Jericho Could Still See New Life On Netflix
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Almost since the first moment it was cancelled, there has been talk of the short-lived post-nuclear disaster drama Jericho coming back in one form or another. For the past few years Netflix has been kicking around the idea of reviving the series, an idea that is still very much in play. Given the current, apocalypse-friendly environment of pop culture, especially on TV and in movies, the show wouldn’t be out of place.
In an article that talks about the bleak, end of the world fetish that TV has at the moment, TV Guide notes that the service that killed the video store is still interested in producing more episodes of Jericho. This move would make a certain amount of sense. Considering that the grim nature of The Walking Dead hasn’t done anything to keep audiences away—it recently bested the Olympics in a head-to-head ratings battle—a general audience may be more accepting of a desolate, brutal series that deals with the realities of life following a nuclear conflict.
The airwaves are full to bursting with apocalyptic scenarios. You have a shockingly wide variety of options to choose from if you want to watch the world burn. There are global zombie pandemics, worldwide blackouts, and alien invasions, among others. And soon there will be even more. The CW is dropping the dystopian teen series The 100, X-Files creator Chris Carter is getting in on the act with his series The After, Guillermo del Toro is combing sweeping plagues with vampires in The Strain, and Damon Lindelof and HBO will serve up a heaping helping of biblical Rapture with The Leftovers.
With a rabid fan base that has spawned numerous campaigns and websites, it might not be a bad move for Netflix to knock out some more Jericho. The streaming provider has been churning out a ton of original content recently—their hit House of Cards just delivered a second season—and they’ve shown a willingness to grab castoffs from other networks, picking up AMC’s frequently cancelled police procedural The Killing.
Jericho is really a show that refuses to die. CBS cancelled it once after the first season failed to bring in decent ratings. Fan support, however, was able to bring it back to life for a second, seven-episode season, but the network subsequently cancelled it again. Since then there has been talk of a movie, but the show also got a third and fourth “season” in comic book form, as well as numerous online tie ins.
The series follows the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, after nuclear attacks level 23 American cities. There’s a loss of power, communication, and general infrastructure, and the citizens have to learn how to cope with the aftermath of the catastrophic events. It’s always seemed like an updated version of the influential 1983 made-for-TV disaster movie The Day After.
What do you think? Would you like to see Netflix make more episodes of Jericho, or is that just wishful thinking?
