It has always been possible that the new limited-run episodes of Jericho (the so-called second season that isn't a season) would be cued up to replace one of CBS' new fall shows that falls on its face. There are quite a few that bomb and drop early and it makes sense to have something ready to slide into its place at a moments notice.

Jericho's new episodes are done filming and could be ready to air in a matter of weeks if they are needed, and if the ratings decline some of these new shows are experiencing is any clue, sooner rather than later it may be.

Last season "Jericho" aired Wednesdays at 8 p.m., the time period now held by "Nation." Though the slots occupied by "Nation," "Cane," "Laughlin" and "Moonlight" all have their pros and cons as potential "Jericho" homes, sources said "Jericho" is considered a viable alternate for any of them. (Just what controversy-weary "Nation" producer Tom Forman needs -- nut-flinging "Jericho" fans assailing him to get out of their time slot).

If the current CBS schedule holds through November, “Jericho” will likely return in January.

I took James Hibbard to task earlier this year for writing a story about a great many of the most anticipated new fall pilots being leaked weeks early on file sharing networks, because Hibbard admitted in his article to illegally downloading and watching them all (to verify they were real, which is still a crime), committing copyright infringement in the process of writing about copyright infringement. I found it extremely distasteful, certainly illegal, and amusingly enough TV Week's editor whom I contacted seeking comment simply stated that he and TV Week had no comment to give at all.

I'm sure Hibbard is a great guy, but his lack of ethics really bothers me, and I'm surprised that TV Week - a news magazine dedicated to reporting on the television industry apparently - sat back and did absolutely nothing about that. Perhaps that is more telling about how little people care about intellectual property piracy when industry mag writers write about doing it themselves and their editors just shrug and move on.

I wonder if the MPAA was as aggressive as the RIAA is, if Hibbard's bosses would be willing to cough up the doe to bail him out of a judgment in the tens of thousands range?

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