Jericho’s Numbers Up – Were They Enough?

One of the best shows most of America isn’t watching scored its best ratings of the strike-shortened season Feb. 26. The question now is if they will be enough to earn it a third season, a decision that could come as early as next week.

Jericho earned a 4.3 overnight rating but at least some of that is attributable to NBC’s decision to air internet-born drama Quarterlife instead of usual workhorse Law and Order:SVU. Quarterlife didn’t earn a quarter of the ratings any of the numerous Law and Order spinoffs would have. Jericho executive producer Carol Barbee had previously termed the Feb. 26 episode “make or break,” but she can’t very well do that every week. In short, the lackluster competition and heartfelt pleas of Barbee may have created a sort of “perfect storm” not likely to repeat itself.

Fans of the drama, which has been canceled once but earned a reprieve after a campaign from its diehard supporters, are used to playing the waiting game.