Jericho

Another reviewer has compared Jericho unfavorably with Foyle's War. I, too, am a fan of Foyle's War, but Jericho appears to be striving much more for LA Confidential.

Robert Linsday is a wonderful, Tony Awarding-winning actor and one of the best new TV detectives I've seen in a while. The casting of the secondary and guest roles is very fine. I generally hate conspicuous music tracks, but I was immediately sucked into the first episode by the theme music, which also seems to owe a debt to the LA Confidential sound track.

I know nothing about London in the 1950's but I enjoyed this imagined version of it very much.

Jericho is a middle-aged over-achieving Scotland Yard detective, tormented by witnessing the death of his father as a child. This may sound somewhat formulaic, but that would be unfair to this tremendous series. The evocation of 1950s London is superb: even down to details like a "blink-and-you-miss-it" sign in a window advertising for tenants stating "no Blacks, no Irish" (A common sight in post-war Britain: I can vouch for this - my parents were Irish and told me about it).

The performances are superb, and the cast includes the cream of British acting: Robert Lindsay of course, but also Peter Bowles, James Wilby, Jane Horrocks, among others.

Anyonewho has seen "Foyle's War" will appreciate the sense of period and the way the stories intelligently explore contemporary issues. Highly recommended.

ITV spent a few years seeking a replacement for Inspector Morse. I firmly believe if they'd kept with Jericho it would have developed into something rather special. Only four episodes to judge, and on the whole I'd say the standard was excellent, each story had a unique case, but there were multiple threads which spanned the series, and would have been developed.

Each episode is intriguing, my personal favourite was The Killing of Johnny Swan, such a quality episode. Superb production values, great atmosphere, most notable in the concluding episode.

The acting was fantastic throughout, Lindsay and Troughton were a fantastic duo, and played off eachother particularly well, both great in their respective roles. Shout outs for Brendan Coyle, Peter Bowles, Williams Ash and Jane Horrocks.

Such a shame the series was cut short early. 9/10

Mystery! has done it again with this series, which is quite different than most of what's gone before. And that helps to make this one another hit.

I'm a long-time fan of the Mystery! series and a particular fan of Inspector Morse. Anyone familiar with that series knows the high quality product that long-running series consistently put out. So I'm not an easy audience, given my perspective.

But Robert Lindsay has made DI Michael Jericho his own. He IS Jericho. In the same way that the late great John Thaw made Morse his own character, Lindsay has grabbed Jericho by the throat and taken his identity from him. I haven't read any of the books so I don't know how the character comes across there, but Lindsay's interpretation is "spot on" from a television perspective.

I'm currently in the midst of re-watching the first episode on DVD (thanks for that) after having caught at least 2 of the original airings last Fall (Ragged Claws and Johnny Swan). I was hooked from the start; and like Morse, Jericho holds up well on repeated re-watchings. So even after you know who done it, you're nevertheless caught up in the drama.

The musical score and overall style of this series do indeed make it unique. It's all a bit "X-Files-esq," but I find both quite enjoyable and fitting, and, in my humble opinion, they help make the series stand out.

Like Morse, Jericho has a solid side-kick who compliments his character perfectly. It seems they have an endless supply of fine "character actors" over there in the UK, and I'm thankful I get to see them when I can. Even the "bit parts" get solid treatment from fine British actors. One of my favs in the first episode is Shorty. He's a hoot -- and he's not even around all that long.

Lindsay is currently also on my TV in his "My Family" series, but I refuse to watch him in that. I'm sure he's good (and I have seen some of it) but I don't want to lose that Jericho edge that I'm currently working on with him.

I've given this series a 10, which is not to say it's an equal to Morse. But 10 to me means it's a standout with little or nothing to criticize. Beyond that, it's simply a matter of taste. I only hope they keep this series going for quite a long time.

Thanks Gawd for Mystery! and all the rest of the great Brit shows. And, of course, also PBS. And thanks Gawd also for DVD so's I can have something to watch (and re-watch) when the mood moves me and PBS is into something else less enjoyable to me. Because if I had to live with only American TV, I'd give the medium up completely.

I just saw the first two episodes of Jericho, and I can't believe this show never made it to a second series! I read that the audience was smaller after the first episode aired, but it seems like there are definitely shows that keep getting made even if they're insipid & nobody watches them, so why does a genius program like this get canceled? Jericho's definitely as compelling as Foyle was, and the 50's style is so wonderfully atmospheric, so well-done, I felt like I was watching something made in that decade. The plots are powerful, the acting's great, and the cinematography gorgeous -- what's the downside? There isn't one -- so who do I petition to get them to pick it up again and make more episodes? I'm looking forward to seeing Eps. 3 and 4, but already sad that there aren't any more after that!