Jericho

It's a great series that deserved more of a fighting chance. It's easy to understand the many ardent fans of the show, but hard to understand Jericho's failure to attract more viewers than it did. The show is engaging, to the point of being dangerously addicting and whatever it lacks (see below), that's more than made up for by a consistently inventive story expansion. The show moves seamlessly from the original premise of 'USA - post nuke' into much unexpected territory. There's some filler episodes, but barely a bum one. What hampers the series is that odd but inevitable 'dated' feeling that almost all network dramas fail to shake, even the minute they arrive on our screens. Dramas like this just can't live up to the HBO/AMC cannon because of the demands on them to, eg: appeal to a large audience and produce 22-ish episodes per series - it can be simply backbreaking. One can't help but imagine how much better this show could have been with a studio like HBO behind it. It certainly deserves more care, with which it might have not been cancelled. Nevertheless, the fact one can imagine Jericho's greater potential is a credit to the strength of both the inventive writing, the smart political commentary and the many well-drawn characters which shine through occasional soft-focus, feel-good, pre-watershed moments of schmaltz and sentimentality. Those moments are thankfully few, but there's enough to make you wish there were less. The cast are all very capable, particularly Skeet Ulrich, Lennie James and Gerald McRaney who lend the show its gravitas. Bring it back! 4/5

Sure it's formulaic, but they do it well with a wide range of distinct characters and along the way tackle some real issues. And here I am in 2021 rewatching it because it beats everything being made 15 years later.

I was disappointed in how this series didn't get off to the best start but it sure kept getting better. I loved how it explored the American core ideal of resilience and always coming back after any catastrophe. The lead actor Skeet Ulrich was good but Lennie James's performance always stole the stage.

I really found this show refreshing. Its not the greatest show ever but it was entertaining. The show gives the feel of Saturday morning serials (fast paced and leaving you with a cliff-hanger). I loved the underlying messages to our current governmental situation. I just learned that it was not to be picked up again. I can't believe CBS is cancelling the show after the response they received after it was cancelled the first time. I hope that some other network (ie. SciFi) will try to carry on the series (sort of like Battlestar Galactica) to a complete and thorough conclusion even if it doesn't fit the usual format of a least five years.

Truly one of the best TV shows of all time. Jericho is great for those who enjoy post-apocalyptic shows. It had quite a cult following in its day too.