Hey, CBS! NUTS!

by Andrea M. Newton
May 16, 2007

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It's official. CBS has canceled Jericho. Whether you were a devoted fan of the show, like me, thought it was poorly written drivel, or hadn't even heard of it, the news highlights a disturbing trend in TV that's been getting worse over the past few years.

The death of the freshman show.

Probably no show cancellation is as famous as Fox's murder of Firefly, canceled before it could even air all the filmed episodes. While fan outrage couldn't save the TV series, it did result in a movie, Serenity.

I boycotted Fox when they grounded Firefly. I'd suffered through them killing off too many great shows just as I was getting truly addicted to them. In fact, Fox has become so infamous for it that in the first episode of Family Guy after it returned to the network, they listed all the shows that would have to be tried and canceled on Fox before they'd get a second chance. The list would be impressive if it weren't so sad. And long. Twenty-nine shows to be exact, in only three years time.

CBS now appears to be following in Fox's questionable footsteps. Smith premiered on September 19, 2006, and was dropped by October, after only three episodes. It's replacement, 3 Lbs., was also canceled after only three episodes. Threshold, Courting Alex, Out of Practice -- watching a new show quickly became a risky proposition. After all, if I'm going to devote a half hour or hour to watching a show, I'm going to invest myself in it. And I want a return on that investment.

Of course, CBS and Fox aren't alone in hazing the freshmen. Knights of Prosperity and In Case of Emergency both came and went this year. And in 2003, ABC ditched Veritas: The Quest after only four episodes.

After Fox killed Firefly, I decided not to watch any new show until it was in at least its second season. But, a longtime JAG fan, I risked it with NCIS when it first came out, and CBS kept it. So I lightened up on my "no freshman shows" rule. I gave Numb3rs a shot, and it survived for a second season, too. When The Unit made it past freshman status, I started to trust CBS, and got into The Class and Jericho.

Neither show will return next season.

Lesson learned. No more freshman shows.

CBS and other networks shouldn't be surprised that fewer viewers are tuning in to watch TV, especially freshman shows. As networks become more cavalier about canceling shows after only one season or even just a few episodes, audiences become less inclined to take a risk on watching new shows. Which means those shows are less likely to get good ratings, and will probably join the ranks of the freshman dead.

And, of course, then there's the death-knell of new shows, the "hiatus". And CBS even admits that the three-month hiatus in the middle of Jericho torpedoed the show, with many viewers not returning when episodes started airing again. Odds are, they didn't know it was back on. If not for DVR, I wouldn't have.

Critics and even fans have wondered lately why shows like ER and Law and Order are still around after so many years. While good in the beginning and great in their heydays, they've been around so long that the casts have almost completely changed. And the storylines are getting a little tired.

But given the alternative -- watching a new show that's likely to get yanked just as you really get into it -- many viewers, myself included, will take the safety of watching a show that's been around so long that even if it does get canceled you can still watch syndicated reruns.

My advice to the networks? Give these freshman shows a chance -- more than three episodes, more than a single season with a three month hiatus in the middle. Otherwise, you might find audiences won't give your new lineup a chance.

And if you don't, well, CBS, Fox, and all the rest, the only thing I can say is...

NUTS!

For information about how you can help get Jericho back on the air, visit www.jericholives.com and www.nutsonline.com.

The Apocalypse will not have Zombies — or Ice

We Did It!

Hey, CBS! NUTS!

Hey, CBS! NUTS!

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