Season 1
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.
The first season of Jericho aired 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.
Episode Synopses
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.