From Aintitcool.com
Merrick here…
JERICHO was one of the smartest, most compelling shows on television. It took a while to find its rhythm…but when it did…it did it in a big way.
In a macro sense, JERICHO considers what happens when a cross section of Americans are forced to completely redefine their value system, and reassess their perceptions of what’s important in life. Who do we choose to hate, and to what end? Who do we allow ourselves to love? How large a price do we exact for forgiveness? And, at what point does hope of forgiveness turn into thirst for primal revenge. How do we rediscover ourselves when the material attainment which has patterned our lives is suddenly rendered irrelevant? What do we stand for, and why? What is the cost of cowardice and selfishness? The list goes on.
What brings our characters to such a lofty cross roads?
A series of nuclear attacks on 23 multiple American cities, apparently organized & perpetrated by a faction within Homeland Security (using atomic material bagged during the fragmenting of the Soviet Union). America is not destroyed by these attacks - but over 30 million people are instantly killed. The rest of the country sees America’s functionality grind to a halt. Squabbling over the Presidential right of succession ensues as surviving politicians vie for their piece of the pie. At one point, America is divided into six regions - each claiming to be the seat of legitimate government - each amassing regional militaries (National Guard units, and so forth). Insinuations of possible Civil War abound.
In the midst of this upheaval lies a small Kansas town called Jericho. Why’s it so important? Several reason: Jericho’s location is unique - it was beyond the reach of fallout patterns; its farmland remained relatively uncontaminated. It has a massive salt mine, an untainted water supply, and barely enough resources to support its townspeople (some episodes of the series are almost like a SIMS game…dealing with how many people can be fed, how many refugees can be housed, and the ramifications of turning away the waves of displaced wanderers who the town can not afford to feed or house).
And, based on all these desirable factors, Jericho is also a rallying point for the CIA personnel who’ve spent four frustrating years trying to thwart the atomic bomb plot - unaware that the conspiracy to bring down our country was actually being orchestrated by the same people who determined their deployment in the field.
One of these agents finds his way to Jericho…with an atomic bomb in his possession (he had infiltrated the conspirators and was supposed to blow up a city. He bailed on ‘em and ran away with their bomb). He’s stashed it, underground, in a rickety shack. And the conspirators (bad assassins) are hot on his trail, looking for their nuke.
Ultimately, the world comes to Jericho. Neighboring cities adapt factories & builds mortars to shell Jericho…in an effort to bring the town to its knees so farmland & resources can be taken over. Some form of government, under an oddly configured American(ish) flag, comes to Jericho looking for the missing atomic bomb. Simplicity…becomes a hot spot. Armed via a high-tech stockpile assembled by the increasingly rogue CIA agent, peaceful Jericho is forced to gear up for war.
Despite such grand concepts, Jericho is ultimately driven by very touching, very rudimentary truths. It’s about dedication, love, strength of family and the danger of divisiveness. Despite its frequent nihilism, the show sends one of the most positive messages on TV right now.
Oh, yeah. JERICHO isn’t on TV anymore. Which, frankly, really BLEEP me off. HOWEVER, fevered efforts are underway to resurrect the series. Doing so is an enormously challenging proposition. And, frankly, is unlikely to succeed. Please know, though, that “unlikely” doesn’t necessarily denote “impossible”. Like the people of Jericho, this series should NOT go down without a fight. Without a GOOD fight.
If a resurrection campaign has ANY chance of working, IT’LL NEED TO MAKE A LOT OF NOISE VERY QUICKLY. Most importantly, The Powers That Be are unlikely to respond to knee-jerk reactions. SUSTAINED AND CONSTANT CAMPAIGNING…that does not fade after a week or two…will be more effective & be more noticed in the long run.
Towards this end, several efforts are afoot.
HERE is a link to a petition that has over 42,600 signatures on it already.
HERE is a link to JerichoLives…a good clearing house for information about efforts to save the series (including the names of appropriate execs, network folks, etc.)
HERE is a link to the “Nuts” campaign (”Nuts” is a World War II reference used by characters on the show when facing invasion).
HERE is an excellent Wiki entry that’ll get you up to speed on all things JERICHO.
And, finally, HERE is where every episode of the series can be downloaded. If you give the show a shot, allow half a season for it to kick in, reach full stride, and “work” on the level the series was clearly meant to work.
So, get going. Even if you’ve never watched the show…but you love this site and the Geek sensibilities it advances…lend a hand, sign your name, watch some episodes, and give JERICHO a chance (in every regard). It’s drama/action driven by ideas and meaning. It’s fast moving, but also thought provoking. It’s nuanced, but also remarkable accessible. It is, in many regards, a drama for Geeks and thriller fans that has simply not found enough Geeks or thriller fans. Little else on TV balances so many different qualities so deftly.
On other news:
CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler takes a harder view. The president of the top-ranked U.S. network said that running a TV network is about honouring a commitment to programs that are successful, not coddling those that aren’t. If a low-rated serial drama doesn’t get the chance to tell the end of its story, Tassler said, that’s just too bad.
“That show would still be on the air if the audience was there,” Tassler said bluntly. “No programmer wants to p.i.s.s off their audience. When that happens, it’s unfortunate. Part of what we try to do is create viewer loyalty, and then build on that . . . . But we’re running a business.”
And then this:
Interesting piece out of KSL.com (Salt Lake City UT) from Paul Nelson, KSL Newsradio
“CBS is planning to get rid of “Jericho,” but Nightside Project TV Analyst Alan Carter says that might not happen. He says, “We have gotten so much mail here today that I have to think that Jericho Might get a reprieve because people are writing in saying, ‘Is CBS nuts?’”
Full article here: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1236653
We even had a visit from Carol Barbee(executive producer) and Michael Gaston (Mayor Gray) giving their support.
