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.

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“Jericho” averaged 7.1 million viewers and a 2.5 rating/7 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates released Wednesday by Nielsen Media Research. The nuclear-war drama came in just behind the first place show, a repeat “Law & Order: SVU” (8.4 million, 2.6/7) and ahead in 18-49 of an original “Boston Legal” (7.2 million, 2.5/7). It was up compared to last season’s finale and about even from last year’s average (2.7/8) but nothing like its first few weeks in the fall of 2007. “Boston Legal,” on the other hand, was the lowest original rating ever for the series.

At the moment, CBS will probably run all the episodes that it’s already shot for Season 2, though don’t expect a full season — that is, 22-plus episodes. Instead, Season 2 of Jericho will probably run for a handful of episodes, and get the ax again.

Of course, all that could change if you people would just start watching the show already. It would be a damn shame if the show came back from the dead just to get killed all over again…