PBMom's Blog

The ratings for Season 5 were up.  It is the fourth highest ratings on the Sci-Fi Channel (Eureka, ECW wrestling, Ghost Hunters rating higher).  But it wasn't enough.  Sci-Fi announced late last week that there would be no Season 6.  MGM will proceed to do a Stargate Atlantis Direct-To-DVD movie that Sci-Fi will air, but depending on that there may or may not be more. 

Who are these Nielsen people who get boxes that determine the fate of some of our best TV shows? 

Then BOOM!  We get hit with more news.  Stargate is going to do a third series, called Stargate Universe.  Hearing the concept at first, it sounded an awfully like Star Trek Voyager.  Apparently it will involve a Stargate that jumps on a preplotted course that they can't change.  It is supposed to appeal to a younger audience.  I hope that doesn't mean they are going to make it sexier.  They are trying to get the edgeyness that Battlestar Galactica had to the Stargate franchise.   I'll probably check it out when it comes out in July 2009. 

I'll still busy trying to save Jericho (and we hear good things that we might get something more--movie format, season 3--who knows.  I'm not so sure I'm going to be writing letters to Sci-Fi to keep playing the show on their channel. 

Upcoming new stories on Sci-Fi will be a spin-off of Battlestar Galactica called Caprica.  Also Amanda Tapping of Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis has created a new show called Sanctuary and that is coming in October. 

What do you think?  Any fans out there. 

It's Robin9223's fault.  I got an email from her on August 14 saying that she was going to be on the traffic segment as was her husband for the 5:00/5:30 segment.  When I inquired more, she said they were going to be on MyFoxHoustonLive as a full dress rehearsal.  I got into the chat room, having already signed up for a username when the 4:00 MyFoxHoustonLive show was own, although I only popped in there occasionally. 

So I was there to support her celebrity moment and I found it completely and utterly addicting.  I also wanted to be there for the historic moment on Monday.  I found myself having some time for the noon broadcast (actually being awake since Patrick was home this week before school starts).  During the school year, I'm sleeping at 12:00. 

The news anchors actually chat to us when they aren't doing their segments.  They give us what the chatters call "Shout-Outs."    Chatters go crazy for it.  I've gotten a few myself. 

Some of the other reporters and anchors are in there, too.  Some of the production staff are there, too. 

Sometimes it is difficult to keep up, but your mind adjusts to it after a few days. 

One of my favorite things was during one chat, someone asked Melissa Wilson to wear something green the next day.  AND SHE DID!  It made that person's day.   If you tune in to the web site instead of watching it on TV, you can hear some of the microphone talk during commercials.  You can hear Mike Barajas practicing some tricky wording coming up in the next segment.  You can hear Melissa Wilson singing.  They will sometimes wave to you (made someone's mom's day).  The meterologists ask people about the weather in their various areas of town.  Ford Atkinson said it made the broadcast go faster.  And the anchors just love knowing that there are actual human beings behind those cameras.  This week we've averaged about 70 people in the chat on 5:00/5:30 and about half of that on 9:00-10:00. 

No other newscast offers this.  You wanted to know what sets Fox 26 apart from the other stations -- this is definitely one of the things high on the list.  There is about a 20-30 second delay between the TV broadcast and the live streaming video so it's best to turn down the TV unless you are superhuman and can actually do both at once. 

In traditional "shout-out" fashion, these were some of the names (don't shoot me if I missed somebody--It's hard to write when you all chat so fast):    9ep, Ambulancegirl, Angletonkid, Babypowders, Battymomof3, Brent, Cazual, Chell05, Conroe72, cutekitty13, Docholiday, DrJim, Dromasters, Enviroguy, FBI, Fsck, HeatherAnna, Hfd26 Haloaddict, inthewoodlands, Iscitheweatherman, IvyMeadow, Jrchiva, Kathylovespogo, Leoz, Lizzysmom, lmadanluvnit, Kast, Kitchyc, Meenabeena123, Meeniegram, MeganS, Melissa&Mike, MisterMike (different from MrMike), Mnm9970, Montrosegirl, Montrosemamma, Motherof2, MrMike, Musicmom, Nstar, Omygato, Paulaq5, PinkChick, QuilterPam, RescueFlight, Rita12969, Robin9223, Rowdysoneslady, Ruhock, Sandreaap, Scott1554, Sldhouston, Ske33t3r, Sonyaluvsfox, Texasex, Tomball911, TTUDrummer09, Twin04, twzsted, U8myhusben, Warrioray, Zaknight

And shout-outs to all those anonymous chatters or anybody whose names I missed.

I'm in a campaign right now to get chatters to start blogging.  I've seen several and welcome.  Hope you enjoy it.  Now bloggers -- I challenge you to come to the chat room.  If you want to start out slow, come on the weekend, or pop in to the 9:00 one (or after football if it runs late).  You'll have to sign up for a Chatango name, just follow the directions.  The site is

http://www.myfoxhoustonlive.com

Also, if you are ever out on the road and are near a computer, you can still tune in and see the local broadcast so you don't feel so homesick. 

I've seen several people blog about the 5:00/5:30 segment being no different.  It reminds me of church.  I was once told by a wise priest that people who say they don't get anything from going to Mass are usually the people who don't put anything into it in the first place.  I never thought about it that way.  Coming on line and chatting (or just observing to see for awhile to see what it's all about) is what makes the difference here.  It is truly a different experience. 

See you in the chat room.  The virtual nachos are on me. 

I posted this last year, but seeing we have a whole new bunch of bloggers, it iwould be fun to post again.  With so many of us thinking politics has gone to the "dogs," if dogs ran the government, this is what positions they might have (FYI I did not write this; this was a forward passed along many years ago):

IF DOGS RAN THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH DOGS WOULD RUN WHAT?

President:  German Shepherd:  Handsome, telegenic, strong, intelligent, loyal (patriotic) and a born leader.

Vice-President:  Border Collie:  Good-looking, telegenic, intelligent, hard-working—could step in and lead.

Secretary of State:  Labrador Retriever:  Strong, at home in any situation required of a tireless trotter or globetrotter, friendly, hard, loyal worker, handsome but not TOO glamorous.

Secretary of Defense:  Chow Chow:  Fiercely territorial, ferocious defender, ever vigilant, yet friendly to the citizenry.

Attorney General:  Rottweiler:  Powerful defender of his territory (law).  Crime WOULD be prosecuted.

Secretary of Education – Standard Poodle:  Smartest of all the breeds, generally the standard poodle would recommend that this department be eliminated so he could move on to become:

Secretary of Commerce:  Here the standard poodle would, by his presence, increase the average IQ of this department.  His keen intelligence would result in a complete makeover of commerce. 

Secretary of Transportation:  Siberian Husky:  This steel-blue-eyed Alpha dog knows all about how to move people and material from point A to point B.

Secretary of Labor:  Pit Bull:  Can be ruthless contract negotiator, stern and humorless in dealing with everyone.

Secretary of Energy:  Jack Russell Terrier:  If there is a more energetic breed, we couldn’t think of one.

Secretary of Treasury – Doberman “Penny” Pincher (yes, I know that’s not how it’s spelled).  Perfect to stand watch over the national pile of money.

Speaker of the House:  Golden Retriever:  A breed that is known for bipartisanship, gets along with all the other breeds.  Handsome, telegenic, third in line for the Presidency.

Not sure I agree with Standard Poodle being the most intelligent.  Of course, I think golden retrievers should have all these jobs, but tell me what breed your dog is and what position you think they could run better than the politicians. 

We all know what product placement is -- a sponsor of the show puts their product in the show in lieu of running a commercial, something most of us fast-forward through or take the opportunity to go to the restroom, kitchen, check on something, let out the dog, etc. 

The FTC is looking into new rules that let viewers know when a product's airtime has been purchased. 

I was shocked when I saw these figures from Nielsen Medial Research.  These figures are from the first quarter of 2008.

The Biggest Loser, on NBC:   3,977

American Idol, on Fox:  3,291

The Celebrity Apprentice, NBC:  1,646

Deal or No Deal, NBC:   1,603

Extreme Makeover, Home Edition, ABC:  1,011

Big Brother, CBS:  1,011

CW Now, The CW, 929

Pussycat Dolls Present, The CW:  805

America's Next Top Model, The CW:  574

One Tree Hill, The CW:  557

I was quite shocked.  I knew there was some degree of product placement, but the degree of it was shocking.

The "Save Jericho" fans actually scanned through all the shows to find the possible sponsors and to tell them that they saw their products and hoped that they would continue to support the show if they bring it back because of the large fan base out here.  Dedicated fans.  I was not among those dedicated fans.  I'm too busy counting how much school districts are spending on lawyers for special education and disability related expenses versus.  And then there are my taxes that I have until Oct 15 to get in (and I'm getting a refund).  Pretty pathetic people! 

Did you all know how pervasive the product placement was?  Do you skip commercials?  If so, what are you doing during the commercial breaks?  Keep it clean please (LOL).

Maybe I'm the last one in the universe to know this, but Dr. Phil isn't a licensed counselor.  He is just an entertainer.  I thought it was at least a licensed counselor at a Ph.D level, but nope.  I always disliked him personally because he has an ego that would probably energize the world for a full year from the energy of that alone.   The marriage counselor Jeff and I were seeing for a time made us get his book and work in his workbook.  I was very resistant to it. 

Well, geez, if he can make millions of dollars on giving people advice about their lives without any consequence whatsoever in sessions that appear to be counseling sessions, then, hey, my couch is available.  Just call me Dr. PBMom and the Dr. is in. 

I can't decide if this is news or entertainment.  There isn't a pitiful soul category to the Fox blogs, so I guess I'll post it under entertainment.  Any relationship advice you need?  I'll go look in my Dr. Phil books to help you? 

This is a follow up to my post in early June: http://community.myfoxhouston.com/blogs/PBMom/2008/0
6/04/TV_Show_For_Sale

I just found out yesterday that there was an official campaign site for the efforts to save the show...again...and on that site, it had the link to the commercial that was made. My blogger friends, I have a confession to make. I cut money from our budget to afford to make a donation to the commercial (or other efforts).

http://www.savejerichoagain.com

I knew the commercial was coming out in mid-June, but I didn't realize it was available on YouTube. So I didn't post anything.

I read on Sci-Fi Wire this short blurb:   Fans of the twice-canceled CBS series Jericho are continuing their campaign to bring the show back by sponsoring more than 200 local ad spots to air on cable TV stations in the Los Angeles area. The group, dubbed the "Jericho Rangers," have already purchased a print ad in Variety and rented a billboard in downtown Los Angeles to show their support for the series and help find it a new broadcast home. The group paid for the advertising time through a fund-raising campaign which generated more than $6,000 in three weeks. The fan-created 30-second ad features a voice-over provided by actor Brad Beyer, who played Stanley Richmond on the show. It's scheduled to air for 10 days, beginning June 12th, during several popular cable shows, including Ghost Hunters on SCI FI Channel and Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. The ad will also be hosted at the group's official site, SaveJerichoAgain.com.

That was on June 12. Talk about being LATE TO THE PARTY! I feel like I've let down my fellow Rangers. I'd like to make it up to them at this time by giving you the opportunity to see the video. Although we are aware the show won't air on CBS again, we remain extremely hopeful another network will pick us up and the producers are still in active talks doing that.  I'm about to make an effort with Mark Cuban at HDNet. 

That is, though, what this show is about. It is about making a stand. It is not just about this show, but about quality television and the gross lack of it on television. We are tired of those "reality" shows. And this show isn't just about the fans saving the show. The actors, executives, and crew want the show back, too. They love making this show. We love watching the show. We're perfect for each other. As you read above, Brad Beyer, one of the stars who has a particularly wonderful storyline in the show, actually narrated the Fan TV Ad. Jericho Rangers are also about community and helping the community and have done many efforts to help others, and did a DVD campaign to send DVDs to the troops.  Credit for the commercial goes to RubberPoultry. 

Let me know if you like the commercial.  Do you admire our persistence or do you believe we are living in a dreamworld?  Have you ever been this passionate about a television show, felt there was still story to be told, and jumped on board?  What were some ideas your group used and what was the outcome of that effort?

And my apologies to my fellow Rangers for falling down on my duties.  I hope you will forgive me.  I'm feeling a little bit like Fred in "Termination for the Cause", episode 5 in season 2, by letting the team down.  I hope you don't tell me, "Go home, Fred."   LOL

I'm very sad today.  One of my favorite shows, impacted my the writer's strike, will not return to air their final 10 episodes until the first quarter of 2009.  However, I hear, like the Razor 2-hour movie that bridged the gap for us, there is at least two more movies in the works, and I believe we'll get to see that perhaps this fall. 

This show has always been edgy and sexy, has earned itself a Peabody Award, and what you expect to happen never does. 

I thought the final episode would be about them finding earth, but what earth?  Our past, our present or our future?  By a matter of deduction, I ruled out present-day Earth since that was done in the original series.  That left me with future Earth or past Earth.  Either Earth-case-scenarios would have made for interesting TV.  My thoughts about past Earth were they settled with their half-cylon/half-human children and eventually a new human race emerged.  My thoughts about a future Earth was one technologically advanced to beat back the cylons.  That is why I'm a viewer, and the writers on BSG are where they are.

I was not at all suspecting that we would land on earth at the mid-season finale on Friday night.  I couldn't tell if it was San Francisco or New York City (with bridge could possibly be either) and the reason I couldn't tell is that they arrived on an earth that was blown up by nukes.  So these are my thoughts after watching it a season time Friday night:

1.   Did we blow ourselves up, or did the other group of cylons find earth and blow it up themselves?

2.  Did they land in an alternate reality Earth? 

3.  Did they go down the wrong wormhole? 

I kept thinking about Starbuck's experience and her coming back months later when only a little bit of time elapsed for her.  That would point to some sort of time-related event.  The final 5 cylons had already been to earth and knew the way.  Again, that points to some sort of time-related event.  And the phrase they used throughout the series, "What has happened before will happen again" indicates perhaps there is some time loop going on.  Did making peace with the cylons alter their destiny?  Will they try to figure out time travel so they can go back to earth before they blow themselves up and show the citizens of earth that if cylons and humans, enemies for more than 50 years, can make peace with each other, than so can we? 

I believe one of the movies is going to be earth-based and show why the cities were nuked. 

So let's hear it my closet BSG friends!  What are your theories?

Oh, and a little "nugget" for you all:  I heard that the last episode was 3 hours long and they might just air it as a three-parter, making us having the final 12 episodes coming in 2009 instead of the final 10. 

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."  -- Jim Valvano

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."  --Clarence Budington Kelland

"It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons."  -- Johann Schiller

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father! -- Lydia M. Child, Philothea:  A Romance, 1836

"Never raise your hand to your kids.  It leaves your groin unprotected."  -- Red Buttons

"Spread the diaper in the position of a diamond with you at bat.  Then fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher's mound.  Put first base and third base together, bring up home plate and pin the three together.  Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again."  -- Jimmy Piersal on how to diaper a baby in 1968 (cloth diapers all you disposable diaper dads out there)

"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong."  -- Charles Wadworth

"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection."  -- Sigmund Freud

"It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father."  -- Pope John XXIII

"One night a father overheard his son pray:  Dear God, Make me the kind of man my Daddy is.  Later that night, the father prayed, Dear God, Make me the kind of man my son wants me to be."  -- Author unknown

I hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day.

Anybody want to share some inspiration thoughts, quotes or humor?

As most of you know, I am a person who has strong opinions against the death penalty.  My Catholic faith dictates that if there is a sentence that offers life in prison without the possibility of parole, then the death sentence is morally unacceptable.   

In the last two days, however, I've felt that blood thirsty need for justice.

Africanized bees (aka killer bees) must die.  All of them. 

I was swimming around in my pool two nights ago when a pesky insect interrupted my laps.  It looked like a mini UFO, zipping and popping around so fast I could hardly make out what it was.  At first I thought it was some kind of horse fly.  Then it landed.  "I think that is a killer bee!"  It appeared to be only one, which I thought was strange. 

I've tested allergic to bees, although in my 44 years of existence, I have never been stung by a bee (or a wasp or a hornet, etc.) despite my daredevil childhood. 

Jeff said it didn't seem to be bothering him or Patrick, so I tried several different ways to get him to go inside to get the bug spray.  Finally the, "You don't want to be my hero??? with my puppy dog eyes and mouth turned down finally did it.  He got the "House & Garden spray."  He warned me not to get any of those chemicals into the pool.  I assured him I would be "as careful as possible." 

I felt like a Navy SEAL coming up barely out of the water with the weapon in my hand, ready to sneak up on it and POW.  Jeff took my 6 and spotted it at 12 o'clock.  "Over there," he whispered (as if bees can hear).  I moved ever so slowly, barely moving the water and BAM I got it.  It flew off.  But I got spray on it. 

"He'll just buzz off and then do a kamikaze."  (eventually fall from the sky) 

So I relinquish my weapon (bug spray) and start doing a side stroke.  When I reached the middle of the pool, out of nowhere, this bee was in a hyper-revenge attack on definitely me.  I think it tried to sting me on my head but my head was too hard to get the stinger in, then proceeded to bounce off onto my back and then fly away.

"If he got your blood, he's going to die."  I said, "Interesting."  Let's see what happens to me know.  So we got out of the pool.

Today I opened- my door to see him waiting for me at my back fence near my back door.  It was time to take out the bigger guys:  Raid's Wasp and Hornet spray.   Got 'em.  I hoped.  So I went out for my swim tonight and it was okay for the first 10 minutes and then bee-who-has-my numbers knows me. 

We go swimming tonight during my break and it's back and at this point I only one see the other. 

This time I'm out with the big guns:  Raids Wasp and Hornet Spray.  Stealth1 to Steath2:  Do you see it????  His life on this universe is ending because frankly mine needs to continue.  So I brought the bottle into the pool once my intelligence spotted the wanted bug, I had the spray ready.  I sprayed it when he landed on the pool coping.  I thought we were fine.  He received a heavy dose and I'm sure he would fly out of the sky.

Patrick wanted to get out about 40 minutes after he came out, but I hadn't finished laps, so I had some exercise to make up some time.  He tried his best to zip around to get mean and got close enough to my inner ear.  Before I got out, 3 of them were now circling a water pail, so I killled one (so I could get a sample to show the bee keeper I will be calling) and the other two got really agitated.  Even after I went in, I could hear them trying to get the window to crack. 

If these wind up not being on my property, I'll pay reasonable fees to have them get rid of them.  Heck, I might even consider doing it for a neighbor if they let me inspector our because these bees have GOT to die.

It is entirely possible I agitated a possible nesting site when I dumped the down limbs in my back yard into the  area that is my property. 

So I guess I'll be calling a beekeeper now. 

Any bloggers have issues with Killer Bees before? 

If so, a reputable referralbe might help me a great deal

Made you look!   That wasn't very fair of me, huh?

At the blogger picnic, Lanny was talking about my picture of Maddie where he saw the hot tub in the background.  I told him that Maddie actually enjoys going in the hot tub.  She puts her body right up there by the jet and enjoys the massage of the water jets herself. 

There is nothing better for a girl after a hard day of sleep and retrieving and eating and walking and playing and busting chops than to jump in the hot tub with your favorite tennis ball in your mouth and relax!

SPOILED DOG!!!

Well, Sassy didn't get the post an AI blog, so here is a quick one. 

Tuesday night's winner:  Paula

For almost a full minute, she thought Jason sang two songs.  The audience went silent.  The contestants had a "huh?" on their face. 

I imagine that will be the highlight of all the news magazine shows for quite awhile.

They changed the format last night.  The contestants would sing their first song and then the judges would tell them about both songs after the contestants sang their SECOND song.  Then Ryan asked them real quick what they thought about Round 1 and Randy did his dawg thing and then Paula started with Jason and talked about his first song...and then his second song...which had not been done yet. 

Poor Paula.  I saw her Bravo show Hey Paula and I think she suffers from chronic insomnia and that is why she acts the way she does.

Quick notes on Neil Diamond Night.

Jason Castro:  First song:   Forever in Blue Jeans.  Boring.  Not much different from the original.  No WOW moments.  Second song:  September morn.  Horrid.  Pitchy.  No Wowing here.  I think he SHOULD be in the bottom 2.  If this is still a talent competition.

David Cook:  First song:  I'm Alive.  It was a little pitchy, although he did make it different from the original.  Second song:  All I'll Ever Need is You:  Neil Diamond said he got goosebumps.  I didn't get goosebumps, but I liked it very much.  Much better than the first.  I actually voted tonight for the first time.  I need David to go to the final 2.  It's my penance for not voting for Chris Daughtry and him getting booted off the show.  However, I was getting a little worried because I was not having trouble getting through each time.  It was a good thing to do while I watched over my little one who just had a seizure. 

Brooke White:  First song:  I'm a Believer.  I like the version they did for Shrek better.  It was boring.  It was a combination of the Monkeys and, was it Smashmouth who did the Shrek version.   It was like...well...I'm not Simon...it was as bad as that other song she did of the Beatles "Here Comes the Sun."  Her second song was better for her, but Brookie baby, it's just not superstar material.  Her second song was I Am I Said.  Based on tonight's performances, she should be in the bottom two, but Jason should go home.  Sorry A&M fans.

David Archuleta:  First song:  Sweet Caroline.  The girls couldn't control themselves thinking of David touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching you.  And then the second song "They're Coming to America."  Simon thought that was a smart song, but I'm wondering with the illegal immigrants issue if that actually might hurt them.  People are tired of "Them Coming to America."  But he is a cutie pie and always will be and he has a great voice. 

Syesha:  She did Hello Again and then the second song:  Thank the Lord for the Nighttime.  First song I thought she did a great job, much better than Brooke.  Her second song was pitchy.  But it will be interesting if she is in the bottom 2.  Mandissa who sang a song that had the word God or Jesus or the Lord in it, and she went home; Carly did Jesus Christ Superstar and went home.  It would be interesting if she winds up going home. 

I would like to take this blogger time-out from autism to show you the other member of our family and how much she has grown.  She is now 11 months old and QUITE the handful.  Patrick had a seizure tonight and it was really sweet that she knew something was wrong with him and she was licking his hand, whining.  She does come from a long line of hunters and I had hoped I would be able to train her to let us know when he has a seizure if we are elsewhere in the house.  They say people who have a seizure emit a smell that dogs can pick up.  I hope this is the first step into that journey for her. 

I sort of brought up this subject before on a blog called "Save Jericho" but I didn't get any response, probably because of the title.

Don't you just hate it when you get really into a TV show and then they decide to cancel it?  It doesn't take much these days.  I heard CBS debuted a reality show about celebrities and discovering unhidden talents.  It aired once.  They cancelled it.  What about Fox 26's Anchorwoman reality show.  That got cancelled rather quickly. 

I guess the first "Save" campaign I got involved with was Farscape.  It was one of the most original science fiction shows I had ever seen.  It went four seasons and got an abrupt cancellation from the Sci-Fi Channel.  Apparently it got too expensive to produce.  I was absolutely livid the way they ended the show -- a huge disappointment to all the dedicated fans.  The Save Farscape campaign was launched and we eventually got a miniseries out of it, Farscape:The Peacekeeper Wars and it gave closure to the series. 

Then it seemed like I started liking a string of quality shows that got cancelled before I even started watching them.  John Doe was one of them.  I caught it on the Sci-Fi channel thinking it was a new series.  I saw the last episode and looked on the internet to see what season 2 was going to be like only to find out that was it.  It, too, left me screaming, Nooooooooo!!!!!  Not fair.  Recently, a new show on Sci-Fi (I guess I don't learn my lessons) showed up called Odyssey 5.  Apparently it was previously on Showtime and I figured they picked it up, just like did the Stargate series.  They showed several episodes and then stopped showing them.  I found out the show made 19 episodes and got cancelled.  I haven't made it to episode 19 yet.  Then this season I discovered Jericho on CBS.  I couldn't believe I had missed this show for season 1.  I was watching the season 2 episodes.  I bought the season 1 DVD and how quickly I caught up only to find out that CBS had cancelled Jericho after season 1 but the fans rallied and gave it life for 8 episodes for season 2 and then CBS would make a decision about a season 3.  On Good Friday, they announced it was cancelled.  Fortunately the show filmed two different versions of endings--one that sort of wrapped things up for the fans and one that didn't.  They aired the "wrapped things up" version although the other version will be out on DVD.  CBS is still in talks with Sci-Fi, CW and Comcast about continuing the show with some help in the production costs.  Now I found that one of the stars in Jericho was in a previous show called "Miracles" on ABC in 2003 and it looked quite interesting.  This time I knew the show was cancelled, but I just started watching the show on DVD and after 2 episodes I wish there were more than just 13 episodes.  This was like the X-Files with a good/evil twist. 

Battlestar Galactica will be different.  We know the show is ending at the end of season 4 (the last 10 episodes will be aired in 2009 because of the writer's strike).  We know that the show will have some sort of conclusion so we are preparing ourselves. 

How about all of you?  Did you have favorites that you felt were quality television that didn't survive the first few episodes or have a season 2?  With all the reality TV shows out there, we need quality television back in our corner. 

I have so many.  I love, in no particular order:

1)  The Air Bud movies (including the Air Buddies and Snow Buddies movies--in fact above my computer on the top of the monitor, I have a stuffed golden retriever puppy and the Husky Shasta from the movie, a free gift with DVD purchase).  Is this any surprise since I'm a golden retriever lover?

2)  Snow Dogs

3)  Eight Below (cried a lot in that movie)

4)  Homeward Bound

5)  Dr. Doolittle (only the first and second ones)

6)  Cats and Dogs (I love Mr. Tinkles, the cat, surprisingly enough, and I'm not a cat lover (sorry cat lovers out there!) 

7)  Oddly enough, The Horse Whisperer. 

What is/are your favorite animal movie(s)? 

Why is it that every time I discover a show, it's about to be cancelled or I find out that it is cancelled? 

It started with Farscape, a whacky science fiction show.  It was a Sci-Fi Channel original.  Think Star Trek but turn everything upside down.  I saw episodes on that show that were original ideas.  So much of the sci-fi shows out there are recycled ideas.  Abruptly at the end of season 4, they were cancelled.  I watched the final episode in horror as the happy ending I was supposed to get did not happen.  Our hero, John Crichton, is finally asking the lead female, Aeryn Sun, to marry him.  Out of the sky comes a spaceship that fires on them and leaves them looking like Dippin Dots in a rowboat on a blanket.  I remember screaming at the screen -- Are you kidding me????

So started the SaveFarscape campaign, the first campaign I ever became involved with.  The fans started a financial campaign and made commercials that aired on TV.  Eventually Farscape got a mini-series airing on Sci-Fi that gave fans some closure.  The series is still so popular that Sci-Fi is in the process of making webisodes for some future unknown date.

There were many other shows that followed that route.  A few months ago, Sci-Fi Channel announced it would be airing "Jericho" from the beginning.  I had heard about the fans who got the show renewed on CBS by sending 2 million metric tons of peanuts to CBS.  It was the first time in history that CBS reversed a decision to cancel a show.  They ordered 7 episodes for season 2.  Apparently they didn't like the Nielsen ratings and on Friday released a press announcement that the show has been cancelled. 

I was instantly hooked.  The premise of the show is What If---what if many small nuclear bombs went off in many cities.  What would happen?  They specifically focus on the town of Jericho, Kansas.  The first few episodes are about basic survival and how a town can rise or not to that challenge.  The episodes start evolving to the point where by the end of the show, they are defending their very homes from a neighboring town that wants what they have and will take it by force.  It has the mystery of "Lost" and as the second part of the first season gets underway, you feel it has the pace of the show "24."   By season 2, you find out that the United States is divided into two sections -- the remnants of the old government, the United States, and a new government, "The Allied States of America."   And you would like that Texas is a strong state, who is trying to decide which side to back and that Texas would be the deciding factor on who got the upper hand.  I don't want to spoil it too much for you.

The episodes are available for free on the CBS web site.  They are also airing on Sci-Fi on Friday nights.  Season 1 is available for DVD and Season 2 is available for download on ITunes. 

If you are interested in trying to resurrect the show for a second time, look at the Forums on CBS, and on Sci-Fi.  There is also a petition you can sign at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/saveJeri/petition.htm
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I'm tired of the people with Nielsen boxes making decisions about what shows stay on and what shows don't.  I don't have a Nielsen box.  My viewership doesn't count.  This is not the future of television.  People are TiVo-ing, watching shows on-line, buying them from ITunes.  If television executives really want to get an idea of how many people are watching, they have to figure out unique and creative ways to set their advertising rates.  Advertisers need to understand that television is changing and not be so rigidly into the ways of our past.

What do you all think about Nielsen ratings?  Did you have a favorite show that was cancelled that you were upset about because some person with a box didn't watch it?  If so what was it.