Jericho is an American serial drama produced by CBS Paramount Network Television, with executive producers Jon Turteltaub, Stephen Chbosky and Carol Barbee. The show is broadcast in more than 30 countries.

The first season of the show premiered Wednesday, September 20, 2006, on CBS and went on hiatus after the eleventh episode aired on November 29, 2006. It returned February 21, 2007, after a special recapping the first 11 episodes aired on February 14, 2007,^[1] and concluded with a cliffhanger episode on May 9, 2007. Lackluster ratings prompted concern, as the show hit a ratings low in early April.^[2] The ratings were down 25% following the nearly three-month hiatus and subsequent return.^[3] During its first season, it ranked 48th, with an average of 9.5 million viewers in the United States. Other Wednesday night programs it competed with were Bones, Deal or No Deal and ABC's comedy block.^[4]

Though the producers seemed confident that the program would be picked up for a second season,^[5] the series was initially cancelled by CBS in May 2007.^[6][7][8] However, after a grassroots campaign to revive the series, CBS officially announced on June 6, 2007 that it had purchased seven new episodes of Jericho for broadcast as a midseason replacement.^[9] These seven episodes are complete, and were not affected directly by the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike.^[10][11]

CBS announced on December 3, 2007 that Jericho will return for its second season on February 12, 2008.^[12] In the early days of January 2008 the first three episodes of the second season leaked on the internet via a DVD screener source.^[13]

This is the fourth time the network has resuscitated a cancelled series due to viewer demand. Fans of Cagney and Lacey, Designing Women and The Magnificent Seven all were successful in convincing CBS to bring the shows back after their respective cancellations were announced.

 

Synopsis

The storyline revolves around the residents of Jericho, a small, rural Kansas town, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on twenty-three major cities in the contiguous United States. The series begins with a visible nuclear detonation of unknown origin over nearby Denver, Colorado, and a loss of power and modern communications, effectively isolating Jericho. Later, power is restored to Jericho by what is alluded to as the efforts of the U.S. government, but soon after, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) disables all electronics. Several themes regularly addressed in the show are gathering of information, community identity, public order, limited resources, the value of family, and internal and external threats. The show also features several mysteries involving the backgrounds of major characters, the perpetrators of the attack, and the extent of damage to the United States and its government.

The pivotal character in this story is Jake Green, the 32-year-old son of Mayor Johnston Green, who briefly returns home to visit his family and friends before becoming stranded as a result of the catastrophe. After a somewhat awkward return home and a tense reunion with his father, Jake steps up to become a leader in Jericho, fighting to protect the town and its citizens. As the people of Jericho struggle to survive in a changed world, most remain unaware that one of the newest residents, Robert Hawkins, knows much more about the attacks than he lets on.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of Jericho characters

Jericho features an ensemble cast of characters, along with a number of minor and recurring roles. The series web site lists eleven cast members.^[18] In addition, Alicia Coppola moved from a recurring role to a regular character in February 2007.^[19]

• Michael Gaston as Gray Anderson
• Alicia Coppola as Mimi Clark
• Kenneth Mitchell as Eric Green
• Pamela Reed as Gail Green (Season 1 ^[20])
• Skeet Ulrich as Jake Green
• Gerald McRaney as Johnston Green (Season 1)
• Lennie James as Robert Hawkins
• Sprague Grayden as Heather Lisinski
• Shoshannah Stern as Bonnie Richmond
• Brad Beyer as Stanley Richmond
• Ashley Scott as Emily Sullivan
• Erik Knudsen as Dale Turner

v • d • e Jericho
Main characters
Gray Anderson | Mimi Clark | Eric Green | Gail Green | Jake Green | Johnston Green | Robert Hawkins Heather Lisinski | Bonnie Richmond | Stanley Richmond | Emily Sullivan | Dale Turner
Minor characters
Mary Bailey | April Green | Roger Hammond | Allison Hawkins | Darcy Hawkins | Bill Kohler Gracie Leigh | Sarah Mason | Jonah Prowse | Skylar Stevens | Jimmy Taylor
Related topics
Characters | Episodes | Locations | Federal government | Jericho, KS | Project Red Bell | Ravenwood