[crossposts added]
"SoHillsGuy" <jerrygref@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:d4ae5b90-ac5a-47bb-9c00-18b3fe6d2c7c@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mar 18, 11:09 pm, Tom <drso...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Awesome episode.
>>
>> The previews for next week also said Season Finale! Hopefully good
>> news for us fans for next season!
> I wouldn't bet on it, though I'd happily admit I was wrong.
> So, when does CBS cancel the series, thereby letting the producers
> know which ending to air?
There was an interview with one of the Executive Producers a few weeks
back where she said other buyers for the series remain a possibility if
CBS chooses not to pick up a third season. Another article also said
that the difference between the season ending versus the series ending
was not necessarily a question of Finality. Apparently the series ending
has some kind of "narrative" to cap things off a bit better. I'm guessing
it could be a voice-over from the perspective of Jake or Hawkins, or
even another Jake-and-his-grandfather scene perhaps... something like
that but which wouldn't necessarily preclude a continuation.
My guess is that we're going to see the season finale, without whatever
that narrative ending is, and that we won't get a final decision from CBS
until perhaps their upfronts in May. They'll see what kind of numbers
they're looking at for the finale, DVR and web, and what the critical and
fan response is, and what campaign might happen, and who else might
be interested in the show if they don't pick it up, and how the rest of
their lineup looks by then and so on.
They might also try to partner with other outlets for a third season, and
see what kind of a deal they can make for the license fee and number of
episodes. Meanwhile they and the producers could look for revenues
and sponsors and so on, and see if a comprehensive deal can be made
to keep the show going without having CBS's ratings be the nail-biting
key to that.
For example, maybe the 7-episode Jericho season 2 comes out in a few
months, and the "campaign" this year is to get fans to buy that, perhaps
multiple copies and get more people to see it. It would have the series
or alternate narrative ending as part of the appeal. Meanwhile, some sort
of online pre-order of season 3 is set up, again fans ordering that. CBS
and the producers say that subject to that being successful, they'll order
a minimum 7 episodes for season 3 and probably more this time. CBS
might keep the Tuesday at 10 slot, but those placing online pre-orders
get to see it a few days early. Then perhaps The CW shows it again on
Sunday at 7 p.m., where they weren't even pulling in 1 million viewers
this season and not much more later in the night.
Maybe the different distribution windows have their own add-ons like a
few minutes of interview clips during the ad breaks. So instead of DVRing
the CBS 10 p.m. airing and watching it on the weekend, more viewers take
advantage of the earlier 7 p.m. Sunday airing on The CW. That way it
counts in the ratings for The CW, and less gets lost in the tail end of
the Live+3 or Live+7 ratings black hole. Lining up Sprint or iTunes and
the like as sponsors, with different tie-ins there, same thing and it
counts
for something financially.
It's a great show, this season especially with the faster pace and lots of
answers yet with plenty of storytelling room for more. It had good
critical
response and more coverage and buzz than most things on CBS. The
7-episode second season is a potentially much better promotional tool
than the longer 22-ep first season, which did shift and drag at times as
the series found what works best. There ought to be a way for the
producers and CBS to put together a deal that can continue a show
as good as this, not just for season 3 but beyond.
|
