CBS's Show Jericho: Three Thousand Years Later

Wednesday night, I watched some new walls tumbling. Jericho, KS is the setting for what appears a very good show idea. It somewhat reminded me of Red Dawn and The Day After but with a twist.

What attracted me to watch this show was my upbringing. I was raised in a military family and witnessed Strategic Air Command (SAC) operations daily. When the B-52's left, we never knew if it was an alert or the real thing.

So, the plot of life after a nuclear holocaust intrigued me enough to watch the first episode. Although it is a total fantasy, the ideas it portrays are enough to keep me waiting for the next episode.

If you didn't watch it, here is what you missed in my opinion. First, it deals with family relationships such as conflict .between a father and son. Along with this, you see a town pulling together as a community and using teamwork to solve problems.

There is also personal heroism. Ordinary people stepped up to do extraordinary things throughout the episode. For instance, a teen used a pocket knife and straws to perform a tracheotomy and breathing tube insertion
There was the instant (almost) acceptance from an outsider who had more wisdom than most of the people in charge. There was a power play by a political opponent to the mayor that was thwarted.

Beyond the plot and the action for me was the amazing way in which the cast blended from the beginning. There was no stiffness. This could have been to third or fourth season to watch how smoothly it went.

If you are looking for a "24" you won't find it here but it has reasonable action, a lot of drama and subplots and some very good values in my opinion. Congratulations to CBS for another winner.