CBS Drops Bomb On 'Jericho' ... Again

In a decision first reported by SyFy Portal exactly one month ago, CBS has cancelled its series and plans to air a slightly altered series finale March 25 that is expected to provide story closure for fans who followed the plights of the residents of a small Kansas town following a nuclear holocaust.

The show had originally been cancelled at the end of the first season, but a well-organized campaign from some of the show's biggest fans, which included delivery of 20 tons of nuts, convinced the network to give the show a limited seven-episode run. While "Jericho" had performed well in alternate distribution nodes like the Internet, it couldn't capture the audience CBS was looking for, which sometimes was half the audience that would watch an "NCIS" rerun to start the night for CBS.

There is some good news, however, for "Jericho" fans hoping for life after CBS. The finale that will air Tuesday will not completely finish the story, The Hollywood Reporter says, especially as executive producer Carol Barbee had already hinted she was looking for interest from other distributors. However, the high cost to produce the show will make it hard for others interested in signing on.

"The March 25 episode of 'Jericho' will be the series finale," CBS said in a release. "Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more.

"We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We're proud of everyone's efforts."

"Jericho" airs its series finale March 25 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

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