Last month Netflix announced that they had posted a loss for the first quarter of 2012, but that they had gained 1.7 million subscribers in the U.S. With numbers nearly back to where they were in the middle of last year, it appears that they may have finally recovered from their price increase and the whole Qwikster fiasco. However, with a lot of major content deals continuing to expire, it’s becoming clear that the future Netflix probably lies in original programming. The relaunch of Arrested Development next year is going to be a huge boost for them, and now it looks like they’re hoping to bring back another short-lived fan favourite: the CBS sci-fi drama Jericho.

For those unfamiliar with the show, Jericho centered on the inhabitants of a fictional town in Kansas who struggle to maintain order after 23 major cities in the United States suffer nuclear attacks of unknown origin. The show starred Skeet Ulrich, Ashley Scott, Lennie James and Kenneth Mitchell, and ran for one season on CBS before being canceled. After fans petitioned the network, it was renewed for a second season, only to be canceled again when then ratings continued to drop. Would anyone really want to bring it back for a third time?

According to TV Guide, Netflix has noticed that episodes of Jericho continue to be very popular on their streaming service some four years later. They have reportedly been talking to CBS about the possibility of continuing the show, although it’s unclear whether it will be financially viable for both networks. On the bright side, none of the major cast members have really gone on to do anything all that spectacular, which means they could be available. The story has also continued in comic book form, so there is plenty of content to draw from. Would you be interested in seeing more episodes of Jericho? And is all of this original programming a good move for Netflix?