By James Hibberd
Thu Mar 13, 1:48 AM ET


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - At this point in the season, the strictly defined countries of "renewed" and "canceled" have acres of gray area in between.

A couple dozen shows are clustered near the border, on the verge of being declared dead or alive for next season.

Without belaboring the obvious (ABC's "Cashmere Mafia" isn't coming back; Fox's "Bones" is), here's the latest industry buzz on some of the most talked-about titles:

- "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." Fans need not worry: Sources say that "Terminator" will be back. Fox executives like the creative product and thought the finale's performance last week was solid. The network also spent a considerable amount marketing the show, giving Season 2 some cost benefit. Also: The fourth "Terminator" movie comes out in 2009, and as "The Simpsons Movie" proved, there are promotional advantages to film-TV synergy.

- "Scrubs." The dead comedy-turned-backroom hot commodity remains poised to jump to ABC from longtime home NBC. The cast has been told to return to work March 24. Cast member John C. McGinley said recently that he was told that "the 18 episodes we're going to do starting that day will be on ABC next fall." But the show's producer, ABC Studios, insists the work is just "reshoots." Just, you know, everyday reshoots of a series NBC has refused to order more episodes of.

- "How I Met Your Mother." Granted, "Mother" usually is the weakest ratings link in CBS' Monday night comedy lineup. But that lineup sets a high bar, representing the most successful comedy block on television. The headline-making stunt casting of Britney Spears in an upcoming episode is sure to boost viewership. Not to mention, CBS' comedy-starved rivals would be tempted to snatch up the show if canceled. Verdict: Probably not going anywhere.

- "Knight Rider." The February movie performed well for NBC. Sources say the network is in talks with a producer who is familiar with NBC primetime, which suggests a regular series order is likely.

- "Moonlight." CBS is playing wait-and-see with this Friday night show about a vampire private detective. The network is curious whether the show's fans return once it comes back from its strike-induced hiatus. But "Moonlight" fans are passionate, the show fits well into CBS' Friday night alternative crime block and an eventual pickup is probable.

- "Jericho." CBS must decide quickly since only three episodes remain in Season 2, and the network has to choose Ending A or Ending B. Two conclusions to the season have been shot. One puts a narrative lid on the apocalyptic series (lest protesting fans pelt CBS executives with thousands of pounds of nuts again), the other more of a cliffhanger. CBS notes that the show gains from DVR viewership and online viewing, but after its performance the past two weeks, most doubt the citizens of "Jericho" will live to fight another season.

- "Reaper." Critics loved the pilot of the CW's supernatural drama, then griped that the series lost its way. The show returns Thursday night against ABC's "Lost" and needs divine intervention to come back strong enough to make the network add it to its list of previously announced pickups. The chances for the CW comedy "Aliens" look even slimmer.

- "Law & Order." The longest-running primetime drama on television will come back for a 19th season, sources say, with new co-star Anthony Anderson. USA Network's "L&O: Criminal Intent," which is recycled on NBC, looks likely to return.

- "Friday Night Lights." NBC is in talks with DirecTV for the satellite broadcaster to share the costs for a third season in exchange for some exclusive distribution opportunities.

- "Prison Break." Producers are pitching a Season 4 story arc to Fox, which is expected to pick up the show.

- "According to Jim." ABC's perennial bubble show is looking likely to escape the ax one more time.

- " 'Til Death" and "Back to You." Despite modest returns, both Fox comedies probably will return in the fall.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

"Prison Break." Producers are pitching a Season 4 story arc to Fox, which is expected to pick up the show.

The chances for the CW comedy "Aliens" look even slimmer.

CBS faces fallout from "Jericho" maneuver

By James Hibberd
Mon Mar 17, 1:03 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The dramatic Season 1 finale of CBS' "Jericho" concluded with two high-stakes cliffhangers: Will a Kansas town of nuclear war survivors successfully fight off a lawless invading militia? And will a network that dares to renew "Jericho" despite its below-the-line ratings be rewarded for having faith in the show?

Nearly a year later, the citizens of "Jericho" are alive and well. But CBS' roll of the dice hasn't quite paid off.

The seven-episode second season of "Jericho" returned in February and is averaging just 6.9 million viewers to date.

By online standards, the show has done better. The premiere was streamed about 700,000 times on CBS.com, and "Jericho" is one of the most downloaded shows on iTunes.

But online success doesn't yet pay the rent on a broadcast scripted drama. Two "Jericho" episodes remain, and chances of a pickup are slim. Producers shot two endings -- one a cliffhanger, one more of a wrap-up -- and oddsmakers bet CBS isn't risking another cliffhanger.

Which isn't to say that the network's decision last year was a mistake. Season 1's narrative home stretch -- a tense and emotional ramp-up to civil war -- was a creative peak. Fans desperate for more episodes organized what has been called the largest protest ever mounted to try and halt the cancellation of a TV show. Playing off a line of dialogue in the finale, viewers famously sent about 45,000 pounds of peanuts to CBS.

With audiences increasingly distracted by other entertainment media, what network wouldn't be tempted to give a second chance to a show that sparked so much enthusiasm with a story that kept getting more interesting? After all, viewers never get this riled up about "Cold Case."

A completely different way of looking at the "Jericho" renewal, however, was that the network actually did not listen to its viewers. The first six episodes in 2006 averaged a 3.5 rating, while the last six averaged a 2.4. In the cold light of Nielsen math, departing viewers might not have been mailing peanuts, but they too were sending a message: The show wasn't holding their interest.

"No matter what happens with 'Jericho,' there will be no regrets here," one CBS insider says. "We listened to our audience, and the producers delivered seven terrific episodes at a time we needed original programming during the writers strike."

But fans have a different take on the saga. Despite CBS risking a pickup, many blame the current "Jericho" woes on the network's lack of support.

"CBS should have done the right thing and gave 'Jericho' a chance," a fan wrote on a "Jericho" message board. "They gave it a terrible time slot, a lower budget (and) tried to cram an entire season into seven episodes."

It's true that "Jericho" budget cutbacks resulted in noticeable differences. Season 2 has been a ghost of the first -- missing characters, less action, fewer exterior shots and plenty of two-people-in-a-room scenes.

Showrunner Carol Barbee defended the network's cuts as "a blessing in disguise." "We'd have come back if they gave us $1.95 and three days to shoot," she says. "I like two people in a room talking. We've earned the right to not have to run-and-gun every few minutes. I think the quality has taken a huge leap up."

So what's the lesson to learn from "Jericho?" That networks should always base programming decisions strictly on the ratings?

With media distribution systems reaching young viewers in new ways, such a strict stance seems foolish. At its peak, "Jericho" infused its drama with likable characters caught in impossible moral dilemmas. Maybe the show's lesson is that, sometimes, there's just no right answer.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter