CBS' Jericho Returns to Air with Pilot Episode

It is somehow a fitting tribute to fans that Jericho should return to the airwaves during the week of Independence Day. A serial about a fiercely independent Kansas town and its trials and tribulations after nuclear attacks on the United States, Jericho suffered cancellation after poor ratings through the second half of its first season. Cancellation did not dampen the love of Jericho fans for the show, however, and through a terrific show of support, CBS reversed its decision to cancel and instead offered the series a second chance.

Tonight's 9 p.m. (Eastern) re-broadcast was of the show's very first episode. This pilot episode, first broadcast 9/20/2006, introduces the main characters of the series and gives background on the town of Jericho, leading up to the nuclear attacks of various cities throughout the United States that would change the course of history forever.

Skeet Ulrich, who plays main character Jake Green, has returned from some time away from his family. Almost the stereotypical prodigal son, vague allusions are made to his murky past in and out of Jericho.

Gerald McRaney, who gained fame in sitcoms Simon & Simon and Major Dad, plays Jake's dad and Jericho's Mayor in his role as Johnston Green. Although later episodes showed Johnston's loss in the reelection for Mayor, this character never ceased to be a leader in the town, until his fall in the last episode of season one. In the pilot episode, Johnston jumps into action as the mushroom cloud over Denver is seen on the horizon.

Pamela Reed, who portrays Jake's mom and Johnston's wife as Gail Green, is the glue that holds the Green family together. In the pilot episode, Gail welcomes son Jake back to Jericho and updates him on what has been happening through his five years away.

Lennie James acts as Robert Hawkins in the series, and his character quickly develops as a possible opposite to Ulrich's Jake. Although his role is minimalized in the pilot episode, Robert establishes his reason for moving to Jericho and his experience in law enforcement so that he can participate in the post-bomb activities in town.

Many other characters are also introduced in the pilot episode, including Emily Sullivan, the teacher whose fiancée is out of town when the blast occurs; Eric Green, whose infidelity and strained marriage become a subplot of later episodes; Gray Anderson, who desires Johnston's job as Mayor; Dale Turner, whose parents were in Atlanta when a blast occurred there simultaneous to the Denver blast; Heather Lisinski, a teacher who may rival Emily's bid for Jake's affections; and many others.

CBS will continue to re-broadcast Jericho episodes throughout the summer, during the 9 PM (Eastern) slot on Friday evenings. According to a June 12^th press release from CBS, July 13^th will see a back-to-back broadcast of "Return to Jericho", a recap of the first eleven episodes of the serial, followed by episode twelve, titled "The Day Before", which was the first episode during the spring season. The back-to-back showings will begin at 8 PM (Eastern). Beginning on July 20^th, episodes thirteen through twenty-two will air through mid-September.

New episodes are currently filming, according to the CBS website, and will premier mid-season.

References

"Jericho on CBS." CBS. (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/jericho/)

"The Return of Jericho - Summer Schedule." CBS. (http://jerichoboard.cbs.com/n/docs/docDownload.aspx?webtag=CBSMBJericho&guid=a813e225-6cb0-a5c4-6073f9ea33fc)