--9 p.m. CST

Thurs. Feb. 7-- Matt Federman (Writer)-- 10 p.m. EST


Rich of Copywrite requested our help so, if you'd like, please answer this question:

"With Jericho at minus 9 days, I'm working on a post to break sometimes before Feb. 12 and would like to write something from the perspective of the fans. So, if you have a minute, etc. What stands out to you about all these months of saving and promoting the show? "

You may leave your response in a comment or email to me at sweat1951@rock.com

Thanks.

TV: Second By Second

Jericho brought attention to the Nielsen ratings by showing that viewers were watching online and not just on TV. CBS quickly learned how many viewers Jericho actually had. This began a move to find a way to measure online viewers of any show.

It appears the advertisers are finally jumping on board as well. It's no longer enough for them to know age, race, and gender. Advertisers are now interested in learning how those viewers who watch commercials watch TV. "Advertisers want to know what makes consumers stick with one program, or how they jump from one channel to the next and why."

The landscape has changed. Advertisers want to know what you're watching in seconds not half hours or hours. It'll be interesting to see how this works as CBS has joined with TiVo and TNS Media Research and DirecTV have formed a panel
"whose viewing patterns would also be measured on second-by-second basis."



How will February Sweeps be affected by the writer's strike?

Will Fox take the prize?

Read the full story here.

Changing Jericho

As most of you know there was a time during the Save Jericho campaign when it became necessary for me to have three blogs so I could post assorted news and information about the campaign.

As we are ready to embark on our journey to Season 2 I feel some changes are in order. We won the campaign and Jericho will return soon. I feel that I am spread too thin to provide the depth of coverage I am now interested in pursuing.

Therefore, I am happy to announce that JerichoMonster will remain as the blog for Jericho news and information. Arabelle's Alley will, within the next week, become a blog focusing on TV in general as well as Social Networking. JerichoCentral will remain (for informational purposes) but I will not be updating it after today.

I hope you will all join me at JerichoMonster for more in depth discussions of the show. I appreciate your support and encouragement and look forward to seeing you at Arabelle's and the Monster.

Thank you.

Writers And CBS

"The Writers Guild of America abruptly scrapped a controversial event it had planned in New York next week targeting investors of CBS Corp., one of the media companies with which it is in contract talks.

The guild had invited dozens of Wall Street analysts to a one-hour presentation Tuesday on how the 3-month-old writers strike has negatively affected the television networks and CBS in particular.

The unusual event was part of a strategy to pressure conglomerates through their shareholders to reach a deal with writers. But it prompted an angry response from some executives whose studios are in talks with the writers.

As of early Wednesday, several analysts contacted by The Times said they were planning to attend the session. By late afternoon, however, guild leaders had decided to pull the plug, according to two people close to the matter. Guild officials declined to comment."

Writer's Strike: 86 Days

"With the writers' strike in its 86th day, the town's running out of patience -- despite hints of progress at informal meetings to lay the groundwork for official WGA negotiations to resume.

SAG muddied the picture Tuesday by blasting the DGA's two-week-old tentative deal, prompting an immediate rebuke of SAG's leaders by DGA president Michael Apted.

SAG's dismissal of the DGA deal may dash hopes that the directors pact would serve as a template for a WGA deal and get the scribes back to work in the next few weeks.

In a message to SAG members, prexy Alan Rosenberg and exec director Doug Allen amplified previous prounouncements that the DGA deal would not automatically be the model for a new SAG deal -- echoing what WGA leaders were saying before they launched the informal contract talks last week and began a news blackout.

"Some have rushed to anoint their deal as the 'solution' for the entertainment industry," Rosenberg and Allen said. "We believe that assessment is premature."

The Dresden Files

"A lot of things are giving hope to us Dresden Files fans that there is now a chance that the show could return. But is it possible?

It looks like there are more and more hints of the POTENTIAL of Dresden Files coming back ...

1. Lionsgate has made a deal with the writers' guild and the writers are no longer on strike at Lionsgate. Lionsgate is the company that makes Dresden Files.

2. Paul Blackthorne's (Harry Dresden) character was just killed off on Big Shots. Big Shots is the show he went to when Dresden Files wasn't renewed.

3. A new poll from NBC Universal asks if people like shows dealing in magic and the supernatural. What better suits this than The Dresden Files?

4. Bonnie Hammer (the head of the SCI FI Channel and the one who had Dresden Files canceled) has stepped down from her position as head of programming for the SCI FI Channel."

Read more here.

Jericho: Links and List

Featured Links from Jericho Junction.

Thanks Terocious.



Here is the current schedule of events at JeriTopia. Going into the premiere of season 2, we have a lot of irons in the fire, so the schedule might get updated at any point.

SPECIAL CHAT EVENTS (chat host)

* TUESDAY 1/29 10pm ET - Season 2: From Promoting to Plots in "Jennings & Rall" - THIS WEEK (1/29): T-minus 14 and Counting - We'll pull together all the items discussed over the past several weeks and plan our steps for the next 2. (schumi & others)

* SUPERBOWL SUNDAY (2/3) Approx. 6pm ET - Join Patriots and Giants fans, and heck everyone else hanging out in JeriTopia, for a SuperBowl party in "Bailey's Tavern".

SAG Awards

"Javier Bardem won the supporting-actor prize for "No Country for Old Men" and "The Sopranos" swept the TV drama categories Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which could be the highlight of Hollywood's film-honors season if the writers strike undermines the Oscars.

With the SAG awards a reliable forecast for who will win at the Academy Awards, Bardem's victory may establish him as the favorite there. He had kind words for Joel and Ethan Coen, who directed "No Country" and adapted the screenplay from Cormac McCarthy's novel.

"Thank you, guys, for hiring me, and thank you for taking the hard work of choosing the good takes instead of the ones where I really sucked," said Bardem, who won for his chilling role as a relentless killer tracking a fortune in missing drug money.

Though it wrapped several months ago, "The Sopranos" took all three TV drama categories to open the ceremony, with James Gandolfini and Edie Falco taking both lead-acting prizes and the entire ensemble joining them to accept the award for overall cast performance."

WGA Demands

"The Writers Guild of America's demands for reality TV and animation jurisdiction are officially off the table.

The WGA said so Tuesday in confirming its informal talks with studio chiefs, aimed at getting stalled contract negotiations back on track. Scribes may not end up accepting contract terms similar to the Directors Guild of America's, but the move follows the directors' lead by first meeting informally with studio executives under the cover of a press blackout."




"Evangeline Lilly

* Birthplace: Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada
* Birthday: August 3, 1979

Ever since Lana Turner’s miraculous discovery at Schwab’s drugstore (or the Top Hat Café, depending on the source), the myth of being discovered at random in Hollywood has permeated American culture. Most often, however, actors and actresses make it in the business through years of hard work, undaunted determination, and, perhaps, a bit of casting coach expertise."

WGA Deals

"Today the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced two new interim deals, one with Marvel Studios and another with Lionsgate. This is very good news for comic book fans as films as Marvel Studios Chairman David Maisel says, "We're very excited about our summer releases, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, and look forward to resuming work with writers on our future projects including Captain America, Thor, Ant-Man, and The Avengers."

From what I understand, Iron Man was finished prior to the strike, but I wouldn't be surprised if Louis Letterier took the opportunity to go back and reshoot some scenes from The Incredible Hulk had there been some that just didn't quite work, but couldn't be changed due to the strike. This is just speculation of course, but it shows the importance of such interim deals and why people are anxious to see the AMPTP and WGA come to an agreement and end this strike."

FX International

Amy at Remote Access has even more Jericho news today.

"Brad Beyer (Stanley Richmond, like I needed to tell you guys that) will appear at the FXinternational this weekend in Orlando, Fla. He’ll be signing autographs and will be on hand at 1 p.m. Saturday in the “Panel Room” for a world premiere showing of the first Season 2 episode. (He’ll be around for all three days of the fest, though, Friday-Sunday)."
** Ashley Scott can't make it.**

"The Guardians of Jericho are looking for folks to donate frequent flyer points to help others get to Jerichon. There is a debate over how those frequent flyer points should be allotted to folks; it’s a worthwhile debate to weigh in on. Thanks to Jericho Monster for the link."

Jericho: Carol Barbee

"The fortunate part of the upcoming second season is that Jericho is one of the few original scripted programs that will be on the air because the seven episodes were written before the writers strike. Plus, in order to avoid another similar fan outcry the seven episode story arc will have a beginning, middle and end. The 7th episode, while providing closure does leave the door open for continuing episodes, however."


"With the writers strike now being felt on network television, “Jericho” may stand a stronger chance for renewal than ever before as many channels have begun airing reruns of other shows and are now relying on reality television to draw an audience. With a lack of strong scripted dramas available, “Jericho” is now in the enviable place of having new episodes to show to a clearly loyal fanbase.

But how will the strike affect the pickup of the series? Barbee admitted that although CBS won’t be able to order new episodes with writers at the picket lines but they will certainly announce their plans for the show."

Jericho Technology

"If Jericho had even one solar array or wind turbine, it would definitely help alleviate some of their stress. Imagine if something like that was included in every town’s emergency supply list. If the sh** ever hit the fan, at least they could roll out the photovoltaics and rig up something to provide some support. It’s absolutely maddening to know that this technology exists today, and yet barely any of us can afford to take advantage of it — much less convince others that it is a good idea.

So, let’s play it out. Let’s say you’re living in a real-world Jericho situation. How would you manage to survive? What advantage do you have in transitioning to a different world?"



Sniper 101 has recently taken over http://www.jerichochannel.tv/ and has begun the process of adding all of the latest Jericho Videos. This is a great site to direct folks to because the vids are all Jericho Related. Check it out, leave a comment and become a friend of this very cool promotional tool.



"From Battlestar Galactica to Beverly Hills 90210 to the BBC, Pop Vultures covers TV with a careful blend of snark and love, providing analysis, reviews and recaps of a wide range of television programs."