The Underrated Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Series That Should Have Never Been Canceled
Television shows — even brilliant ones — get canceled all the time. The era of network television has seen (and will see) innumerable cancellations (with shows like "Late Night Horror" being allegedly erased due to controversy), but the streaming era has fast-tracked this notion to levels never seen before. One only has to look at the long list of canceled Netflix shows that are still worth watching, some of which have been axed before they got a chance to bloom. It's rare for a nixed series to be brought back to life due to fan campaigns, but the CBS series "Jericho" accomplished this after its abrupt season 1 cancellation. This was one of those rare moments where audience sentiment eclipsed profit-oriented logic, as "Jericho" had amassed a cult following despite receiving mixed ratings in 2006. Alas, the show wasn't meant to be known for its longevity, as "Jericho" got canceled again after a second season comprising seven episodes.
While it is not difficult to understand the appeal of a post-apocalyptic fantasy like "Jericho," the show's passionate fan base feels drawn to it for complex sets of reasons. The series centers on the titular fictional city, whose inhabitants are seen grappling with the aftermath of a major nuclear attack across the United States. This looming terror aside, the rural town of Jericho is more preoccupied with worries tied to everyday existence, such as damaged crops or escalating farm debt, which only exacerbate after the nuclear explosion. Although "Jericho" isn't exactly prestige television (as its story is mostly beset with clichéd tropes), it taps into a specific brand of paranoia felt by those not cradled by the luxury of living in an urban metropolis.
The series hones in on the psychological chaos that grips the town after they're cut off from the rest of the world, thanks to the complete shutdown of power and communication lines. While one would expect level-headed communal efforts to re-establish normalcy, "Jericho" explores the hold of paranoia over the human mind during similar times of crisis. Let's take a look at season 1 and what its short-lived follow-up season brought to the table.
Despite its flaws, Jericho could have been more than a one-and-a-half-season wonder
Although season 1 of "Jericho" got poor viewership ratings, it was interesting and topical enough for audiences to demand follow-up seasons, as these 22 episodes ended on a massive cliffhanger. This fight to save a show that was doomed to be short-lived was well over warranted, but superfans found a rather unconventional route to compel CBS executives to greenlight another season.
Apart from signing online petitions, they sent 20 tons of peanuts (!) to CBS' offices, as it is a reference to Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) refusing to surrender while quoting General Anthony McAuliffe's famous utterance of "Nuts!" Now, this definitely sounds a bit ... erm, nuts, but this impassioned tactic seemed to have worked. Soon after, CBS greenlit a second season with only seven episodes, which, in hindsight, immensely hurt "Jericho" and its legacy.
The problem with the seven-episode season was that CBS never meant to give "Jericho" a fair chance, as the evolving story does nothing but leave more room for unresolved threads and general dissatisfaction. Instead of earnestly engaging with the established small-town politics of season 1, the new season abruptly widened the scope by involving outside players and their machinations. This obviously drew attention away from the residents of our beloved rural town, and the show's second (and final) cancellation dashed all hopes for a story that offers nuance, hope, or catharsis. This isn't a writing issue either, as CBS gave "Jericho" only seven episodes to hammer home its biggest ideas, but rushed execution transformed season 2 into a pale shadow of what the show stood for.
If you like localized politics, small-town drama, and the hopeful notion of the everyman becoming a hero during a crisis, "Jericho" is the perfect show for you. The show has even found a way to persist beyond its TV medium, as two comic book series written by the core "Jericho" team act as seasons 3 and 4 of the story. While "Jericho" won't sweep you off your feet, it is grounded enough to keep you hooked, and ponder the follies of men in the face of a nuclear catastrophe.