Talking NFL

There are many little aggravations football fans have to deal with during the course of the season while watching games on network TV.  Listening to Dan Dierdorf is one of them.  Being subjected to previews and teasers for dreadful prime time shows that you’d never watch is another.  And there have been some truly awful shows plugged by CBS, ABC and FOX throughout the years.  

Up until this year, I would always pass on the network poo-poo platter. I mean, I would rather fight a pack of Michael Vick’s killer dogs with my bare hands than watch a Joe Millionaire marathon.

But when CBS kept shoving Jericho in my face over and over again last fall, I was intrigued.  Nuclear bombs going off?  Massive chaos in the former US of A?  Fight to the death for survivors?  That dude from Simon & Simon is leading the way?  Sounds like fun!  

And it really was a good show.  Not without it’s faults, but I kept tuning in to see how Skeet Ulrich, Lennie James, and hottie Ashley Scott were faring in Jericho, Kansas.  This despite the network pulling such blunders as a mid-season hiatus (ALWAYS a good idea for a hot show), and then putting it up against proof that this country is going straight to hell juggernaut American Idol upon it’s return.  But still, myself and other dedicated watchers tuned in, and saw things really start to heat up near the end of the season.  Jericho went to war against it’s neighbor New Burn, lost it’s former mayor (way to kill off the most popular character), and left us with a huge cliffhanger.

One that won’t be answered, since CBS just dropped the bomb on Jericho.

Now, the ratings weren’t the best for Jericho near the end, but they were certainly better than those for Friday Night Lights, a quality show running on NBC that did get renewed (and yes, I’m biased since it’s a show about football).  Unlike CBS, NBC decided that the potential was there, and gave Dillon High a chance to attract more viewers (sadly, they saddled FNL with a 10pm Friday night time slot as well.  Good luck with that…).

In addition, Jericho had quite the web following, since they offered a full CBS Wiki page as well as every episode online.  The problem with an aggressive online marketing strategy is this:  if you get a decent audience & then pull the rug out from under them, you can bet there will be a rather ugly backlash on your site (I would not be surprised if that link doesn’t work by the time you read this).

Speaking of websites, I’d like to thank fellow 451press blogger Amber for doing a great job with the Watching Jericho site.  Great work, and here’s hoping the next show you follow has a much longer life!

As for me, am I going to ban CBS come football season out of frustration?  Uh, no.  But I can guarantee you one thing:  I’m sure not going to watch CSI: Akron, Ohio, that dumb-ass vampire show, or whatever other piece of crap they decide to replace Jericho with.  

And I don’t care how many times Jim Nantz plugs it during those Patriots games (probably 2,546).  I ain’t tuning in.  You probably shouldn’t either.  

You know how the saying goes, right Mr. President?

CBS, Jericho, cancelled, we hardly knew ye, I’d rather have an enema than watch Jennifer Love Hewitt talk to Casper