End of the world scenarios almost always make for good TV or movies. Cheesy films like "Damnation Alley" can be just as much fun as "The Stand." I've only seen this premise used in TV shows a handful of times, the last one that coming to mind being Showtime's "Jeremiah." Last year, the network jumped on the idea with the conception of "Jericho." Like most new series I didn't catch it when it originally aired, and it wasn't until it was nearly cancelled that it really caught my attention. "Jericho" really hit the limelight following a low rated first season that was set to end with the show's cancellation. But just as fans came to the rescue by mailing in bottles of Tabasco Sauce when "Roswell" was originally set to end its run, fans of "Jericho" swamped the CBS studios with 20 tons of nuts. The studio got the message and actually switched gears by ordering 8 additional episodes for a second season. If the ratings show improvement, it may actually get to finish out the season. Personally, now that I've finally gotten the chance to catch up on the first season, I hope it makes it.

The end of the world scenario in "Jericho" is a frighteningly real one. No sci-fi robots or aliens taking over here, instead we get the view of a distant mushroom cloud as seen from a small sleepy Kansas town. This visual really struck a chord with me, because growing up I used to worry about the possibility of a nuclear war. I'd actually look out on the horizon and imagine seeing one of those clouds in the distance, but tried to plan just what, if anything, I could do. That is the fate that befalls the people of this town. Without any way of getting information from the outside world, they have no idea what exactly happened or how far reaching the disaster is. It makes for the perfect setting of a combination of survival and paranoia.

The main focus of the event is seen through the eyes of prodigal son Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich), who had just returned after a five year absence. Down on his luck, he is back to borrow money from his father (Gerald MCraney), who happens to be the mayor of Jericho. He has no idea just how bad his luck going to get. We also meet Robert Hawkins (Lennie James), another recent arrival to the city. He claims to be a cop from St. Louis and uses that to try and influence the townspeople to remain calm, but as is usually the case in shows like these, he may not be all he claims to be.

Paramount is releasing the first season DVD this month, which is how I finally introduced myself to the series. I found myself getting sucked into it from the start, though I had to admit that after a few episodes I found my interest waning slightly. There was a little too much nighttime soap opera that seemed to invade the town, and less attention was being paid to the events at hand. However, this little diversion was short-lived and the focus began to turn back to where it needed to be causing the show's second half of the season to tread into nail-biting territory. Even some of the actor's performances, which started out a little uneven, ended up with everyone firing on all cylinders.

The DVD offers and awesome widescreen transfer, which really looks awesome during the original disaster. Paramount also put in quite a few special features, which I was a little surprised about considering the possible fate of the series. There are commentaries on 5 of the episodes, three of them allowing actors Ulrich and James to chime in. as much as I can enjoy the input of directors, producers and writers, it's usually the actors that have the most interesting perspective. This is certainly the case in the commentaries here.

Scattered throughout the 6 discs you'll find some deleted scenes (which include optional commentary by producers Dan Shotz and Karim Zreik). And on the final disc, there are two featurettes. The first "Building Jericho" runs a little under 25 minutes and features interviews with just about all of the cast and creative team. The follow-up featurette "What If?" comes in just under 10 minutes and features interviews with experts as to what might happen if this scenario were really to take place (aside from a lot of running and screaming, which is my prediction).

"Jericho" turned out to be of heck of a good show, deserving not only of such a rabid fan base but also of their commitment to save it. Paramount has followed up by releasing a really good first seasons set, which will hopefully bring in new fans, and more importantly new viewers to raise the ratings. Let's hope season 2 eventually gets a full order.

Episodes:
Pilot (Commentary by executive producer/director Jon Turteltaub and executive producer Carol Barbee)
Fallout (Commentary by executive producer/director Jon Turteltaub and executive producer Carol Barbee)
Four Horsemen
Walls of Jericho
Federal Response
9:02
Long Live the Mayor
Rogue River (Commentary by executive producer/director Jon Turteltaub and actor Skeet Ulrich)
Crossroads
Red Flag (Commentary by executive producer Carol Barbee and actor Lennie James)
Vox Populi (Commentary by executive producer Carol Barbee and actors Skeet Ulrich and Lennie James)
Return to Jericho
The Day Before
Black Jack
Heart of Winter
Semper Fidelis
Winter's End
One Man's Terrorist
A.K.A.
Casus Belli
One if by Land
Coalition of the Willing
Why We Fight

Starring: Skeet Ulrich, Gerald McRaney, Pamela Reed, Kenneth Mitchell
Extras: Audio Commentary tracks on 5 of the episodes, Deleted Scenes w/optional commentary on 13 of the episodes, Building Jericho: In-depth look at the genesis and creation of the show, What If? - A revealing look at how the nuclear arms race has evolved since the end of WWII.
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 10/2/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Jericho: Season 1 a B+.