Jericho is an American sci-fi drama series produced by CBS Paramount Network Television about what happens to the residents of a small Kansas town after the United States is decimated in a devastating nuclear attack, leaving them completely isolated and wondering if they're the only Americans left alive.
The series aired in the USA on CBS from 20 September, 2006 to 25 March, 2008. There are 29 hour-long episodes in two seasons.
The series was initially cancelled by CBS in May 2007. However, after a grassroots campaign to revive the series, CBS purchased seven new episodes of Jericho for broadcast as a midseason replacement.
Jericho premiered in South Africa on SABC3 on Wednesday 14 November 2007, at 20h31. There are 22 episodes in the first season. The second season has not yet aired in South Africa.
A rebroadcast of the first season premiered on SABC3 on Monday 15 December 2008, at 11h15. New episodes air daily at the same time, on weekdays.
Season 1 Synopsis
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.
Fear of the unknown propels Jericho into social, psychological and physical mayhem when all communication and power is shut down. The town starts to come apart at the seams as terror, anger and confusion bring out the very worst in some residents.
Jake Green, prodigal son of the town's mayor, becomes a reluctant hero when a school bus crashes as a result of the explosion. Mayor Johnston Green is conflicted with the return of his estranged son, but is called to action when the town begins to riot.
Johnston's wife, Gail, is the strong, savvy first lady of the town who runs interference between her husband and her favourite son.
Attempting to usurp the mayor's power is Johnston's political adversary, Gray Anderson, who is not above putting his personal agenda before the welfare of the very community he wants to lead.
Though the cloud appears in the distance, it affects all the residents in Jericho, including Dale Turner, the 16-year-old trailer park kid everybody picks on, who finds himself in a position that could change his status; Robert Hawkins, a mysterious stranger who seems to be a jack-of-all-trades as he steps in to help restore order; and Heather Lisinski, a pretty young schoolteacher on the bus with her students returning from a class trip when the glare from the explosion causes a terrible accident.
Then there's Emily Sullivan, Jake's high school sweetheart who lives outside of town and innocently goes about her business unaware of the catastrophe, Bonnie Richmond, a pretty 17-year-old who is hearing impaired; and Bonnie's older brother Stanley, Jake's best friend from childhood and an avid car lover who works on the family farm.
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.
Season 2 Synopsis
Returning for a second season as a result of one of the most unprecedented and impassioned displays of fan support on behalf of a television program, Jericho is a drama about what happens in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion in the once peaceful town of Jericho.
Following the battle with New Bern, the citizens of Jericho begin reconstruction efforts to restore the town’s power and communication with the outside world.
As the country’s new leaders, the Cheyenne government, attempt to establish their stronghold in the region, Jericho’s citizens become suspicious of their new leaders and question why their community is so important to this newly formed government.
Jericho is 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.
There are 22 episodes in the season and a special recap episode entitled Return To Jericho midway through the season.
Jericho's classified as both Sci-Fi and Drama. It falls mostly into the Sci-Fi genre because of the story being about a post-apocalytpic world.
Jericho's a fictional town that's located in the state of Kansas. The show's filmed in California.
The series was initially conceptualised as a two-hour film and turned into a series when the creators realised they needed more time to explore the characters and situations.
Both the 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina disasters impact on the storylines and character perspectives. Characters spend a lot of time watching disasters around them from a distance instead of being directly in them.
Shortly after the show's debut CBS released Beyond Borders - a web-based companion series to the show. CBS only made one episode which was a companion to the Pilot and replaced the series with other companion webisodes called Countdown. These focus on Robert Hawkins and were released with Episode 6 - they're only available to viewers in the US.
The sound effects behind the show's title screen are Morse code. Each episode has a different code that relates to the episode. Here's what the Morse Code's said to mean in each episode:
Episode 1: The Pilot "Jericho Pilot"
Episode 2: Fallout "Jericho Fallout"
Episode 3: Four Horsemen "Jericho Three"
Episode 4: Walls of Jericho "He knows Rob"
Episode 5: Federal Response "There is a fire"
Episode 6: "9.02" "The EMP hits" (EMP being Electromagnetic Pulse)
Episode 7: "Long Live the Mayor" "Pray for NYC"
Episode 8: Rogue River "Rob not FBI"
Episode 9: Crossroads "AOV Surprise" AOV refers to Area of Vulnerability. In the episode the AOV is a bridge and the surprise is someone arriving. To be revealed once the episode airs.
Episode 10: Red Flag "It begins with"
Episode 11: Vox Populi "6 and ends with"
Special Episode: Return To Jericho "back next week. 36 hours before bombs"
Episode 12: The Day Before "Bloodshed"
Episode 13: Black Jack "Bleeding KS" (Meaning Bleeding Kansas, referring to the past murder and crisis that happened in Kansas during the Civil War.)
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Rankings are determined by unique ratings given to shows by registered members of TVSA. To qualify for this list, a show must have a minimum of 20 unique ratings.
