In 1987 then indie rock band R.E.M. released the track “Its The End of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), which said the world would end with “an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane”. Other visions of the end of times have been greatly detailed in films (Terminator, The Matrix, etc…) and since 9/11 people have been talking about it more and more. One series to tackle the subject head on is the CBS drama Jericho. But is the series just another Lost Rip-off (like Invasion, or Surface) or is it something worth checking out? Read on and find out
Jericho is a drama about what happens when a nuclear mushroom cloud suddenly appears on the horizon, plunging the residents of a small, peaceful Kansas town into chaos, leaving them completely isolated and wondering if they’re the only Americans left alive. But in this time of crisis, as sensible people become paranoid, personal agendas take over and well-kept secrets threaten to be revealed, some people will find an inner strength they never knew they had and the most unlikely heroes will emerge. The center piece of the series is the Green family: Johnston Green (Gerald McRaney, Major Dad) the towns mayor, his wife Gale (Pamela Reed), and their 2 sons Eric (Kenneth Mitchell), and Jake (Skeet Ulrich, Scream). Jake comes back to town after a prolonged absense to settle some things with his grandfathers estate and as he’s leaving town the unthinkable happens, a huge mushroom cloud in the distance coming from near by Denver. As the town of Jericho and the Green family deal with surviving the winter as well as various other obstacles: rouge government contractors, street gangs, and all out war between a nearby town. All while trying to unravel the mystery of who caused the nuclear attack on the U.S.A. and why? Unfortunately Jericho while being a higly praised show evidently wasnt a highly watched show (at least thats what the people at CBS thought) when the network cancled the series fans sent CBS over 40.000 pounds of nuts in protest and it worked. 7 more episodes will air this season to finish up the story and if those 7 episodes do well, hopefully more will follow!
The set is fairly packed when it comes to special features, there is something for everyone here:
• Audio Commentary tracks on 5 of the episodes.
• Deleted Scenes w/optional commentary on 13 of the episodes
• Building Jericho: In-depth look at the genesis and creation of the show.
• What If?: A revealing look at how the nuclear arms race has evolved since the end of WWII.
- Rating: 5 out of 5
Presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Jericho does a great job of presenting itself but does not stand out in anyway, but a lot of that has to do with the setting of the series, overall its a very mediocre and plain place. The sound design on the other hand is a stark contrast to the visuals of the series. Were given a full blown Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track and it is top notch!
- Rating: 4 out of 5
Overall a very strong effort and incredible series that deserves another chance at redemption, so when it comes back please tune in!
- Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Series and Features: 5
Technical Specs: 4
Overall Review: 4
Studio: CBS/Paramount
Genre: Drama/Survival
Aspect: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital
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