Early development The series originated as a feature film idea of co-creators
Jonathan Steinberg and Josh Schaer: a
post-apocalyptic plot set amidst the trappings of "a little character drama" movie, in the vein of
The Day After,
Threads, and
Testament. However, they soon realized that a two- or two-and-a-half-hour-long film would still not carry the necessary length they felt such a concept required to properly explore the setting and the characters. Thus, Schaer and Steinberg decided to re-conceive the entire project as a television series, producing a treatment out of the original feature screenplay. Director Jon Turteltaub and producer
Carol Barbee then entered the picture, the pair having pitched the project to them. Turteltaub soon commissioned writer Stephen Chbosky to pen the
pilot teleplay based upon Schaer and Steinberg's series treatment. One of Chbosky's major contributions to the structure of the series was the introduction of a greater feminine element to the storyline, opining that, "[We] could use some girls, a little kissing, and some laughs." Another significant developmental influence were the
September 11 attacks and
Hurricane Katrina, and the sense of "[being] a spectator to a disaster, while not quite being part of it." Co-creator Steinberg in particular felt that after 9/11, the United States saw some of the "best of people," and after Hurricane Katrina, some of the "worst of people," and sought to include both in the fabric of
Jericho, with Katrina providing "lots of inspiration" for the show's overall premise.
Filming locations , who plays
Stanley Richmond, on the set of
Jericho Although Jericho is set in northwestern Kansas, most of the series was filmed on a studio backlot in
Van Nuys, California. Some scenes were also filmed on the
Warner Bros. Ranch Facilities (formerly the
Columbia Ranch) in Burbank, California. The pilot and all episodes involving New Bern, Kansas, were filmed in
Fillmore, California. Filming also occurred in
Pasadena, California, including in front of the
city hall, for scenes involving the Allied States capital of
Cheyenne, Wyoming. The final episode to air included portions filmed at the
Santa Anita race track. Some filming also took place in Canada and in Long Beach, California (specifically along Alamitos Bay). The commentary for some episodes on the
Jericho Season 1 DVD includes the location of their filming.
First season The first season of the show premiered Wednesday, September 20, 2006 and concluded with a
cliffhanger episode on May 9, 2007. Lackluster
ratings prompted concern, as the show hit a ratings low in early April. The ratings were down 25% when the series returned following the nearly three-month hiatus. During its first season, it ranked 48th, with an average of 9.5 million viewers in the United States. Other Wednesday night programs it competed with were
Bones,
Deal or No Deal, and
ABC's comedy block. Though the producers seemed confident that the program would be picked up for a second season, CBS officially announced
Jericho's cancellation on May 16, 2007. Several online communities, including the official
Jericho forums, launched campaigns in an effort to revive the show. Fans also sent just over 20
tons of nuts to CBS headquarters; this referred to a scene from the season one finale "
Why We Fight" where Jake Green repeats
General Anthony McAuliffe's historic phrase "Nuts!" from the
Battle of the Bulge. The peanuts and other proceeds from the donations were donated to charities, including the rebuilding effort in
Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was largely destroyed by a
tornado in 2007.
Second season In a response posted on the
Jericho forum, CBS president
Nina Tassler acknowledged the fan response, stating, "We hope to develop a way to provide closure to ... the Jericho story." CBS officials acknowledge the campaign was the largest the network had seen using digital means to protest a show cancellation. President and CEO
Leslie Moonves acknowledged that he was filtering emails from
Jericho fans, while senior vice president of communications Chris Ender said, "You have to tip your hat to their ability to get attention and make some noise." In June 2007,
Jericho executive producer Carol Barbee announced that CBS was discussing the possibility of the show's return for an eight-episode mid-season run. A day later, Tassler posted an announcement on the forum stating that seven new episodes of
Jericho had been commissioned as a
midseason replacement for the 2007-2008 television season, with the possibility of an extension based on viewership. The last of these seven episodes was broadcast on March 25, 2008, and was not affected directly by the
2007 Writers Guild of America strike. On August 2, 2007, a video was released on
YouTube showing clips from the first day back at work for the
Jericho cast and crew. It included a "thank you" from the cast and crew to the fans for their efforts to revive the show. Several months later, CBS released trailers announcing the second-season premiere, including Morse code spelling "SPREAD THE WORD".
Jericho returned for its second season on February 12, 2008 to mostly favorable reviews but with the lowest numbers the ratings had seen yet. In the early days of January 2008, the first three episodes of the second season leaked on the internet via a DVD screener source. The show's second season has also premiered in Canada on
CTV, mirroring the US broadcast. The first two episodes of the 2008 season received the lowest ratings to date for the series.
Jericho's ratings did increase somewhat for its third episode, but dropped to fairly consistent but still low ratings. The second season averaged 6.2 million viewers. On March 21, 2008, CBS announced that the network would not be renewing
Jericho for a third season. CBS entertainment boss
Nina Tassler stated that "The March 25 episode ... will be the series finale. Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high-quality second season. ... We're proud of everyone's efforts." According to SyFy's source, two endings were shot for the March 25 episode. One involved a cliffhanger leading into a third season, while the other would wrap up the series and provide closure for fans who had worked to secure the series' return. One unidentified source said, "There are a lot of people here who really care about what happens to
Jericho, and I think we all wanted to see it succeed. Numbers are numbers, and [CBS] had to do what [CBS] had to do."
Post second season In early 2008, executive producer Carol Barbee said talks were ongoing to find another home for
Jericho, perhaps on a cable network, and raised the possibility of the
Sci Fi Channel and broadcast networks such as
The CW (co-owned by CBS). Other possibilities included a television or theatrical movie. Possibilities included an arrangement whereby Comcast would pay part of the series' production expenses and then offer episodes in
High-Definition before they air on CBS.
Jericho fans continued efforts to resurrect the series, including a one-page advertisement in the April 25, 2008 edition of
Variety magazine. A second advertisement appeared in
The Hollywood Reporter, as well as banner ads on the
Variety and
The Hollywood Reporter websites. In January 2009,
TV.com reported that a
Jericho feature film is in development. In 2017, Skeet Ulrich confirmed than a third season was in development and then cancelled: “Karim Zreik, one of the producers, called me and said, “Netflix has a schedule, they have budget, they have locations. Are you in?” I said, “Absolutely, with one proviso: That first script back has to time-jump five years, and the world has devolved way lower than we could ever have imagined.” And they were on board with it. And CBS wouldn’t sell it. The deal wouldn’t work for them.“
Jericho comic series Season 3 In March 2009,
Devil's Due Publishing announced that all story lines from the TV series would be continued in a comic book series. In August 2011, IDW collected all 6 comics into a 144-page graphic novel entitled
Jericho Season 3: Civil War. As the publisher's description, posted at Amazon.com reads: Continuing right where the Jericho Season 2 television cliffhanger ended! This specially priced edition collects the first three issues in one affordable package, to prep you for the series' continuation, also available this month. Jake Green and Robert Hawkins are in the safe haven of Texas with the last remaining bomb from the first attack. From amidst the chaos, they're contacted by John Smith, the mastermind behind the first strike, seeking aid. As the Cheyenne army bears down on them, they must decide whether to side with their former enemy to fight a greater one ...
Season 4 In April 2012, IDW announced a new series of Jericho comics, entitled
Jericho Season 4, which picks up after the events of
Jericho Season 3. The five-issue series, written by Kalinda Vazquez, with artwork by Andrew Currie and covers by Tim Bradstreet, was overseen by the original television series' writing staff. As the publisher's description, posted at Amazon.com reads: Overseen by the original writing staff of the television series, Jericho is back with a vengeance, with a whole new chapter of stories told in the show's official continuity. Jericho Season Four picks up where Season Three left off. Though Jake and Hawkins are happy to be back in Jericho, the challenges they face are daunting. Not only are they fugitives in their own hometown, but they find themselves forced to play host to the newest member of the Jericho community - John Smith ... a man who some know as a friend of the resistance, but who Jake and Hawkins know as the man behind the September Attacks. Only they know his secret. And only they can stop him from committing another heinous act. ==Episodes==