New on TV: Jericho

I was home on Columbus Day, and while flipping around discovered that CBS had episodes of various shows for viewing through Comcast's On Demand service. The only new show on offer was Jericho, and they thoughtfully had all three episodes available. So, like a sucker, I watched them.

This isn't a very good show. It's not the fault of the actors, nor is it for lack of a good (if derivative) idea. They could very easily have come up with a solid if unexciting drama in the vein of NCIS or The Unit.

But what keeps Jericho down is some very stupid writing. For example: in a town of 5000 where everyone seemingly knows everyone else, how is it that a main character doesn't realize that the two guys in the sheriff's car are bascially strangers? And why is pretty much everything that happens telegraphed by some character (for example, a guy who says "I hear something!" when there is a very audbile something happening that was planned for in a previous scene)? And why does Pamela Reed, an actress of some repute, only get to repeat the same three lines and hug family members?

There is room for some complexity with the characters, but we mostly get stereotype, from the prodigal son returned (Skeet Ulrich doing his best Jack Sheppard impersonation, minus some of the rage) to the city slicker stuck in town to the loser teenager in love with a pretty, popular girl. They'd better start developing some backstory to these people, otherwise it's going to get duller in a hurry. As annoying as the flashbacks can be on Lost, you get a clear indication of their usefulness when compared to this show, where conflicts and feelings have, to date, been depicted in one dimension.

Not that I'm going to stop watching. I'm a sucker for shows like this. Heck, I'm still watching Vanished, so you can see the depths of my problem.

(Full disclosure: I worked on and off with the mother of Sprague Grayden (who is in the cast) when I was substitute teaching. Though based on what I've written, I think the idea of a conflict of interest is pretty well shot.)