CBS, You've done it now

Apparently the geniuses at CBS have decided to cancel Jericho.

Television and I already had a spotty relationship. Growing up, I never had cable. I watched what I could on the three or four static-ridden channels our antenna (yes, I mean antenna) provided. When my television was on while I was in college, it was almost always tuned to one of the news networks, the Weather Channel, or Comedy Central. If I watched anything with any regularity, it was typically at Travel Buddy's or another friend's house.

This past fall was the first time I made the conscious decision to start viewing certain programs in my own home at the beginning of a season. I set my DVR* to record five new programs. Of those, I stopped watching one, one is still running, and two have been canceled.

Wait... three have been canceled.

In the past month my voiced ambivalence about Jericho had morphed into full-fledged obsession with the program. Okay, well, not quite obsession. I don't really do that whole "unhealthy obsession" thing. (If I were really obsessed, I would've known before this morning that the damn thing had been canceled...)

Anyhow, the show was really starting to reach that potential it had from the beginning. It already had a unique and interesting plot line and characters that I cared about. And in the past few weeks it had moved from intriguing to captivating. I literally couldn't wait for the next episode. I went 'round talking to anyone who was fool enough to listen about the damn show.

And now what? It's gone. Just like that. And CBS isn't even going to give us some kind of thrown together, half-assed, BS closure until 2009/2010. And even then, only maybe, if the goobs in charge are in the mood or something.

So, that's it. You hear me CBS? I'm not watching any more of your stinkin' programs.** I'm already almost completely Netflix-reliant for my television watching, anyway, and I don't think I could stand another mid-season cancellation of something I seriously enjoy watching.


* Apparently, the networks care not a whit about their faithful DVR viewership. I say, we're viewers, too, dammit (and likely more loyal than Average Joe who has no DVR and might have a scheduling conflict every now and then). If you can cater to new marketing strategies based on people skipping ads with their DVR, then certainly you at least know people are watching your program in something other than real time. Find a way to make that viewership count!
** Unless, of course, it's really good. But even then I'll wait 'til it's out on DVD.