 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Jericho
Common Sense Media says
Mildly scary disaster drama fails to thrill.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this potentially scary drama depicts a mushroom cloud erupting in the distance, with both adult and kid characters left crying and worried after seeing it. Parents and their children become separated at times, and one teenage boy hears his mother die on an answering machine. Aside from the issues raised by the show's underlying premise (nuclear disaster striking, and people left to fight for survival), violence is the biggest issue here: Several auto accidents leave adults dead, and viewers see some blood and brief glimpses of the dead bodies; a character uses a pocketknife to perform a successful emergency tracheotomy on a young girl; and a man is shot in the back.
What's the story?
What happens to a group of people when disaster strikes? Do they rally together or fight for their own survival? These are the questions explored in JERICHO after a mushroom cloud appears on the horizon of the small Kansas town, knocking out electricity and communications. A mix between Lost and Lord of the Flies, Jericho reveals the social dynamics that emerge within a group that's cut off from the outside world and forced to rely on one another. While some people fight over hoarded gasoline, others help their neighbors in unexpected ways.
Is it any good?
Beyond the tale of a small town affected by disaster is the mystery behind the explosion. As the possibility that the United States has been attacked becomes more likely, Jericho has the potential to be truly scary. While the potential is there, the dramatic moments are softened in Jericho and tension rarely builds for long. This makes the show more family-friendly, but a bit of a letdown for mature viewers. In one scene, for example, Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) saves a dying girl by using a pocketknife and a collection of juice box straws to perform a tracheotomy. With only a bit of blood, the rescue is quick, easy, seemingly painless -- and old hat to those weaned on the likes of ER and CSI.
All in all, Jericho is by no means cutting-edge drama. It's familiar, sentimental stuff, and some viewers may find it a bit earnest and hokey, with an all-too-obvious message about patriotism and togetherness. It takes on some of the elements that make Lost so compelling and brings them down a notch to appeal to a younger, broader audience. But in doing so, much originality is lost as well.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about their experiences during crises. How did you feel and react during 9/11? Did you see people fighting or helping each other? What is it about disaster that brings out the best and worst in people? What would your family do in case of an emergency? Do you have a disaster plan and a meeting place? Do you think the show's scenarios are believable? Do stories like this make you scared or nervous? Why or why not?
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- Teens & kids
April 9, 2008
AGE
Slightly disturbing plot, decent charactes
My husband and I classify this an 'i.n.e.i.o' show - 'if nothing else is on'. The plot is slightly disturbing, with the last episode revealing that a good part (if not most all) of the United States has been wiped out by Nuclear bombs. However, the town of Jericho seems to be a decent place to live...errr...survive. I like the show and the characters, but your brain is constantly trying to sort out the competing themes: a really sweet town working together, and the fact that the world is over as we know it.
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April 9, 2008
AGE
I love Jericho
Jericho is a well written TV program about how people react under pressure and in a crisis. Some become heroes while others use an event for their own gain at the expense of the community. This is a good show to share with the family. A great lead in for LOST.
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AGE
most amazing tv show i ever saw. realistic and true. no duming down.
*://*cbs*/primetime/jericho/video/
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AGE
Greatest TV Show out
Best show out there. Great plot and realistic storyline. Some violence but most teens and some preteens should handle it well.
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AGE
Excellent study in human nature... gripping story, fantastic characters... must see!
If you are a fan of story lines that have not been dumbed down to appeal to the wider, generally less intellectually gifted majority, this show is for you. If you need everything spelled out for you, best to stick with your average, run of the mill big box action production. So much of the Jericho story unfolds between the lines and in what isn't said or done that you really do need to pay attention. I intend to watch it again with my 13 year old son. He is very interested in war, weapons, urban chaos and human nature in relation to natural and man made disasters so I think he will find it very interesting. The consequences of the choices we make, the relationships we nurture, and our role in the context of the society around us are all topics that can be further explored through this show and in subsequent conversations. Definitely one to watch WITH your kids.
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AGE
It just isn't that fun.
It is to realistic. Young children will get scared, and older children will think it is like watching the news, boring! If this was realesed in the NEVEr time then maybe it wouldnt't be so real.
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| TV rating: | TV-PG |
| Networks: | CBS, Syfy |
| Cast: | Gerald McRaney, Skeet Ulrich, Sprague Grayden |
| Genre: | Drama |
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