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ANNIE BERKE - TV CRITIC
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I did not come to the pilot of Jericho with high hopes. Frankly, I thought I was too cool for it. CBS is, like, pretty square as far as networks go; I predicted that Jericho would be corny, folksy, a peculiar hybrid of 24 and Touched by an Angel. Despite my initial prejudices, I ended up grateful to Jericho’s earlier fans who campaigned for the show’s return to television after its cancellation in May. (Disgruntled viewers actually sent 40,000 pounds of nuts to CBS in protest, the nuts being a reference to the final episode’s final line. If only the fans of Arrested Development had been that organized!) That’s right—I have been converted! I love Jericho, and I don’t know if that makes me unhip or what. For those who are unfamiliar, Jericho is set in a small town in Kansas at a point in America’s future in which the major cities have been bombed to smithereens, and the nation has devolved into anarchy. True, the show can veer into hokey territory, like when the mayor single-handedly halts the chaos and looting in the streets with a stock television speech about teamwork. But I will be coming back for more next Friday—Is it the grim setting in contrast with the show’s uplifting sentiments that makes Jericho so riveting? Is it all the adrenoline-pumping suspense? Or is the boyish good looks of Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich), a self-proclaimed screw-up who finds his niche as Jericho’s resident hero? Don’t think Heather, the town’s cute elementary school teacher, hasn’t noticed. How corny! How adorable!
At worst, Jericho is a delightful guilty pleasure, and at best, it’s pretty well-done and has me watching. So open your heart to Jericho. I did, and I’m glad for it.
(Another) Pick of the Week:The Bronx is Burning. Mondays at 10 (ESPN). Debuted July 9. Set in the Summer of Sam (that is, 1977), this miniseries hits the ground running.
No weak link here—from Oliver Platt and John Turturro’s turns as Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin to the pitch-perfect script, you can’t believe you’re watching ESPN and not HBO or Showtime.
Return from Annie Berke July 10th/07 Annie Berke
