During this time when serial melodramas like LOST and 24 reign supreme, JERICHO does an excellent job of competing while carving out it's own niche.
There's a feeling of strong helmsmanship from director/executive producer Jon Turteltaub, who obviously understands that strong relationships are what make a story compelling (if only more studio execs would get that). He avoids pushing the action into wrinkled brows, teary eyes and quivering lips, and instead keeps the drama realistic and understated, something you'd actually expect from real people in that situation. The cast is fairly diverse and depicts a small Kansas town of breathing, thinking, feeling humans, rather than walking clichés.
Gerald McRaney and Pamela Reed bring a lot of class to the show. Gail Green's (Pamela Reed) love, for both her husband and her son Jake (Skeet Ulrich) is palpable and moving. Skeet Ulrich continues to impress after turning out wonderful performances in INTO THE WEST, and the short lived but fascinating supernatural drama, MIRACLES. He deserves the award for "Most Improved" when comparing his present work with his early years.
There were technical problems, music was mixed too loud, and it was obtrusive; Also, some strange camera angles that neither matched nor were flattering to the actors, especially in an early scene in a parking lot between Skeet Ulrich and Ashley Scott, who was less than stellar.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the show, now that we are smoothly over that first bump known as "pilot," which is usually rife with overly expository dialog, and tries too hard to impress. JERICHO impresses without trying.
There's a feeling of strong helmsmanship from director/executive producer Jon Turteltaub, who obviously understands that strong relationships are what make a story compelling (if only more studio execs would get that). He avoids pushing the action into wrinkled brows, teary eyes and quivering lips, and instead keeps the drama realistic and understated, something you'd actually expect from real people in that situation. The cast is fairly diverse and depicts a small Kansas town of breathing, thinking, feeling humans, rather than walking clichés.
Gerald McRaney and Pamela Reed bring a lot of class to the show. Gail Green's (Pamela Reed) love, for both her husband and her son Jake (Skeet Ulrich) is palpable and moving. Skeet Ulrich continues to impress after turning out wonderful performances in INTO THE WEST, and the short lived but fascinating supernatural drama, MIRACLES. He deserves the award for "Most Improved" when comparing his present work with his early years.
There were technical problems, music was mixed too loud, and it was obtrusive; Also, some strange camera angles that neither matched nor were flattering to the actors, especially in an early scene in a parking lot between Skeet Ulrich and Ashley Scott, who was less than stellar.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the show, now that we are smoothly over that first bump known as "pilot," which is usually rife with overly expository dialog, and tries too hard to impress. JERICHO impresses without trying.