It is happening at an ever increasing rate; television series that demonstrate intelligence, talent and potential are cancelled before they get a chance to really shine. Shows like ‘Deadwood’, ‘ Dead Like Me’, ‘Firefly’ and ‘Freaks and Geeks’ have all fallen even though they represented some of the television has ever offered. To the dismay of millions of loyal fans there is now another tombstone in this growing graveyard of quality TV, ‘Jericho’. This series about a small town in Kansas trying to survive after a terrorist attack exploded nuclear devices in the major cities of America. It was a gripping drama filled with action, human emotions displaying the best and worse qualities found in humanity. ‘Jericho’ was extremely well written, acted to perfection and directed by masters of the field. In short, it was too much quality to survive on the tube. While mindless so called reality shows concerned with singing, dancing and modeling survive year after year something this good has to go. For one thing it demonstrated to the audience what television could aspire to and achieve. After the first season the series was cancelled. The last line of that season was ‘Nuts’ referring to a famous act of defiance made by an American general when told by the German army to surrender. The fans showed their anger at the cancellation by sending CBS over 40,000 pounds of peanuts. The studio donated the legumes to charity and brought the series back for season two. Only seven episodes into this season the writer’s union went on strike and production was shut down again. Soon after this he studio pulled the plug again with no hope of another resurrection. There was so much more of the story to tell. The last episode held great promise for the future but unfortunately it will not happen unless a cable network decides to pick it up. At least CBS did the right thing by bringing out the last seven episode season to DVD quickly instead of making us wait. Like many fans I realize the business elements of the decision. Those reality shows are less expensive to produce and less dependent on the craft unions. Still, I come from a generation that remembers the great dramatic series that where the flagships for the networks and ‘Jericho’ was a return to that kind of entertainment. If a review of this show’s second and last season sounds like an obituary it should. The series has past on and television is diminished by that fact.

In the first season prodigal son Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) is returning home to the small town of Jericho, Kansas. Back home his father, Johnston (Gerald McRaney) was the long time major of the town. Also back home was his older brother Eric (Kenneth Mitchell) and their mother Gale (Pamela Reed). Just as he gets to town an explosion is heard in the distance and a mushroom cloud rises on the horizon. The first season focused on the town’s desperate efforts to survive. They had to cope with fall out, dying crops and being cut off from the rest of the world. The season culminated with war breaking out between Jericho and its once cooperative neighboring town, New Bern. As the second season starts the all out war between Jericho and New Bern has been halted by the intercession of the army. It belongs to one of the splinter governments that have popped up after the attacks, The Allied States of America or ASA. Most of the smaller governments have either been absorbed by them or the remnants of the old USA. The ASA has most of the territory west of the Mississippi while the USA has the east. The one major hold out is Texas. The military head of the troops in Jericho is Major Edward Beck (Esai Morales). He has the arduous task of bringing peace to the two towns and help in the reconstruction efforts.

The new government is making a lot of changes. School teacher Heather Lisinski (Sprague Grayden) receives a new history textbook and cannot help but to notice all the revisions the new government has made in it. There is a definite right wing slant to history now. She winds up as the civilian aide to the Major and doubles as an informant to Jake and his group of town rangers. Another major change is many of the administrative aspects of governing have been turned over to a private corporation, Jennings and Rail. They are above the law and control everything from goods permitted to the new currency. They also have their own private army, Ravenwood who can act as judge, jury and executioner. The head of the Ravenwood contingent in Jericho is John Goetz (D.B. Sweeney) who is a mercenary with a corporate title. It soon becomes evident that his actions are tantamount to war crimes. Jake is asked to become the sheriff by the Major and tries to uphold the law. Mostly this consists of keeping his town folk from seeking revenge on New Bern. Soon, Jake and those loyal to him discover that the worse law breakers are the new government and their corporate associates. Still working undercover is former CIA agent Robert Hawkins (Lennie James). He was working to uncover the original terrorist group and is still in passion of the last of the nuclear devices from then. He also uncovers that there is a sinister plot and the new government is worse than any could imagine. As the season and series ends it looks as if the only way to go is a new American revolution.

It is a shame that this series was cancelled. If left alone it could have followed a very natural story arc; survival; recovery; reconstruction; revelation and finally revolution. Besides the main plot this series featured the exploration of many other aspects of life. There is a love story between Stanley (Brad Beyer) and the former IRS agent Mimi (Alicia Coppola) who is trying to make a life amidst the chaos. Jake had worked as a mercenary in the Middle East and now finds his abilities and training is now vital to the survival of the town and ultimately the nation. Of course many of the elements are ripped from the headlines. With corporate concerns like Haliburton and Blackwater the events shown here are not all that far fetched. Ultimately this is a story about a new generation of American patriots and their unrelenting spirit. This was a series that not only entertained it made you think and provoked discussion. It shows that revolutionaries are just reasonable men pushed beyond any other course of action. The men here do not want to be the new revolutionaries but the circumstances leave them no option.

The acting here is spectacular. Every single part no matter how large or small is cast to perfection. As the lead few actors could have done the job Ulrich did. He plays his character as a quite man who ran away from home because he could never life up to the shadow of his father. Was seeing more than his share of war and violence he comes back to the peaceful home town only to find himself the leader of a new cause and commander of a new war. Another great piece of casting was Lennie James as Hawkins. He is the new man in town; always helpful but one who keeps to himself. He may look lie a peace loving man but he can easily kill an opponent with gun, knife or his bare hands. He may have worked for the former American government but he is dedicated to its ideals more than the ruling party.

Paramount-CBS brings these last episodes to DVD with respect. It has the seven episodes plus a few very entertaining bonus features. Select episodes have a commentary by cast and crew. There is a featurette about the Nuts campaign to bring the show back. Also included is a look at how they had to rebuild the series when it was first brought back and rounding things off are a few deleted scenes. This is a must have. Get this set and the first and see what television was meant to be.