Jericho (TV series)
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Modèle:Otheruses4 Modèle:Infobox Television
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,<ref name="hiatus"> CBS Will Split "Jericho" Season
.</ref> and concluded with a cliffhanger episode on May 9, 2007. Lackluster ratings prompted concern, as the show hit a ratings low in early April.<ref>Flop sweat: 'Jericho' dips to new low April 5, 2007</ref> The ratings were down 25% following the nearly three-month hiatus and subsequent return.<ref name="ratings"> Ratings, Not Bombs, Doom 'Jericho'
.</ref> 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.<ref name="HRwrap2006-07">"
Hollywood Reporter: 2006-07 primetime wrap " , May 25, 2007 . </ref>
Though the producers seemed confident that the program would be picked up for a second season,<ref>http://jerichowiki.cbs.com/page/Ask+the+Producers</ref> the series was initially cancelled by CBS in May 2007.<ref name="cancellation"> TV Series Finale - 2007 Cancelled Shows: CBS Cancels Several Series
.</ref><ref name="canceled"> CBS cancels 'Jericho,' two others
.</ref><ref name="WSJ"> CBS Rolls Out 5 New Shows for Fall, The Wall Street Journal
.</ref> 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.<ref name="Jericho returns"> Nina Tassler
(2007-06-06) . A Message From CBS Entertainment . CBS
. Retrieved on 2007-06-06. </ref> These seven episodes are complete, and will not be affected directly by the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike.<ref name="WGA"> Casualties of the Hollywood writers strike, The Gazette (Montreal)
.</ref><ref name="jerichojanreturn">Bill Carter, "TV Shows See Strike as a Second Chance," The New York Times, November 15, 2007</ref>
CBS announced on December 3, 2007 that Jericho will return for its second season on February 12 2008.<ref>GAME SHOWS, POPULAR REALITY SERIES, NEWS MAGAZINES, THE SEASON PREMIERES OF TWO RETURNING SCRIPTED PROGRAMS, AND THE DEBUT OF A NEW COMEDY JOIN CBS'S PRIMETIME SCHEDULE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY , [1]</ref>
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.<ref> Chuck Barney
. " A nutty strategy by series' fans helps bring 'Jericho' back " , Ventura County Star , 2007-06-12 . Retrieved on 2007-06-13 . </ref><ref> Mike McDaniel . " Jericho fans go nuts and save show " , Houston Chronicle , 2007-06-06 . Retrieved on 2007-06-13 . </ref>
<ref name="DW"> VIRGINIA ROHAN
. " 'Once & Again' won't be back " , North Jersey Media Group , April 14, 2002 . Retrieved on 2007-07-13 . </ref>
The series is being rerun on Universal HD.
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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.
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.<ref>CBS web site - Jericho cast page</ref> In addition, Alicia Coppola moved from a recurring role to a regular character in February 2007.<ref>The Hollywood Reporter "Three going full time in primetime"</ref>
- Michael Gaston as Gray Anderson
- Alicia Coppola as Mimi Clark
- Kenneth Mitchell as Eric Green
- Pamela Reed as Gail Green (Season 1 <ref>[2]</ref>)
- 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
Early development
The series originated as the germ of a feature film idea that co-creators Jonathan Steinberg and Josh Schaer had one day, which was a post-apocalyptic plot line set amidst the trappings of "a little character drama" movie, in the vein of The Day After, Threads, and Testament. However, they soon realized that a two- or two-and-a-half-hour-long film would still not carry the necessary length they felt such a concept required to properly explore the setting and the characters — thus, Schaer and Steinberg decided instead to reconceive the entire project as a television series, producing a treatment out of the original feature screenplay. Director Jon Turteltaub and producer Carol Barbee then entered the picture, the pair having pitched the project to them. Turteltaub soon commissioned writer Stephen Chbosky to pen the pilot teleplay based upon Schaer and Steinberg's series treatment.
One of Chbosky's major contributions to the structure of the series was the introduction of a greater feminine element to the storyline, opining that, "[We] could use some girls, a little kissing, and some laughs." Another significant developmental influence were the twin impacts of the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, and the sense of "[being] a spectator to a disaster, while not quite being part of it." Co-creator Steinberg in particular felt that after 9/11, the United States saw some of the "best of people," and after Hurricane Katrina, some of the "worst of people," and sought to include both in the fabric of Jericho, with Katrina providing "lots of inspiration" for the show's overall premise.<ref> Paley Fest - Jericho
. Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
</ref>
Episodes
Clips from the pilot episode became free to watch on Yahoo! TV several weeks before the episode actually aired on television.<ref> Yahoo! TV Fall 2006 Preview
. Retrieved on 2006-10-11.
</ref> CBS is still showing all of the Jericho episodes on their Innertube website as of November 10, 2007,<ref> CBS.com Innertube
. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
</ref> although they cannot be accessed from outside the U.S. CBS repeated the first three episodes on the Saturday nights following their original airings, as did Australia's Network Ten. The first 17 episodes can also be viewed with limited commercial interruptions on Joost.
Each episode's opening title sequence is accompanied by an audio message in Morse code. The messages vary from generic references to cryptic clues, and are always related to the current episode in some way. In addition to these messages, in the second episode, Robert Hawkins received several additional Morse code messages through a radio that he was fixing.
The first season of the show was released as a DVD set on October 2, 2007.<ref name="Studio Pushes Release Back a Week}">"
Studio Pushes Release Back a Week " . }</ref>
Web-based tie-ins
In an online interview,[citation needed] Carol Barbee announced that there would be a "digital connection" to Jericho through an online companion (at Jericho's official site) called Beyond Jericho. The television program gave the web address for the online companion. Beyond Jericho was to feature the "other survivors" of the nuclear attacks. According to Barbee, the story was intended to be unique to the site, but as the season of Jericho progressed, the online story would dovetail into the episodes themselves. However, the site and "webisode" are now unavailable, having been removed from the CBS website before the second episode of the TV show was broadcast.
The Writers Guild of America is petitioning its members to refuse to work on "webisode" projects, due to a dispute between the WGA and many studios and networks regarding payments and royalties for such projects. In one specific case, NBC Universal has filed a counter-grievance against the WGA with the National Labor Relations Board, arguing that webisodes are already covered under current guild contract<ref> Webisodes become growing TV labor issue
.</ref>Although a settlement was reached between NBC Universal and the WGA — part of which included blocking viewers outside the United States from viewing the webisodes — there are reports that other webisode projects are either on hold, or outright cancelled, out of fears of further disputes and potential strikes by the WGA and other industry collective-bargaining representative organizations.[citation needed]
CBS has since decided to scrap the current webisode storyline, and instead release a new series of "prequel" webisodes named Countdown that take place before the first explosion. Each of these new webisodes appear concurrently with the broadcast of new episodes, and show Robert Hawkins gathering information before the attack. The webisodes corresponding to all Jericho episodes are available for view on the main Jericho website within the USA.
Beyond Jericho
The first installment of Beyond Jericho began with an unknown man calling someone on a cell phone, requesting a ransom of $1.2 million for a woman he kidnapped. He then disappears underground through a metal trap door. While climbing down, he hears and feels a bang, but thinks nothing of it. After conversing with an associate about their next plans, he picks the woman up and climbs back up to the roof. When he opens the door, it's surrounded by rubble. The entire city around them has been destroyed. Shortly after, rubble falls through the trap door. With the cell phone (apparently actually the victim's cell phone) dead, and assuming that the man's associate is dead as well in the collapse, they start to climb through the rubble to find out what happened. Nearby, a hand with a surgical glove on emerges from the rubble, as the vignette ends.
Countdown
Starting on October 26, Beyond Jericho was replaced by Countdown, which documents Robert Hawkins' efforts to learn as much as possible about the effects of nuclear bombs before he moved to Jericho.<ref> Jericho on CBS - Countdown
.</ref> The webisodes do not feature any of the regular characters, consisting primarily of Hawkins, draped in shadows, watching mini-documentaries.
The mini-documentaries feature expert interviews about the effects of a nuclear attack. They are only minimally connected to each episode's plot. For instance, CBS's episode 8 plot summary reads: "A shadowy military unit bursts into the chamber Hawkins has just vacated. On his computer, they find a video." The video was a short documentary about FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina and their use of paramilitaries. The "shadowy military unit" then patiently waits until the documentary ends to resume its search for Hawkins.
Countdown's sponsor, AT&T, is very heavily promoted in the series using product placement. Nearly all dialog takes place as SMS messages on an AT&T cellular phone, and a full-screen AT&T logo appears in every episode when Hawkins views the expert interviews. This web-based programming is not accessible from outside of the United States.
Filming locations
Jericho is set in northwestern Kansas but the series is filmed in Van Nuys, California.<ref name="VanNuysFillmore"> A Visit to the Town of Jericho
. Coming Soon Media
. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. </ref><ref> Insiders' Commentary: Pilot Episode#2
. CBS
. Retrieved on 2007-06-21. </ref> The pilot and all episodes involving New Bern, Kansas, were filmed in Fillmore, California.<ref name="VanNuysFillmore"> A Visit to the Town of Jericho
. Coming Soon Media
. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. </ref><ref>"
Jericho in Fillmore this week " , March 8, 2007 . </ref>
Filming has also occurred in Pasadena, Ca including in front of the city hall. The final episode yet to air was also filmed at Santa Anita race track.
Filming also has taken place in Canada. Use Jericho Season 1 DVD, use commentary on some episodes and they tell you where it has taken place. See "Heart of Winter."
Cancellation and return
CBS officially announced Jericho's cancellation on May 16, 2007. Several online communities, including the official Jericho forums, launched campaigns in an effort to revive the show. Fans also sent just over 20 tons of nuts to CBS headquarters; this referred to a scene from the season one finale Why We Fight where Jake Green repeats General Anthony McAuliffe's historic phrase "Nuts!" from the Battle of Bastogne.<ref name="AP story">{{[3]}}</ref> The peanuts and other proceeds from the donations have been donated to charities,<ref> Fans make CBS reconsider 'Jericho' axing
. Yahoo! News/Associated Press
. Retrieved on 2007-06-07. </ref> including the rebuilding effort in Greensburg, Kansas.<ref>"
TV show gets nutty about helping residents " , Kiowa County Signal , 2007-06-06 . </ref>
In a response posted on the Jericho forum, CBS president Nina Tassler acknowledged the fan response, stating "we hope to develop a way to provide closure to… the Jericho story."<ref> "A statement from CBS Entertainment"
. CBS Jericho Message Board
. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. </ref> CBS officials acknowledge the campaign was the largest the network had seen using digital means to protest a show cancellation.<ref name="CBSShowBuzz"> "Jericho" Fans Go Nuts
. CBS ShowBuzz (2007-05-25)
. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. </ref> President and CEO Leslie Moonves acknowledged that he was filtering emails from Jericho fans,<ref> "Interview with Leslie Moonves"
.</ref> while senior vice president of communications Chris Ender said, "You have to tip your hat to their ability to get attention and make some noise."<ref name="CBSShowBuzz"/><ref name="Stickaround"> "Jericho" Cast, Crew Willing To Stick Around
. SyFyPortal
. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. </ref>
On June 5, 2007, Jericho executive producer Carol Barbee announced that CBS was discussing the possibility of the show's return for an eight-episode mid-season run.<ref name="LATimes"> Maria Elena Fernandez
(2007-06-05) . Resurrection?: The fans might have saved 'Jericho' . Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved on 2007-06-05. </ref> A day later, Tassler posted an announcement on the forum stating that seven new episodes of Jericho had been commissioned as a mid-season replacement for the 2007-2008 television season, with the possibility of an extension based on viewership.<ref name="Jericho returns"/>
On August 2, 2007, a video was released on YouTube showing clips from the first day back at work for the Jericho cast and crew. It shows clips of the first season, explaining the cancellation, followed by brief clips from the second-season premiere, and a "thank you" from the cast and crew to the fans for their efforts to revive the show.<ref>Jericho Comic Con video</ref>
On December 4, 2007, CBS announced that Jericho's second season will premiere on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, in its new timeslot, Tuesdays at 10:00 PM ET/PT.<ref>IGN: CBS Sets Premiere Date for Jericho: Season 2</ref>
See also
- List of nuclear holocaust fiction
- Survivalism
- Nuclear War Survival Skills - the official nuclear Civil Defense manual from United States Department of Defense.
- Nuclear weapons in popular culture
- World War III in popular culture
References
External links
Modèle:Jerichonavbg:Джерико (сериал) ca:Jericho de:Jericho – Der Anschlag et:Jericho (seriaal) es:Jericho fr:Jericho it:Jericho he:יריחו (סדרת טלוויזיה) lt:Džerikas hu:Jericho nl:Jericho (televisieserie) pl:Jericho (serial telewizyjny) pt:Jericho (série de televisão) ro:Jericho ru:Иерихон (телесериал) fi:Jericho sv:Jericho (TV-serie) zh:核爆危机
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