It came from the ashes of network cancellation (an almost impossible feat in TV land nowadays), thanks to a small band of loyal fans, but the post-apocalyptic/conspiracy show Jericho has finally met its match: small but loyal viewers, but too small, as it turns out. As a result, CBS has officially announced the show’s second cancellation, which means this upcoming Tuesday’s episode will be the show’s last on CBS. Where does it go from here?

A lot of Jericho fans were pretty bummed when I posted the TV Guide article that Jericho had been, for the second time in its lifespan, cancelled due to low ratings (here). But guess what, Jericho fans, there’s a new reason to smile — in an interview with Sci Fi Wire, Jericho executive producer Carol Barbee says that if the show does get cancelled, she’ll be shopping it to a couple of cable TV networks, including The Sci Fi Channel.

Well, you Jericho fans out there can’t say CBS didn’t give your show a chance. Networks rarely uncancel a show as it is, but they did it with Jericho after fans got riled up enough to engage in a brilliant resurrection campaign, but apparently all the publicity from that didn’t generate enough viewers, because Jericho’s Season 2 return from the abyss, starting with its first two episodes, netted well below average numbers. Result? CBS is set to cancel Jericho yet again, this time, it would appear, for good.

Jericho’s miraculous resurrection after being cancelled by CBS has achieved near legendary status — nuts. And lots of nuts. But if the Season 2 opener is any indication, CBS may be re-thinking their renewed hope in Jericho. The show’s return to the airwaves failed to deliver in the ratings, coming in second to a repeat of Law and Order and a first-run episode of Boston Legal. The numbers, alas, were about the same middling numbers that got it cancelled in the first place.

The Sci Fi Channel has acquired exclusive cable re-rerun rights for CBS’s post-apocalyptic TV series Jericho, which is scheduled to return for its second season on February 12th, 2008, which is no easy feat, considering the show was actually cancelled once by CBS, but was saved by a fan campaign involving…peanuts.