Jericho: DVD Review

"Moving to a much newer show, the second season -- which begins Feb. 12 -- of the CBS post-apocalypse drama Jericho promises to be better than the first, at least from what I can tell by watching a preview DVD provided by the network. Now that they've established the basic premise (a small Kansas town tries to survive after nuclear attacks destroy several major cities and shut down the country), they can move on to more interesting things: the conspiracy behind the attacks.

I don't want to give away too much, but I can say that even with a quasi-national government in charge and society functioning again, things haven't gotten much safer for the residents of Jericho. By the end of the third episode, we've gotten hints that there are forces at work here just as threatening -- in the long run -- as the nuclear bombs.

Here's what I wrote about the first season after watching it on DVD last month:

It's just that the show is way too earnest and serious, and also too focused on dull domestic drama. The best parts -- and the reason to keep watching -- are the moments that give us small, frightening glimpses of what's happening in the rest of the country. Unfortunately, you often have to slog through sleepy story lines involving unfaithful husbands and a mayoral election to get to the more interesting question: who was behind the attack? At this point, it's the only thing keeping me watching.

Now, that more interesting question is getting a lot more play, which will keep me watching yet again."

Jericho: Cultural Learnings

"While I still believe everything I wrote there, the situation gets trickier in the case of Jericho. With Jericho, the premiere ratings do matter, as returning to middling returns will all but sink the show’s chances of gaining a season three if the initial cancellation hasn’t already done so. And Jericho already has a fan base of internet fans, they worked tirelessly to save the show back in June. So the problems facing a new show aren’t quite the same as the problems facing Jericho’s second season, and thus there is some concern that this could sink the show’s chances.

And I’m here to tell you that the answer to that concern?

“Eh, not really.”

And here’s why."

Breaking News!!

Thanks to The Jericho Telegraph:

Brad Beyer and Ashley Scott are going to attend this fan event on behalf of Jericho:

FX International convention on Jan. 25, 26 and 27 in Orlando

http://www.fxshow.com/

They will be signing autographs and posing for pics with fans.

Ratings Erosion

"Network TV already was facing ratings erosion. As Mr. Krehbiel demonstrates, more viewers have switched at least some of their attention to the web and other pursuits. What's more, an increasing number have armed themselves with ad-zapping DVRs -- so even if they watch, there's no guarantee some of them will see the ads. Now the strike threatens to accelerate the trend by removing the very things that draw millions of potential consumers to the tube night after night: glitzy special events and water-cooler shows.

The networks face their strongest test in the weeks ahead -- proving their writer-less offerings can still draw people. "What I'm going to be looking for is how does this stuff do through the end of the first quarter? How are these guys doing year to year? Does 'Dance Wars' over time have as much power as 'Dancing With the Stars'? Does 'Idol' keep going in the same direction?" asked PHD's Mr. Swift. The answers could bolster advertiser confidence or prove broadcast is no longer the biggest piece of the media pie."

America's Top Dog

"Is CBS barking up the wrong tree by looking for its next big reality stars among the canine population? The network is going forward with a reality show tentatively titled America's Top Dog.

According to CBS, "America's Top Dog a new one hour-long series where 'man's best friend' can help its owner win big money! Owners and their pets - from 'pageant dogs' to those dogs simply trained at home - will live together and battle it out in a dog competition that puts the dog's relationship with the person who has raised and trained it to the test. In the end, only one team of loving owner and faithful dog will emerge the winner in this dog-eat-dog competition!"

Jericho: DVD Review

Jericho DVD Review

"For a while it looked like this DVD release was going to be Jericho: The Complete Series. That would have been quite annoying as Jericho ended on a cliffhanger, with lots of questions still to resolve. Fortunately, the show had a fairly dedicated fanbase and was provided with the perfect angle for a show-saving campaign. As much as I (and many other people) really liked Jericho, if it had not been for the whole "Nuts" thing, Jericho almost certainly would not have gotten a second season. As luck would have it though, the "Nuts" bit provided a perfect avenue for fans to protest the show's cancellation in a tangible way.

While the series does get off to something of a slow start, it continually improves as the season progresses. The story is compelling, the characters are well-rounded and there are some surprising twists along the way."

Another New Promo: Mimi