Jericho

Another of those series I had high hopes for. Jessica Raine is a truly talented and very beautiful actress, but her agent seems to be working for the competition, firstly Partners in Crime, which flopped quite miserably, and then Jericho. The format of the show is interesting, and I find the subject matter quite intriguing, sadly I find the finished product rather lacking on several levels. The dialogue is definitely wrong, a few attempts with the odd 'yonder' and 'me fine lady,' but largely it felt out of place. I am struggling to believe that Jessica Raine is old enough to be the mother of her daughter, surely they're sisters?

Everyone is too immaculate, for the time I could imagine it being a little more rugged, a bit more grimy and Earthy, it all feels too fresh and shiny.

Quite a poor attempt. Channel Four made a drama called The Mill a few years ago, which captured the true harshness of the time, Jericho seems devoid of it.

Mehh 4/10

I found the first episode boring, or maybe I couldn't concentrate properly because of the wig Jessica Raine was wearing. But it gets better as the episodes go on.

The plot is full of clichés and the action is predictable but I don't think acting was bad. Someone mentioned the scene of the women doing the laundry, and I agree. One of the women is washing some clothing while standing on her two feet, and she doesn't look wet or anything. Anyways...

On the whole, the show remains mild and unimpressive throughout, but I still watch it to the end. I give it 6 stars.

I really enjoyed episode one. OK -- there are anachronisms, and everything should be grubbier, and there should be lots of Irish navvies about the place, but this is a very refreshing drama which knocks spots off the BBC's "War and Peace" and "Poldark" -- both of which are so dumbed-down and banal as to be rather embarrassing. The characters here are credible, and already one cares for what will happen to them. The direction is smart and effective, and I think Steve Thompson's script is good, even though one might complain about a lack of regional authenticity. There is some beautiful imagery, and sound quality is great (compared with "War and Peace" in which everybody mumbles, and in which there never seems to be a microphone anywhere near the action). So what if it's a Western, set in Yorkshire? Nice idea. Promising -- I think this will get a really good devoted following.

I think people coming to Jericho for historical accuracy, smut and grime filled realism will be sadly disappointed with this show.

Those of us with a bit more open mind will accept that not all shows need to be so closely attached to realism to be a good tale. Jericho provides some elements of harsh realities but not to the point of compromising the integrity of what I believe the show is trying to achieve. Which is a moral line drawn in the sand and a way to spin a tale but also show us that people can eventually make the right choices, they can change. The show has clearly set boundaries for a reason and this is what makes it so hard for people to accept now with other shows related to the same era baring all for maximum profit and delights. If you compare it to those shows then of course it will fall short for your needs.

Perhaps (most likely) it is a marketing failure on the networks part, but the show has seemed to draw in people that just want to see more smut, realism, and close attention to facts only.

In short, if you want harsh realities with no sense of purpose but to reflect what we already know to be true on human nature there are plenty of other shows to watch--Jericho is NOT one of them.( I am not saying there is no value in realism, I am saying Jericho is not to be compared, because it's simply not the same style)

If you want an interesting tale set in this time with more emphasis on integrity of actions Jericho is the show to watch.

Re-market this show correctly so people do not get confused about what to expect and some fair reviews can start to come in.

Loved everything about this 1 series show....just a pity that's all there is to enjoy.....well worth watching