Monday, December 31, 2007

Daytime Soaps Affected By Strike


"When talks broke down earlier this month between the studios and striking writers, it began to hit home that scribes could be jobless for many months to come. One of those writers finally made the agonizing decision to stop picketing and go back to work.

The writer's show, a daytime soap, had run out of scripts. To this writer, the moral choice lay in keeping the show on the air.

Daytime serials are not in a healthy situation," said the writer, who asked for anonymity, fearing fallout from both sides in the complex and highly charged standoff. "If we can keep shows on the air, I perceive it as something that needs to be done for the future generation of writers."

Although most daytime writers have joined their colleagues on the picket lines, others -- fearing for their jobs or the survival of the soap genre altogether -- have quietly gone back to work. Even those who are still picketing say soap writers' issues are unique."

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Jericho: New Fan



"First, let me admit that I did not watch CBS' Jericho beyond the first episode. I had various reasons not to watch it beyond the premiere, one being that I simply can't make time for all TV series in my schedule, even if said series are gems. That out of the way, I just watched the preview for Jericho's second season and let me tell you that it piqued my interest enough to put a note on my calendar to watch the show's season premiere on February 12."



"The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Friday posted a video message indicating striking writers have now lost more than $151 million in salary and benefits, which is more than what the WGA proposed in its three-year deal to the studios.

The message, posted Friday on the AMPTP Web site and YouTube, claims that WGA leaders are to blame for their members reaching the $151 million milestone (hit shortly after 10 a.m. Friday). The WGA is trying to expand its power, rather than address the issues that matter to its members, including new media, the AMPTP said."

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Jericho: Fan Power



" There’s no denying fan power. Last year, post-apocalyptic drama series Jericho was pulled off the air after its first season. However, the network responsible for this had to rethink its decision after viewers made their demands known. These die-hard fans decided to do more than create “Save Jericho” websites and send e-mails to the network; they started a campaign that saw boxes containing nuts arriving at CBS’ corporate offices (the relevance of the nuts is revealed at the end of Jericho’s first season).

As a result, the series was renewed for eight episodes, which will start airing in the United States in February 2008."



"Late-night TV comedian David Letterman has reached a deal with the union representing striking screenwriters that will let his show return to the air next week with his writing staff, the union said on Friday.

Letterman, who has kept his CBS "Late Show" off the air and in reruns since November 5 in support of the striking writers, has said he wanted to return with fresh broadcasts on January 2 if his production company, WorldWide Pants, could reach agreement to do so with the Writers Guild of America."


Friday, December 28, 2007

Jericho Blogging



Check out Remote Access.

Amy does such a great job. See the new Jericho pics.



"Rich's Great Big Blog Of Everything"
See it at Copywrite Ink.



"European Television Worries Over U.S. TV Shortfall
European television executives are fretting about the slim season in store for them from the U.S. in 2008 due to the writers strike, Daily Variety reports.
U.S. dramas are big business for European channels, and a limited season has execs looking over contingency plans, such as buying stop-gap programming from outside the United States, the newspaper reports."


Thursday, December 27, 2007

Remembering The Mod Squad



"The late 60s action series, The Mod Squad, changed television. It introduced the premise of young looking cops going undercover to take on crimes from the inside. It also challenged conservative mores and social taboos. Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III, and Michael Cole formed one of television’s first multiracial circle of friends. Abandoned by their parents, shunned by society, these three kids rebuilt their lives as police officers."



The Wait Is Almost Over


"The NFL has arranged with broadcast television partners NBC and CBS for an unprecedented three-way national simulcast of the NFL Network telecast of Saturday night's New England Patriots at New York Giants game when the Patriots will try to become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in a regular season, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today."


Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of the Jericho cast and crew as well as Jericho fans all over the world!!

JerichoCentral will return Dec. 26th.


Merry Christmas

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Jericho: Trading Cards



"Jericho Season 1 from Inkworks.....This 72 card card set captures the exciting first season of Jericho. Enjoy cards detailing the first season stories lines, characters, and behind the scenes action. Add in great inserts, autographs, pieceworks and autographed pieceworks with a great storyline and you get a great set of cards!!!"



"The WGA strike will cost the regional economy $220 million in damage each month it continues, a regional economic group projected Wednesday.

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. forecast was 10% higher than the group's previous projection of just a month ago (HR 11/21). To date, the seven-week strike has cost the regional economy $342.7 million in lost wages and ripple effects on such businesses as restaurants, hotels and personal-service firms, the LAEDC said."

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Golden Globes And Mistletoe




"Well, they’ve gone and decided to do it: the WGA will picket the Golden Globes.

A spokesman for the Guild confirmed on Tuesday, just a day after it was announced that a waiver for Golden Globes writers would not be forthcoming, that the group will indeed picket the awards ceremony on January 13. This is assuming the strike is still going on by then – but does anyone really think it won’t be at this point? The upshot of this is that many celebrities due to be honored at the ceremony most likely will be no-shows since they won’t want to cross the picket line. There’s talk that security could be arranged the same way as it is for the Oscars, which requires a special pass to get anywhere near the theater, so that the picketers are relegated a few blocks away from the theater. It’ll still be a media spectacle, nevertheless."




"While it may be nice to run into your sweetie under the mistletoe, this traditional holiday plant can be potentially toxic to our animal companions.

Found throughout the United States, American mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant that lives off a variety of different tree species. If ingested in large enough quantities, mistletoe can potentially produce gastrointestinal irritation, excessive thirst and urination, a drop in blood pressure and heart rate, seizures, coma and even death in pets."

Friday, December 21, 2007

Jericho: Having A Party


Mark your calendars. Set your online reminders. Tell your friends. Write yourself a note and put it somewhere that you will find it at the beginning of February.

What’s the occasion? According to the CBS website, Jericho returns to CBS on Tuesday February 12, 2008 at 10 PM.

I wonder how many devoted fans will host Jericho parties that night. There’s an idea! Wouldn’t it be great to celebrate the return of the best show on television with your best friends? Here’s a list of Jericho party suggestions."



As for Jericho, while it's "Nuts" campaign gave it a very short seven episode second season, the fact that it's only seven episodes means that the networks weren't too confident that ratings would increase, and I don't know that I am either. Maybe the strike absence of most of the bigger shows this winter will help more people give it a try. One can only hope as this post-apocalyptic drama had a lot of heart and a sense of hope that most shows of its type lack.




Thursday, December 20, 2007

Jericho: More Than Ratings




"If TV metrics have taught us anything in 2007, it's that a show's success can no longer be measured by who's watching it on TV alone. Exhibit A: The CW's full-season pickup of "Gossip Girl," a teen soap with mediocre Nielsen ratings that consistently holds the top spot on iTunes' weekly most-downloaded-shows list. Exhibit B: CBS's second-season order for "Jericho," an apocalyptic drama initially canceled by the network but revived after the show's online fans sent CBS thousands of nuts in protest."

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Media Predict And TheTwoCents



Looks like a good promotional tool to me:

"We at Media Predict have just discovered the HD re-runs of "Jericho" on UniversalHD -- and the show is fantastic!

We wanted to give you the chance to place your bets on whether "Jericho" will survive to see another season. We certainly hope it does. Take a look at www.mediapredict.com if interested.

Media Predict is a prediction market game for movies, TV, music and more. You can buy low and sell high and make a fortune in fantasy money. It's a lot of fun -- and the predictions we generate are almost always right. We hope you'll stop by and check it out."




"Don't you always find you are talking about TV shows, forwarding fun links, or debating certain issues with everyone ...well, let everyone be a part of the action! TheTwoCents is now your spot for TV news, recaps, interviews and more! We also offer a side helping of Pop Culture, Movies, Music, Sports, whatever! Post Comments everywhere. Let the world know what you think! Give them your own Two Cents!"

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Monday, December 17, 2007

Most Googled: Jericho



"Here are some of the most watched, most downloaded, and most enjoyed search queries of the year. All of these searches had the largest volume on Google.com in the U.S.

1. Heroes (NBC)
2. Lost (ABC)
3. House (FOX)
4. 24 (FOX)
5. Bones (FOX)
6. Jericho (CBS)
7. Reba (CW)
8. Scrubs (NBC)
9. Greek (ABC)
10. Caveman (ABC)"



" Jericho - With the new, second season of Jericho coming soon, CBS should air the first season once more in prime-time and promote it in a big way. They did this during the summer, but it was right around July 4th when many potential viewers were not watching television. Run it again now to get the attention it deserves and bring in new viewers ready to make the second season of Jericho a success."


Sunday, December 16, 2007

Jericho: Solutions For Fans



Remember this article by Rich of Copywrite Ink? His purpose in writing this post, Rich says, is "to fast-track some solutions for Jericho fans and CBS with seven points and hopefully turn the largest show cancellation protest into the beginnings of a long-running series with more mileage than anyone imagined, fans included."

This post is as helpful now as it was last June. I especially like this one:

"Solution Four: Add Value. Being co-called “partners” with CBS is a misnomer. There is no question that the fan base, at the moment, is supporting a CBS show (or “half” show, considering CBS only bought seven episodes), but Jericho fans really need to distinguish themselves as an independent group. As such, it is your primary goal is to add value to the organization and not necessarily CBS. If fans can add value to the organization beyond the show and actually engage consumers, you have a much more marketable product for prospects, who will inevitability watch and support the show anyway. Add value and members and you’ll also get your own sponsors (there’s a nut company that might even have interest in this). CBS might even jump in too, but stress your autonomy if it does."

Go back and read it again. You might learn something new. I did. Thanks Rich.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Nielsen: Super Bowl Buzz



"The Super Bowl can be a holy grail or a holy terror for advertisers. The Nielsen Company is looking to help companies figure out the equation of this massive marketing moment to ensure optimal ROI. Since the Super Bowl does cost advertisers $2.7 million in one shot, this information is imperative for any looking to take the plunge.

Which Super Bowl commercials will stimulate the most buzz online and around the water cooler this year? Will the buzz be favorable or damaging to brands? “The Super Bowl represents the ultimate ‘torture test’ in marketing ROI, and the buzz factor is often the final arbiter of success or failure of the advertising,” said Pete Blackshaw, Executive VP of Strategic Services, Nielsen Online. “Brands that wrap holistic, well-integrated marketing programs around the television advertising typically reap higher dividends.”

Friday, December 14, 2007

TV: The Strike



Thanks to RubberPoultry for the great graphic.



"As the writers strike hits the six-week mark on Monday, the ramifications for the TV biz are growing by the hour.

Starting next week, the force majeure ax may begin to fall on various talent deals at the major studios. Industry insiders say some of the nonwriting producer deals and nonwriting "pod" deals that have proliferated during the past decade could be vulnerable, particularly for those with a mixed track record of delivering successes to their studio partners.

(Many contracts use the six-week mark for allowing termination of a deal under provisions of force majeure, or a disruptive event that prevents both sides adhering to the terms of the contract, but the length of time can vary significantly depending on the deal.)

Decisions on who gets cut will be made on a case-by-case basis, and they are unlikely to come in one big wave. Each of the six majors has different needs and strike contingency plans. Some may decide to trigger the option that allows studios to extend deals by the number of months the strike lasted. "There will be terminations," a studio chief said. "We just don't know when."

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Jericho:Geeks ?



"Watching a favorite show you missed on television on the Internet is increasingly popular, two recent studies show.

Horowitz Associates found that 16 percent of high-speed Internet users watched at least one full-length TV program online during a week, double the number from last year. Horowitz just released its report: Broadband Content and Services 2007.

The Nielsen Company found that 25 percent of the 1,599 Americans surveyed in October have watched full episodes of a TV program in the past three months."



"The sci-fi fans are a hard-working crowd. Where fans of other genres generally are content to whine a while and then let it go when their favorite shows are canceled, the geeks get busy. Occasionally, their campaigns to save shows succeed.

The best known of these efforts has been the resurrection of "Jericho," which CBS promoted the heck out of last year, then canceled when viewership lagged. The "Jericho" fans campaigned heavily until CBS relented and ordered another season.

"Jericho" begins season two Feb. 12. We know the crazies will be there, but it's on CBS, where a small, loyal following isn't good enough. We'll see if the fans' passion radiates to the more lukewarm among us."

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Jericho Goodies



"So, back from a few days off and it takes me half a day to plow through 400+ e-mails (I kid you not; I wish I was), check voice mail, do some housekeeping and figure out what news took place in my absence. Thank goodness the new season of Jericho was announced before I headed out!

Anyway, I promised to discuss various ways we could get behind our beloved show and make sure enough folks see it so it gets renewed for a full third season, but it appears I have lots of Jericho goodness to share before getting to that. I’ll hit ‘em fast:"



For Spanish speaking Jericho Fans:

http://jericho.forogratis.es/

http://jerichoblogspot.blogspot.com/



"Negotiations have broken off for the time being at least, but it's still important to understand what's at issue. There are now several recent proposals that have been publicly disclosed, as I had hoped would be the case (see WGA Strike - Confusion Reigns). What deal points are on the table and how far apart are the parties? I've written a very detailed memo, which includes references to supporting documents. A caveat - the studios have not described their proposal in detail, whereas the Guild has described both parties' proposals in detail; so, the description of the studios' proposal is based on the Guild's description."




Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Jericho: Games



"TV networks launch multimedia games to keep viewers buzzing
CBS used a mixed-media puzzle involving online clues and outdoor billboards to stimulate interest in its cerebral detective show “Numb3rs.” The puzzle is just one example of how online and offline marketing combinations are being used in a bid to promote TV shows, capture new audiences and hold current viewers’ interest. Shows like ABC’s “Lost” and “Jericho” on CBS have used similar strategies."



"If the strike lasts another four to six weeks, it could spell the end for 2008 pilot production. The most-circulated scenario in that case involves the networks renewing all their existing series for next fall, producing their pilots in the summer and launching their new crop of shows in midseason 2009."

"CBS will hope to bring some magic to the broadcast network with the decidedly un-family-friendly serial-killer thriller "Dexter" and perhaps other series from sister cable network Showtime.

"It probably speaks to how much they need scripted product," Brill said. "They probably have the least backup of any network. There are seven episodes of 'Jericho.' Maybe they are wishing they had gotten more."

Monday, December 10, 2007

Carol Barbee: Writer's Strike



"If the writers strike continues until January, it will endanger the $9 billion TV upfront market.

Marketers and agencies have tried for years to change the way TV time is bought and sold, arguing that committing such a large portion of their budgets ahead of the start of the fall season no longer makes sense. And it's looking increasingly like the Writers Guild of America strike could be the catalyst for retooling the annual May upfront process.

Carol Barbee, executive producer of cult favorite "Jericho" on CBS, said while her show would only benefit (a full season is already in the can), the damage could wreak havoc beyond the upfront. "If this goes past January, [the networks] have lost the entire development season, which means that they've lost all the new shows and the midseason replacements."

"The strike could accelerate recognition that consumers don't "revolve around prime time and the networks' new seasons anymore," said Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer for WPP Group's Group M media-buying consortium. With people using DVRs and watching programming online, a better system of buying and selling needs to be put in place. If the strike were to help people see that, he said, "that might actually be a silver lining."

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Jericho: Rangers On Their Own




Great article from Rich of Copywrite Ink today.

"Getting Wishes: Jericho Rangers"


He also has an interesting comment:

"Its hardly a perfect solution but as a temporary answer, if fans wanted to push a campaign forward ... it would start with Jericho DVDs and iTunes episodes (the pilot, specifically) as gifts, especially tying in the idea of taking each others for granted.

The second phase of the campaign would take place sometime in the second week in Jan., which would likely be a countdown to Jericho, focusing on the divided nation concept (which is much like the producers see it).

They are two separate campaigns.

The fans would also have to pool funds and do something that attracts attention, like purchasing ads in entertainment oriented publications, etc.

It could be done, but it would have be done on fan terms because I think you are your own."

***I think we're on our own too.***

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Friday, December 7, 2007

Jericho: Season 1 Marathon



"From Waukesha to Hollywood, Brad Beyer’s natural talent has driven his acting career to a new level including a main role on a TV drama series."



"UNIVERSAL HD channel is going to air JERICHO season 1 starting Sat. Dec. 15th @ 5pm pst. in what appears to be a marathon of selected episodes and will also reair on Sun. Dec. 16th @ 11am pst."


"Working as a Sound Effects Editor at Smart Post Sound in Burbank, California, Eric crafts the audio for these hits and more, including Jericho and Crossing Jordan. Catching up with him halfway through the new TV season, he was able to give us a deeper look at the fast-paced world of broadcast audio."



JERICHO RETURNS

FEB 12th 2008

10pm!EST



Thursday, December 6, 2007

Ho Ho Ho: Jericho Returns !



JERICHO RETURNS

FEB 12th 2008

10pm! EST



"A new report from Nielsen shows young adults are increasingly watching TV at times other than their original broadcasts — on devices that aren't TVs, reports Mediaweek.

56 percent of those studied, ages 18-34, say they catch up on missed episodes of a show online, on portable devices or using a DVR:"



"Nielsen has partnered with Digimarc to digitally "watermark" or fingerprint video clips from media companies circulating on the Internet. Clips would have a unique ID and specific rules could be assigned to govern their uploading and distribution accordingly, to prevent copyright infringement."

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Christmas In Jericho



ANNOUNCING: Christmas In Jericho Fan Fiction Contest

Starting: December 1, 2007 Ending: December 15, 2007

Winner Announced: December 20, 2007



Jericho Returns. Thanks Amy.



Jericho Kansas Inc. (JKI) is pleased to announce:

Our website is now open. Visit us at http://www.jericho-kansas.com Registration on our site allows you to be eligible for our drawings. You can register on our home page. Please remember to complete the verification of the registration process.



Lots O Links at Jericho Junction.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Jericho: Copywrite Ink



I would like to thank Rich at Copywrite Ink for the beautiful post he wrote yesterday.

"Most people have heard how fans banded together and convinced CBS to reverse its decision to cancel Jericho, a post nuclear terrorist attack survival drama, with 20 tons of nuts (among other things). Many know that Jericho is now set to be highlighted in 2008 as one of the few shows with any episodes for the new season.

But this story isn’t as big as all that. And perhaps for that reason, it shines twice as bright.

On Mon., Nov. 26, popular Jericho blogger and dedicated fan Jane Sweat put out a plea to fellow fans that she was desperate and needed help. Her 11-month-old retriever, Boo, had been housed at a shelter, waiting to be adopted after Sweat had moved from her home with plans to sell it.

What will they lend, share, or say? This single story of kindness seems to go a long way, at least for me. Social media can be astounding; you just need to look in the least likely but right places — like a Jericho blog where you can find the story of someone, recently displaced from her home, making the effort to save her best friend, and the fans who made it possible. Amazing."

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Loving Boo



Here's a picture of my Boo as a baby. Just a brief update then I'll be back on Monday.

I was able to spend all day with Boo and we had a wonderful time. It was an early Christmas for us.

She is now on her way to Indiana but we'll be reunited as soon as possible.

Thank all of you who made this happen. I am forever grateful.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Jericho:Saving Boo



I have decided to wait until Monday to go back to my regular blogging. My real life circumstances have been taking all my time and I can't work on the blogs right now.

I am speaking of the campaign to save my dog Boo. You can read the story here if you missed it.


The good news is that, once again, some kind, compassionate Jericho fans banded together and worked with me on a solution. The best news is that Boo has been saved. She has a new foster home and will be going there on Sat.

There is still work to be done so we will continue. I will post daily updates.

Thank you all. Donations welcome for the expenses of moving her.

Monday, November 26, 2007

JerichoMonster: Need Help


Tues. Update:

A wonderful Jericho fan has agreed to foster my dog until I can work my situation out to get her back. We are in the process of working out transport from here in Alabama to her home in Indiana.

At this time it appears we need to send her by air. We've had several donations and I thank those donors with all my heart.

If you know of anyone who does transports or if you would like to donate it would be most appreciated. We don't have much time.

You will find a donation button on the right side of the page at:

http://petrescuercentral.blogspot.com/

Thank you all.




Please see an urgent post from me here:


http://jerichomonster.blogspot.com/2007/11/jerichomonster-urgent-help-needed.html

If you have any ideas or information please contact me at sweat1951@rock.com

Thanks in advance.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Jericho On Facebook



"Facebook has unleashed Jericho applications for Facebook. Basically it acts like a chain letter where you invite 20 of your Facebook friends to join the Jericho group. Everyone needs to get on this ASAP, I already invited 20 friends, hopefully that 20 friends will invite 20 more friends and so on."



Thanks to Amy of Remote Access for posting this:

"Want to know how many new episodes are left of each of your favorite shows? There are several folks out there working hard to get you this information.

First off, we have this nifty graphic on LoHud.com, thanks to the Associated Press. Choose your day and find out where your shows stand. Not all shows have been updated, but the graphic is interactive and updates each day."

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Jericho: Live TV Ratings



"It's a case in point of how Hollywood's definition of a hit TV series is radically changing. Though still the primary focus, "live" TV ratings are no longer the sole barometer of success. As viewing habits change, programmers are struggling with how to factor in DVR use, Web viewing, sought-after niche audiences and online chatter when weighing shows' health.

"In the new world we live in, that kind of cultural permeation — the awareness that's greater than the numbers indicate — speaks to the potential for growth of the show," says Gossip executive producer Josh Schwartz.

The pattern followed last year's surprise resurrection of CBS drama Jericho, which was granted a seven-episode reprieve (due early next year). In a campaign to save the show, dedicated fans sent cartons of nuts to network executives — who were nonetheless more impressed by the 5.3 million episodes that were streamed online."



"The WGA action hit the late-night talk shows first and hardest, with virtually all of them, deprived of their nightly ration of political jabs and other topical jokes, going to reruns immediately. "Saturday Night Live" suffered a similar fate.

News and reality series, whose writers are not covered by the WGA contract, have not been affected. Most daytime soaps, whose scripts tend to be written far ahead of their air dates, will reportedly not be affected for several months.

The situation for prime-time comedies and dramas is more complicated.

"The Office" was scheduled to air a new episode this week but then is likely to go into reruns. Other popular series, including "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "CSI," "Heroes," Law & Order: SVU" and "House," have between three and eight unaired episodes.

"Jericho," which is due to return at mid-season with seven new episodes, has produced all seven and isn't likely to be affected. But another show previously scheduled for a mid-season debut is in limbo."


Help animals survive here.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Striking Out



"If the writers strike persists through the end of the month, it could suck $200 million from the entertainment industry's contribution to the Los Angeles economy, one expert predicts.

Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., said that more informed data will come with the November release of state employment figures, due December 21, but using the 1988 WGA strike as a guide, fallout is expected to be significant. Beyond that, a full economic recovery could take months."



"The Center for Media Research notes that the latest figures from Nielson Online support their recent research brief about the importance of the trust placed in word of mouth marketing.

The Nielsen figures for the top U.S. social networking sites and blogs in October show that:

Facebook more than doubled their traffic in the last year

MySpace had a 19 percent growth over October 2006

Althought their numbers are much smaller, LinkedIn was the big winner in terms of growth - 189 percent!

Kids are getting active in the social media space too - Club Penguin visitors grew by 157 percent

Buzznet, a new kind of social site that gives members the tools to create multi media around music and pop culture is also attracting a growing audience. They’re up 117 percent in the last year."

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Jericho: Revolt To Reform ?



"Corporations do believe that they are speaking to consumers - feedback forms, etc - but without realizing that they are just engaged in one-way dialogue, and not really listening to the customers.

Example one is CBS and Jericho: CBS was listening - at the beginning - to the fans. They had a CBS-based message board, and were working to augment and support the community. But, then the show was pulled off the air for the NCAA tourney, and then rescheduled against American Idol ... which killed the show.

Then came the nuts campaign - and CBS saw the real groundswell at work. CBS took the revolt, and turned into reform. It was no longer arm's length, but embracing the fans. The reformatted the home page, offering Widgets and a Wiki, and a production blog for behind-the-scene's view for the hardcore fans. It took a revolt and turned it into reform."



"Now you can buy the music of Supernatural and show your support for the striking writers at the same time. Through December 31, 2007, Firefox News is donating 100% of its affiliate sales commissions to the Actors Fund to help support writers and crew members affected by the WGA writer's strike. Firefox News makes a 5% commission per sale. At The Music of Supernatural page, you'll find a list of songs used on the series with a link to download on iTunes.

Right from the start, music has been an integral part of creating the atmosphere on Supernatural. Everything from Ozzy Osbourne to Bob Dylan has helped provide just the right note, either as background setting or to underscore an emotional scene. "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas has practically become the show's theme song. And no Supernatural fan can listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" without a shiver."

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Veronica Mars: Buddy Swap



Special Announcement:

Buddy Swap

Neptune Rising (Veronica Mars) has some members that are willing to do a "buddy swap" to where they will buddy up with someone from another show and watch each others shows and communicate with their "buddy" about the show.
Can I get 3 or 4 people willing to watch Veronica Mars and buddy with their fans?

Please leave a comment if you can help. Thanks.



"Jericho Kansas Inc. (JKI) is pleased to announce:

* Our website is now open. Visit us at http://www.jericho-kansas.com Registration on our site allows you to be eligible for our drawings (see below). You can register on our home page. Please remember to complete the verification of the registration process.

One of the goals of the Jericho-Kansas.com site is to function as a resource for the entire Jericho community. The feature which most demonstrates this is ‘The Jericho Telegraph.’ This hub is an announcement center and research base for the Jericho Community where anyone can add to or peruse our viewable and searchable database.

The JKI website also has a games section and a small chat room. The website will continue to be updated with additional features.

* Our first drawing is for a personalized holiday card from Brad Beyer. You must register by December 1st to be included in the drawing.

* Our second drawing is for a copy of the Target special edition Jericho DVD. You must register by January 1st to be included in the drawing."

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Topsy-Turvy World



"The Internet is turning the TV world upside down.

Just when CBS was about to pull the plug on “Jericho” and NBC was about to shut off “Friday Night Lights” due to low ratings, fans persuaded network executives to renew the shows through concerted online campaigns.

Now loyal viewers of the Disney Channel’s animated series “Kim Possible” hope the same tactic will work for them."



"Below is a post from United Hollywood - a pro-WGA blog that has seen fan efforts spring up in the wake of the strike. At the suggestion of Showrunners across Hollywood, United Hollywood is organising a campaign to send Pencils to the heads of the Six Major conglomerates who own and run Hollywood. These are the AMPTP guys who are denying the WGA the fair and reasonable residuals they are asking for."



"I've never been a fan of futile gestures. I've (all in good fun) ridiculed fandoms for proceeding with "send random crap to the network" campaigns immediately in the wake of Jericho's successful nut campaign, both for the lack of creativity and the lack of rationality in some cases – no amount of crackers were going to save The Black Donnellys. But I appreciate the desire to do something when our favourite shows are threatened with cancellation."



Do you love animals?

See this.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Saturday, November 17, 2007

WGA: Taking A Hit



"CBS Corp., owner of the most-watched television network, probably would take the biggest hit in a prolonged strike by TV and movie writers.

CBS gets two-thirds of its sales and profit from television. The New York-based company relies more on scripted shows such as ``CSI'' than competitors and is vulnerable to advertising losses, said Lehman Bros. analyst Anthony DiClemente."



"A prolonged writers' strike could send regular TV viewers to other media -- particularly print -- and might prompt marketers to reallocate their ad spending, according to a poll conducted by WPP Group's MindShare.

One out of four adults surveyed said the strike will affect or change their viewing habits. That finding was highest among 35- to 44-year-olds and lowest among those 65 or older."



"NBC's late-night schedule may be the first real victim of the ongoing writers' strike, with viewership among advertisers' most-coveted audiences -- viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 -- down in the double-digits for both "The Tonight Show" and "Saturday Night Live," according to media buyers."


Friday, November 16, 2007

Jericho, Whedon, and CBS




"Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who had any part in bringing us back for this second season. It’s been an unbelievable gift for us; hopefully we’ve managed to tell a——-hey there, Steve Scaia here, I’ve been watching poor ol’ Jon laboring at this blog entry for what seems like hours now, and I offered to step in and bring THIS thing in for a landing for him. If he were still coherent right now, I think he’d say something like this: “Thanks again for everything. You made all this possible. And I’ll think of you all fondly when I’m sailing around the Carribean in my solid gold yacht. Suckers.”



Joss Whedon says:
"The point of the meeting was that the WGA is aware of – and a little blown away by – the passion, tenacity, and organizational savvy of the online community. The “Jericho” nuts are the stuff of legend. Whedonesque and the creation of Fans4Writers were spoken of in awed whispers. I’m not kidding: one of the WGA workers asked me, “So, your fans. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?” I swear, having you guys in my corner is like being friends with Zorro. People in the community are amazed."



Quincy Smith,CBS Interactive President:

"Before Hulu hit the scene it garnered the misnomer of a "YouTube-killer." Now that it's been loosed on the masses, it's being hyped as the next big thing for broadcasters. According to CBS Interactive president Quincy Smith (pictured right), Hulu's success wasn't a fluke. During his keynote at today's NewTeeVee Live conference Smith explained how features like Hulu's clip heavy rotation have been carefully considered by the big broadcasters.

Right off the bat, Smith addressed the obvious question -- how does a competing network like CBS feel about the NBC/News Corp.-backed wunderkind? "People constantly ask us at CBS Interactive about Hulu," Smith fired off at his trademark machine gun pace. "Off the record? We love Hulu, and we talk a lot with Hulu. Our objective isn't to slam them. If we can't work together in contract then we can work together in philosophy."


Thursday, November 15, 2007

Announcing: The Digg Coach



Announcing:

The Digg Coach-- NEW Blog

Tutorials, information on Digg.com with suggestions, news, and digg resources.



"Looks like CBS has decided to build a “back story” site to compliment the hit series Jericho. Good news for fans who have been chomping at the bit waiting for the new season to start.

“Jennings & Rall is leading the charge to resurrect this great country whose cities lay in waste, and whose populous yearn for a return to the America that we remember.

ohhhh, can’t wait to read more? check it out!!

Jennings and Rall

Be sure to check out the Ravenwood page where there is a place to log in."



Pamela Reed Fans:

Photos and more here.






Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Nielsen: All-in-One Ratings



"Nielsen Online plans to introduce an all-in-one ratings system in 2008 that will measure viewership across television and the Internet. The ratings giant also intends to loop in measurement data across mobile viewing on cell phones and interaction with consumer-generated video.

Many advertising executives doubt Nielsen can pull off such an ambitious plan, and even if such sweeping data will be useful.

But Nielsen has already taken the first steps toward monitoring viewing habits across phones, TV and the computer.

“Our plan is to track video across all the different platforms,” said Manish Bhatia, president of global services and U.S. sales for Nielsen Online. “That is a big piece of the evolution of the Internet itself. We want to link mobile, TV and online.”
Nielsen plans to create a single-source panel for TV and online viewing by next summer to measure overall TV viewership for commercial ratings and for programs across both platforms, Mr. Bhatia said."

******************************

"News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch said Tuesday he intends to make access to The Wall Street Journal's Web site free, trading subscription fees for anticipated ad revenue.

"We are studying it and we expect to make that free, and instead of having one million (subscribers), having at least 10 million-15 million in every corner of the earth," Murdoch said."

*******************************

"Veronica Mars came to a cruel fate. It was a great show, had a fan following, and received critics’ praises. Usually, that is a recipe for a long-running series, or so you would think. Not so much for Veronica Mars, which was canceled after only three seasons. Now people are hoping for something like Firefly/Serenity with a feature film version, or perhaps a made-for-TV movie and some comics."

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Jericho Comes To South Africa



CBS: Clean Up Your Mess at CBS.com



South Africa Watches Jericho

"Jericho starts on SABC3 on Wednesday at 8.31pm.

One lucky Jericho viewer could stand in line to win an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles. Competition details to follow in the Tonight throughout the weeks to come."




"The strike casualties among the show's crew include camera operators, assistants, grips, electricians, hair and makeup artists and many more. And then there are the extras.

"We use a lot of extras each week, and these people barely make it," Thorpe said. "What are they going to do? It's so unbelievably painful to think about the size of this. Thousands and thousands of us have lost our jobs this week. The lady I buy my donuts from -- she has two kids in college. It a huge loss of income."



"The WGA East is not happy with Ellen DeGeneres. The funny lady whose recent dog-drama sparked headlines last month is in hot water with the East coast WGA after they found out she’s planning to go ahead with the two New York tapings of her talk show, which are scheduled for later this month."

Monday, November 12, 2007

CBS: Playing Favorites?



CBS: Reinstate Xwarp and Wolf. Clean up your mess.

No one will explain why they were banned. They did not break TOS.




Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Writing For Peanuts




Rich of Copywrite Ink says,"The writers strike could be the perfect opportunity for Jericho fans to stop taking each other out on the CBS Jericho message boards, and begin to building a fan effort in support of the writers.

Such a move would only increase the exposure of the show before it returns in January by engaging all television fans about something they are passionate about. Fan crossover is somewhat proven to work. For the most part, there has been continuing cross over between the fans of Veronica Mars, Supernatural, and Jericho."

Rich adds, "Besides, Jericho fans may even have the best message if they were so inclined. What’s that?

Stop paying writers peanuts."



"Seven steps to a TV shutdown"

The number one step?

"1. "Rally the 'Jericho' fans--they brought a show back, they can take one out."


I have to agree. Thank Rich.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Supernatural: We Are Fandom





From Hancoll: Jericho and Supernatural Fan

"Today, we're kicking off a new project that's like nothing we've done before. In fact, we're not sure it's ever been done before:

here are lots of different fandoms online, and some of them are in the same boat we're in -- their show is in danger of not coming back, or has already been cancelled. We've all seen 'Save Our Show' campaigns mounted by hopeful fandoms, and some of them seem to be successful. At their core, those fandoms are a lot like us, and they need the same thing we need -- viewers. So we thought, what if we combined our numbers? Why not get fans of a couple of shows working together to support both shows? Both shows will benefit, both fandoms will benefit.

The first fandom we thought of was "Jericho". Last spring, their fans waged a campaign to save their show that was so successful that CBS actually uncancelled the show. The day CBS announced "Jericho" would come back thanks to the fans' efforts, I decided I had to check out the show for myself. Any show that engendered such passion from its fans was a show I wanted to find out about. I watched it, and I liked it. I thought other Supernatural fans would like it as well, and that Jericho fans would probably like Supernatural, and started imagining how both shows could gain from a combined effort. We need to increase our ratings, and Jericho fans need to keep working in hopes that CBS will give them more than the eight episodes they were given."

Read more here.



Friday, November 9, 2007

CBS, Nielsen, and Firefly




"US broadcaster CBS is utilizing Facebook Ads to tap into an online community of The Amazing Race fans while attracting new viewers through targeted outreach, word-of-mouth referrals, and viral campaigns aimed at enabling fans to introduce the show to their friends, and their friends' friends."



"Now comes the latest dilemma, and Nielsen is trying to keep up with the times. The recent surge in DVRs (digital video recorders, including TiVo) have led to “time-shifting.” That is, “Lost” may air on Wednesdays, but a growing percentage of the audience is watching it the next day, or even on the weekend.

And how about time-shifting not only a few days, but weeks or months? More and more people are turning to DVDs to catch up with their favorite series. Sure, it takes patience and a lot of coach-potato stamina, but watching a whole season on DVD is what many folks are now doing.

So, the question that needs to be asked is clear: Should a program be punished if viewership is solid, even though people aren’t watching when the network originally airs the broadcast?"



"Sequel to Serenity finally happening? Fantastic if true. Reports suggest there is a chance of a direct to DVD sequel to Serenity, the film that followed on from where the television show Firefly left off. Alan Tudyk, the actor who played the the ship’s pilot, claims Universal has shown interest in the project."


Thursday, November 8, 2007

Jericho: Pandemic Influenza




Many thanks to Shootfire1 for this valuable information.


You may ask, how will Pandemic Influenza effect me? I'm young and healthy. Influenza kills the very young, the very old, and the infirm. That's true with "seasonal influenza." Pandemic Influenza is different. Spanish Influenza killed children and adults in the prime of their lives in 1918. The exact death toll of that pandemic is unknowable, but estimates place the worldwide death toll at anywhere from 20 to 100 million. That was in 1918, when there were far less people in the world. It had about a 2% CFR (Case Fatality Ratio), which means that 2% of those infected died. The best guess of scientists is that Avian Influenza currently circulating in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with human cases, and in Europe with sick birds, is a likely candidate to go pandemic. Indeed, it is considered by WHO (World Health Organization) to be the single greatest threat to public health today. At present, its CFR is 75% among 10-19 year olds. The CFR decreases gradually with age, with the elderly being at least risk of death. The numbers are still very high for all age groups, much higher than Spanish Influenza.

Next you may think, "but medical science has changed a lot since 1918." That's true. Yet there still is no cure for influenza. We have vaccines, but even they are not foolproof. They are based on the best guesses of scientists as to which influenza strain already circulating will be the biggest problem in a given year. The vaccine has to match the virus. If the virus changes, the vaccine may be useless. Even under the best of conditions, there will not be enough vaccine to protect everyone once a strain achieves the ability to go pandemic. Relatively speaking, very few people get influenza vaccinations every year. Therefore, the infrastructure does not exist to manufacture the mass quantities of vaccine necessary to vaccinate everyone, once the virus has become a pandemic strain. It would take 6 months to develop a traditional vaccine, and even then vaccine would not be available for everyone. Vaccinations would be reserved for those in critical positions, whose skills are needed to maintain infrastructure. We have a lot more advanced ways to treat the symptoms of influenza now, like ventilators. Unfortunately, there aren't enough ventilators to go around. Our local hospital has a total of 75 beds. Ten of those are ICU beds with ventilators available. Our town has 33,000 people. If only 1500 were to become sick in a wave, the current CFR would seem to indicate at least a third of them would need mechanical ventilation. They would also probably need it for more than a day. We do not own 500 ventilators. Difficult choices would need to be made about who gets a ventilator and who doesn't.

What does this have to do with preparedness? How can I possibly prepare for a pandemic? Well, there has been a lot of research on the likely consequences of a pandemic. Because of expected high rates of absenteeism, you can expect supply chain disruptions. These supply chain disruptions may be extremely pervasive, even effecting local utilities. Where I live, 50% of our electricity relies on coal. If coal miners, transportation workers, and utility district employees are absent due to personal illness or sick family members, there could be serious interruptions of service. A failure at any or all of these supply chain points would be devastating. Then think about all the people it takes to produce the groceries at your market, to transport them to the market, to put them on the shelves for you to buy... Now, imagine if only half the normal number of people reported to work for an extended period of time.

HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt is on the record, repeatedly stating, "pandemics happen." He says there is no reason to believe that one will not happen again. What has changed the most since 1918 in our society is not the ability of healthcare to deal with a pandemic, but with our economy's ability to cope. Since 1918, we have developed a "just in time" economy. We go to the grocery store once a week, or more. Stores rely on shipments nearly every day to keep their shelves full. Hospitals operate at near peak census every day. The supplies on hand are what they need, not what they would like to have in case of a large and extended surge of patients. Indeed, when PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) like N95 respirators, gloves, and isolation gowns run out at the hospital level, the majority of nurses asked at allnurses.com say they would stop coming to work. We have to be prepared to provide care for sick loved ones at home.

On average, a pandemic strikes three times per century. The last influenza pandemic was in the sixties, and it was unusually mild. We are overdue. What's more, we don't store food the way our parents and grandparents did. We are more dependant on municipal water sources, which also rely on just in time deliveries of the chemicals required to make them safe to drink. Storing food and water should be on everyone's minds. The Federal Government has spoken on this issue. Any local government that depends on the them to be a lifeline if they don't prepare is "tragically wrong." The government will not be able to meet your basic needs in the event of a severe pandemic.

Everyone should consider storing food, water, medical supplies, alternate sanitation, means to prepare food, and maybe even a personal supply of PPE. (WHO guidelines recommend at the minimum N95 respirators.) If you haven't done so yet, you should look at your preps to see if you should expand them to cover the specific threat of Pandemic Influenza. Many scientists who are experts in pandemic influenza are making personal preparations. Perhaps you should, too!

There is an important piece of legislation coming up for discussion at HHS.

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1834

These discussions are critical to how funding is spent. It is my opinion that informing the public of the facts needs to be adequately funded. Preparing for a pandemic has to begin at the individual level, and people will not do that if they don't have the facts. Many agencies are hesitant to get the message out there because they think the public will panic. Risk communicators everywhere are struggling with how to inform the public in a way that will get them to take action without causing a panic. On another front, there is a certain political stance that is quick to point to disaster planning as fear-mongering. Unless the informed make their voices heard, a great many people will never see this coming.


http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/55401/

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-06-2007/0004698457&EDATE=

http://readymoms.org/



DIGG chat in Jeritopia

Friday - November 9th - 10 PM est

Everything you always wanted to know about Digg,
but were afraid to ask.

Yes, this is a Jericho chat room but everyone is welcome. You will have to register. Come see why Digg is so important to every fan of every show.

We will also be discussing having a Digg Day with the theme broadened to include topics of importance to and provided by multiple fandoms.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Jericho:Strike Effects



"Just ask the cast and crew of "Jericho" how much losing momentum could be a killer.

Last season, networks experimented with long mid-season breaks, similar to what SciFi Channel had been doing for years with shows like "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate: Atlantis." Except it happened with disastrous results.

"Heroes" and "Lost" both suffered significant drops in their ratings when they returned after a lengthy mid-season hiatus, and "Jericho" went from being an early season standout to a late-season near-flop, to the point that CBS pulled the plug."



"This November sweeps is like no other sweeps period in memory. There are few of the stunts that the networks famously used in years past to boost ratings of local affiliates for setting ad rates, but there're lots of other issues for media buyers to ponder, and not the least of which is the strike by the Writers Guild of America that began yesterday. ABC is expected to win sweeps because of the high quality of its new and returning shows, and that's not expected to change--primetime shows have been backed up--but it's anyone's guess when it comes to late night, which will see the effect immediately, and daytime, which could be hurting shortly."



"Ultimately, the legacy of a prolonged strike could reduce the audience for network TV at a time when it has already been losing viewers for years to cable, DVDs and the Internet. Numbers from May 2007 show that the combined viewership of the four major broadcast networks - ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox - dropped by 2.5 million from the previous spring.

The last time there was a 22- to 23-week strike [in 1988], the networks lost 10 percent of their audience," says David Bianculli, TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air and tvworthwatching.com. "That's a huge chunk, and they'll lose at least that much now. It's going to be more and more difficult to convince viewers to come back."

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Jericho: Margie and Edna




"Margie & Edna have a message for CBS"

"Anyhow, since Jericho’s been jerked around all over the place since being brought back for a second season, Margie and Edna are back to talk about loyalty and neighborliness."



Anyone Loves TV
I haven't seen this blog before today.


DIGG chat in Jeritopia

Friday - November 9th - 10 PM est

Everything you always wanted to know about Digg,
but were afraid to ask.

Yes, this is a Jericho chat room but everyone is welcome. You will have to register. Come see why Digg is so important to every fan of every show.

We will also be discussing having a Digg Day with the theme broadened to include topics of importance to and provided by multiple fandoms.



"A History of Fans Getting Their Show Back"