I'm not one who's much into television. In fact, since I've moved to Maine, I haven't even had cable connected. It's 99% garbage. My only "entertainment" is an occasional movie Friday or Saturday night, and that too has been about 90% junk.

The past week has changed all that.

Laura and I were in the video store in Bangor last weekend and saw this video named Jericho. For lack of anything else that looked worthy, we decided to check it out.

The woman at the front desk who I've seen there several times before had never so much as smiled on any previous visit. I always felt that I was supposed to salute her on the way out.

When she saw the Jericho video we were renting, her face lightened up and she started talking about how much she liked it and actually stayed up till 3am watching episodes the first time she rented it. I actually saw her smile for the first time.

Well, Laura and I watched the first episode and then proceeded to watch every episode ever made (not that many) over the past week.

I'm not going to give too much away except to say that it's the story of a small town after a limited nuclear strike in the U.S. Besides believing this scenario is likely in real life in the not-too-distant future, there is much in the series that is more realistic than many might imagine.

The series is not without its faults, like an unbelievable relationship between a female "military" officer and the lead character, but aside from a few "glitches", the casting and writing are the best I've ever seen on television. Actually, they are better than most movies I've seen.

The casting itself is nearly perfect and provides the series with a air of believability that is inescapable. The dialog is absent the usual testosterone-overload you find today, but is replete with unexpected yet well-placed character embellishments. All in all, it's the most well-written and well-casted series I've ever seen.

For a tough, skeptical critic like me, caring about TV characters comes hard, but this series broke me down until I had subconsciously related each person on the screen with someone I know. The characters are very real and natural in their dialog and actions.

Perhaps the most surprising part about the whole thing is that it mentions—and even glorifies—fundamental American values, like the second amendment (last episode) and personal Constitutional rights. It reveals the flaws in such ideas as military occupation and basic tenants of socialism (for the most part) and demonstrates how personal responsibility and neighborly charity are the real power of a neighborhood, and of a country; Principles you'll be hard-pressed to find in other dumbed-down and propagandistic shows.

Each installment of the series leaves you hanging on cliffs that are actually compelling. Furthermore, story lines are deeply intertwined. Facts and ideas raised in one episode are often developed into compelling central story lines several installments later.

Not withstanding a few dumbed-down concepts and the typical unbelievable "bleepy" computer sounds (I hate that), this series is so compelling and believable that I dare say its removal from the airwaves amidst raving success is suspect to say the least. Perhaps someone hit a nerve by getting a little too close to the truth or by "speaking" what everybody wants to say to intelligent patriotic people.

This series was canceled at the end of the first season only to be brought back for a second season by the delivery of 20 tons of peanuts to the CBS studios by rabid fans.

Definitely worth a rent.

"Nuts!"

Save Jericho Coalition

August Rush is a great movie to rent. Not particulary about any issues, but just good and great music.

Russ...if you like stuff about issues you are talking with Jericho, may I recommend the (book) series "The Great and Terrible" by Chris Stewart? The first book is about the war in heaven and helps you picture the evil forces that we can't see but that are influencing all the garbage going on to destroy us which IS getting more and more powerful. There is nuclear war in it - or the beginning. Am only on the 4th book. Its written by a guy who knows a lot about military having been an air force pilot, I think, but he really gets into the middle east issues and it is well researched and good reading and eerily...what he has written is happening or is heading that way. Don't mean that like he's someone to put on a pedestal, but its good. You would like it.

Thanks for the info. It sounds interesting, to say the least.