TV
Cast: Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Gerald McRaney (Ike: Countdown to D-Day), Ashley Scott (Dark Angel), Pamela Reed (Proof of Life), Kenneth Mitchell (The Recruit), Lennie James (Sahara), Sprague Grayden (Six Feet Under), Michael Gaston (Prison Break), Erik Knudsen (Saw II)
Airs: Wednesdays at 8pm on CBS
Timeslot competition: Dancing With The Stars (ABC), 30 Rock / 20 Good Years (CBS), Bones (FOX), America's Next Top Model (The CW)
UK pickup? Hallmark first, with ITV following
Plot in a nutshell: A small Kansas town is thrown into disarray after a nuclear explosion.
What's it all about? After an absence of several years, Jake (Ulrich) returns to the small town of Jericho, Kansas for a brief visit to see his family and one-time friends. When a mushroom cloud is visible on the horizon, and all means of power and communication are cut off, Jericho is thrown into a state of panic.
Does it work? It depends what you're after. If you're looking for the next Lost, you'll be disappointed. This show puts the small town inter-personal politics ahead of the "mythology" - thin on the ground as that may be - meaning you could well be left frustrated if slow-paced, highly-emotive dramas aren't your bag. And like all dramas of this sort, the quality is largely dependent on the casting: although Pamela Reed is a reassuring presence as the mother of Jake and Ashley Scott puts in a good turn as his ex, Ulrich is an uncomfortable - and largely unbelievable - lead throughout. One area where the show deserves nothing but praise lies with its soundtrack - The Killers' anthemic 'All These Things That I've Done' opens proceedings while Snow Patrol's 'Run' accompanies a poignant sweeping shot ending.
You'll like this if you liked... Everwood
Chances of success: CBS audiences love plodding - sometimes borderline monotonous - dramas so this could well establish itself as a wholesome hit.
More: TV, USA: 2006-07 TV Previews
Your Views
4 Comments
Your Responses
Louise, Oxford, on February 10th, 2007
This is a fantastic show; it's the best thing I have seen in a long while, it has mystery and suspense that keeps you watching. If you’re a big guns person you'll be disappointed but if you’re a thinker you'll be glad you watched it.
This is a fantastic show; it's the best thing I have seen in a long while, it has mystery and suspense that keeps you watching. If you’re a big guns person you'll be disappointed but if you’re a thinker you'll be glad you watched it.
Justin, on October 9th, 2006
Jericho is my favourite of the new season. Just pips studio 60 by a smidgen. The rest are a bit further back. If you like 'end of the world' dramas, character driven plots and adult (not sex but intelligent non MTV) plots then this is for you. Teenagers and xmen fans must avoid!
Jericho is my favourite of the new season. Just pips studio 60 by a smidgen. The rest are a bit further back. If you like 'end of the world' dramas, character driven plots and adult (not sex but intelligent non MTV) plots then this is for you. Teenagers and xmen fans must avoid!
Matthew Hyndman, Manchester, on September 26th, 2006
Got to agree with what was said above, not such this is an great show. It sound like it could be fantastic when you read about it, but actual it's quite slow, and well not surreal enough for you to believe what going on. Too slow and well I'm not sure most viewers are going to be interested in the power struggle for the mayor-ship of an small middle of nowhere town in the midwest of America during an time when the wolrd around them could have been wiped off the map.
Got to agree with what was said above, not such this is an great show. It sound like it could be fantastic when you read about it, but actual it's quite slow, and well not surreal enough for you to believe what going on. Too slow and well I'm not sure most viewers are going to be interested in the power struggle for the mayor-ship of an small middle of nowhere town in the midwest of America during an time when the wolrd around them could have been wiped off the map.
Note to reviewer - What a load of tosh. This is by far one of the best shows I have seen in recent years and ended for to prematurely when compared to some of the dross produced by the US. No doubt moving it around the schedules and placing it head to head with the likes of Prison Break helped seal it's demise! Whilst it comprises a curious mix of styles (especially the middle of season 1) which veer between young adult drama like Dawsons Creek and conflict story telling like Battlestar Galactica, it feels very much like a SciFi genre show, but theres no SciFi!!! Skeet Ulrich does a fine job of looking like the guy that is uncofortable with being the man the town always turns to - but does not make uncomfortable viewing in the slightest. I do agree that sometimes the pace is lacking and the story doesnt move on, its vital to understand the relationships of the townspeople to give context to later episodes. If you want all guns blazing, give it a miss. If you want a human story with several layers of meaning, give it a try.