• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, June 6, 2007

It has to take more than nuts to get a network to change its mind about a cancelled show.  CBS apparently is cracking.

CBS' cancelled serial drama "Jericho" looks to be returning of sorts -- after a massive fan campaign coupled with the gimmick of sending 20 tons of nuts to network executives. Now, CBS is looking to order up seven or eight additional episodes of "Jericho," possibly for mid-season.

Why the nuts? They refer back to the show's season finale, which mentioned the World War II battle during which an Allied general, asked to surrender when his troops were surrounded, responded:  "Nuts."

Devoted "Jericho" fan based seem to have won the battle -- maybe not the war -- convinced that the network's misstep can be corrected.

Early last fall. critics and network executives were touting three network "hits": NBC's "Heroes," ABC's "Ugly Betty," and CBS' "Jericho." But, as other networks have done with serial dramas, CBS benched "Jericho" in mid-season, in an effort to bring back the show for the May sweeps. When CBS finally brought it back, those 4.0 plus ratings among 18-49 viewers drifted down into the high 2 ratings.  Not exactly hit material.

CBS doesn't misstep much when it has a show that is working. Perhaps the network now figures that passionate viewers for a cancelled show outweigh other network shows that depart without a whimper from viewers.

Still one wonders where the show will fit in now. Given its serial nature, it'll still be hard to regain viewers. CBS can always count on the Internet and other digital platforms to possibly play a big role in bringing back viewers.

Fan protests rarely work. The irony now is that those fervent "Jericho" fans will have to wait through an even longer hiatus -- probably until next January or March (in non-sweep periods) to see the show again.  Will that cause more interest versus starting up a new midseason series from scratch?

I'm wondering how CBS did the calculations to come up with the expected viewers. Did 40,000 pounds (or 640,000 ounces) become some sort of significant multiplier for getting to a good level of viewers?

Forget commercial ratings -- think of the nut demos. Maybe upscale macadamias?