Jericho (Wednesday Nights at 8pm on CBS)

[Scott]

Anyone going to watch JERICHO tonight on CBS at 8pm ET/PT? Looks interesting.

[dean]

It does look fairly interesting, but what I find a bit more interesting is the fact that it's going to air on Australian tv relatively quickly after the states, which doesn't happen.  We're usually a fair way behind, but in this case it's only a few hours from what I remember.

I wonder why that is.

[Scott]

Just watched the first hour episode tonight. This is my kind of Television. The show starts out in a small town in Kansas were the Mayors son has just returned from the Navy and we are introduced to some of the main towns people. Then you see a mushroom cloud on the horizon in the direction of Denver. Would really liked to have seen a two hour opening episode or just a good TV movie, but I will be watching again next week. So far the show is very good.

Dean considering that the news just reported a few minutes ago on CNN that Al Qaeda has just told Muslims to leave all major American cities the show JERICHO plays to real possible scenarios. Maybe Al Qaeda also watched the show tonight from their caves in Afganistan.

[ulthar]

I watched it and left with the impression that it will be a LOST clone of sorts.  What I mean is that the characters, and the audience, is 'in the dark' about what is going on, and that leaves the plot arc wide open - no arc, really, just a crazy zig-zag line.

I was not overly impressed - not enough to be glued or waiting with bated breath until next week.

What I do find interesting, however, is that there seems to be a return to TV shows that run serial plot arcs, rather than stand alone episodes.  ER, L&O, NYPDB and several of the major players over the past decade have basically been single eps (with some character driven soap opera drama to act as glue).  Prison Break (which my wife loves) and now Jericho seem like a return of the hour-long serial.

Well, we'll see.

Glad you enjoyed it, Scott.

[Scott]

Yea, I don't know how they are going to make JERICHO into a weekly series, but it appears that they will spend the entire series surviving and looking for survivors. Like BATTLESTAR GALACTICA did back in the 70's looking for the lost tribes or something.

Maybe it will turn into a post apocalyptic politics/war type thing based on limited resources. Even though the characters in JERICHO don't seem to be geared toward that type scenerio. It might be a good idea for another kind of series.

[trekgeezer]

Hey Scott, Skeet Ulrich told a different story every time someone asked where he'd been. He said the Army, then the Navy, and to the kids on the bus he said something about the military. Point is, he didn't tell anyone the truth, plus he needed his inheritance from his grandfather for something mysterious.

[Scott]

Maybe he's the terrorist............na why would he bother saving the kids. I did get the feeling of not knowing what or where he was coming from. Good point Trek Geezer.

[Scott]

There is also something going on between him, the father and the grandfather

[Mr_Vindictive]

What about the black guy who recently moved to town and seemed to have all the answers to the town's problems?  I have a feeling he has something to do with the government.

Overall, the show wasn't too bad but it wasn't great either.  I'm not a huge Skeet Ulrich fan...frankly the guy creeps me out.  The show's writing was "meh" and it didn't do enough in my opinion in the hour it was given.  I'm hoping that it'll get better, and I'm certianly willing to give it a chance.  I'm a sucker when it comes to tv/films about nuclear disasters.

[ulthar]

Skaboi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What about the black guy who recently moved to
> town and seemed to have all the answers to the
> town's problems?  I have a feeling he has
> something to do with the government.
>

Yeah, I kept saying "there's something up with that guy."  He just kept popping up and injecting himself helpfully into situations.

>  it didn't do enough in my
> opinion in the hour it was given.

You know, that reminds of one thing about that bothered me.  They had to 'force' the whole 'disaster' thing with the school bus.  I mean, bus routes are pretty predictable and if one does not show up where it is supposed to be, it is not that hard to figure out where it is.  Also, some of the children would have been dropped off at home, so again, it would not be hard to piece together where it should be.

And when Skeet found it, it's not like it was hidden down a big ravine or anything...he just drove backed it off the deer and drove away.

Soooo, if they have to force the tension in such a hamhanded way, one can rationally ask if the writing is up to the task of the mysterious premise they are trying to create.

[Scott]

Good or bad script JERICHO certainly has us guessing. : ) Like Skaboi said nuclear disaster films usually peaks our intrest. It's been 23 years since the THE DAY AFTER (1983) came on TV. That was a good one.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Scott,

I actually threw The Day After to the top of my Netflix after watching Jericho.  My wife has never seen the film, and it's one that seriously affected me when I was younger.  Can't wait to see it again.

If you're into that type of film, then try and track down "Threads".  It's sort of a British version of The Day After but much much much more powerful.

[Scott]

I'll look into it Skaboi. Another thing about JERICHO and THE DAY AFTER both stories take place in Kansas. One appears to be Western Kansas and the other Eastern Kansas.

[ulthar]

I'd also recommend, both from 1984:

COUNTDOWN TO LOOKING GLASS

and

ONE NIGHT STAND  Cool Midnight Oil concert scene and kinda a depressing ending.

[Scott]

Wow, two more from the 80's. Thanks Ulthar. Will keep a look out for both.