CBS Drops the Bomb: Network Cancels "Jericho" Which Fuels Allegations of Conspiracy

On Wednesday, May 16, CBS dropped a bomb on the residents of Jericho, Kansas, effectively canceling it's cult hit of the 2006-2007 season, Jericho. As news of the announcement spread through various media outlets, fans of Jake Green, Robert Hawkins, Emily Sullivan, and the likes, grew furious. Message board posts, filled with anger aimed towards CBS senior executive VP Kelly Kahl, quickly took over the Jericho page on the CBS website. A show that averaged 8 million viewers throughout the season no longer had a place in the primetime lineup.

What seems to have left most fans outraged is the reason why the network gave Jericho the ax. Kahl anticipated backlash following the news, "I know we had loyal viewers... but the show sort of lost its engine and wasn't performing." Later, following the creation of multiple online petitions and threats to completely boycott the network, Kahl posted an official statement on the Jericho message board. "At CBS we never cancel a show without a great deal of communication between our public groups and you the fans." Placing blame on low post-"winter hiatus" ratings, Kahl added, "we always feel that a show must carry its audience regardless of breaks or temporary periods within the transmission season."

However, Kahl also made an odd attempt to alleviate any viewer frustration created by this season's cliffhanger finale. "CBS retain the full viewing rights to Jericho, and it is possible that a finale episode could be put into planning for the 2009/2010 season." As if irritating fans by canceling one of their favorite shows wasn't enough, CBS went on to insult their intelligence. The network canceled the show because of a ratings drop during a nearly 3-month long break. How could they possibly consider reviving it a full year later?