Jericho (2016) User Reviews

Smut and grime a good tale does not one make...sometimes :)

[angelajohnsonr · 7/10 · 29 March 2016]

I think people coming to Jericho for historical accuracy, smut and grime filled realism will be sadly disappointed with this show.

Those of us with a bit more open mind will accept that not all shows need to be so closely attached to realism to be a good tale. Jericho provides some elements of harsh realities but not to the point of compromising the integrity of what I believe the show is trying to achieve. Which is a moral line drawn in the sand and a way to spin a tale but also show us that people can eventually make the right choices, they can change. The show has clearly set boundaries for a reason and this is what makes it so hard for people to accept now with other shows related to the same era baring all for maximum profit and delights. If you compare it to those shows then of course it will fall short for your needs.

Perhaps (most likely) it is a marketing failure on the networks part, but the show has seemed to draw in people that just want to see more smut, realism, and close attention to facts only.

In short, if you want harsh realities with no sense of purpose but to reflect what we already know to be true on human nature there are plenty of other shows to watch--Jericho is NOT one of them.( I am not saying there is no value in realism, I am saying Jericho is not to be compared, because it's simply not the same style)

If you want an interesting tale set in this time with more emphasis on integrity of actions Jericho is the show to watch.

Re-market this show correctly so people do not get confused about what to expect and some fair reviews can start to come in.

Anachronisms (Aimed at US market?)

[grahamt1 · 6/10 · 9 January 2016]

An American with 30 years experience put in charge of a British railway gang? In those days the British were way ahead of the Americans in railway building techniques, and most American bridges were still being made of wood, so why would he be a good man to be in charge of building a stone viaduct?

As someone already pointed out, there were no Irish accents, but 3 black characters; one with an American accent, one West Indies accent and one Yorkshire. Hardly realistic for 19th century Yorkshire. My Grandfather was a navvy on the Yorkshire railways in the 19th century. (He had a Cheshire accent.)

Otherwise an enjoyable drama.

Also the IMDb cast list has credited the wrong Dean Andrews. It should be http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1080214/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t8 who also appeared in "Last Tango in Halifax"

Jericho (Western)

[orca-14854 · 8/10 · 19 May 2019]

Loved everything about this 1 series show....just a pity that's all there is to enjoy.....well worth watching

Another ended far too soon.

[lloydfisher-15159 · 29 September 2020]

I have watched the first season twice now. Knowing that is all there is. Such a disappointment. Pulling the plug on a series before they reach a conclusion. Jericho was barely past the introduction stage. The story was just starting develop and all the character to fully come to life. Too bad it ended, I keep praying that it will be revived the story continued.

It could have been much better

[marielaC · 6/10 · 18 March 2016]

I found the first episode boring, or maybe I couldn't concentrate properly because of the wig Jessica Raine was wearing. But it gets better as the episodes go on.

The plot is full of clichés and the action is predictable but I don't think acting was bad. Someone mentioned the scene of the women doing the laundry, and I agree. One of the women is washing some clothing while standing on her two feet, and she doesn't look wet or anything. Anyways...

On the whole, the show remains mild and unimpressive throughout, but I still watch it to the end. I give it 6 stars.

Not "Deadwood". Best compliment.

[grocco-2 · 7/10 · 13 July 2016]

That this wasn't a "Deadwood" clone, we can all be grateful for. Not one F word in the whole thing, as opposed to Deadwood, which was one of the most foulmouthed dialogues and putrid bloody writing in history. A concoction of a perv.

Jessica Raine - I would marry her and have her children and equally share her monthly.

Jeany - A stunner without being achingly beautiful.

(these two women rate a Ten)

Apparently most don't yet know what fictional entertainment is about to criticize costumes, language, script, etc.

No this was not GTW, but a pleasant binge. Seeing "a Western" made in England was something I never even considered until yesterday.

Only half way thru but will complete it.

Top drama -- very enjoyable

[brianjohn-83250 · 9/10 · 11 January 2016]

I really enjoyed episode one. OK -- there are anachronisms, and everything should be grubbier, and there should be lots of Irish navvies about the place, but this is a very refreshing drama which knocks spots off the BBC's "War and Peace" and "Poldark" -- both of which are so dumbed-down and banal as to be rather embarrassing. The characters here are credible, and already one cares for what will happen to them. The direction is smart and effective, and I think Steve Thompson's script is good, even though one might complain about a lack of regional authenticity. There is some beautiful imagery, and sound quality is great (compared with "War and Peace" in which everybody mumbles, and in which there never seems to be a microphone anywhere near the action). So what if it's a Western, set in Yorkshire? Nice idea. Promising -- I think this will get a really good devoted following.

Refreshing

[lyn_hough · 9/10 · 26 July 2016]

With so many shows having the harsh reality in them, it was lovely to find Jericho. I am such a fan of Hans Matheson and Jessica Rowe, the story of their growing romance is one of the old school.No real violence as such, no swearing ( the worst ) kind, a lot to leave to your imagination. In the 8th episode I was left speechless, how could this be the end, so many unanswered questions, story lines.......so many more secrets to find out......Is there going to be a 2nd season? If not ,give me a good reason for how all the other trash can stay on TV when a great, drama, romance,mystery can fail? Love all the actors, story, it is a show I watch and forget every thing while it transports me to a different and wonderful place called Jericho.......

Ooooh it's grim up North.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 4/10 · 8 January 2016]

Another of those series I had high hopes for. Jessica Raine is a truly talented and very beautiful actress, but her agent seems to be working for the competition, firstly Partners in Crime, which flopped quite miserably, and then Jericho. The format of the show is interesting, and I find the subject matter quite intriguing, sadly I find the finished product rather lacking on several levels. The dialogue is definitely wrong, a few attempts with the odd 'yonder' and 'me fine lady,' but largely it felt out of place. I am struggling to believe that Jessica Raine is old enough to be the mother of her daughter, surely they're sisters?

Everyone is too immaculate, for the time I could imagine it being a little more rugged, a bit more grimy and Earthy, it all feels too fresh and shiny.

Quite a poor attempt. Channel Four made a drama called The Mill a few years ago, which captured the true harshness of the time, Jericho seems devoid of it.

Mehh 4/10

cancelled so no conclusion

[dixiepeter · 9/10 · 30 December 2016]

I give it a 9 for acting & story line. But a ZERO for conclusion. The series was cancelled so we are just left hanging. Will one brother die? Will the other be torn between two women? Will the town fall apart. Will evil Coates take over? And poor fellow left shot in the street. NO JUSTICE I did love the fact that no F*** words. Excellent writing Why was this show cancelled? It is a travesty Do not waste your time watching, there is no conclusion & it is utterly frustrating. It is fascinating seeing a sort of Western set in Yorkshire. The actors are all wonderful. My husband & I love Jessica Raine from "Call the Midwife" & she has a major role in "Jericho." So we were excited about this series. It contains prostitutes, hard working men & women, people trying to survive in a hardscrabble town, building a viaduct. The interactions are fascinating. But as I say. Just WHAM. It's over. No conclusion & no apologies. We're furious about this

Frontier town of Jericho offers little in term of wild romance and flair.

[quincytheodore · 5/10 · 11 January 2016]

Railway era always has a romantic feel to it, some brave men venturing for progress and all that jazz. Unfortunately for Jericho, it's merely a timid drama instead of gritty realistic outlook of promising theme. The acting and environment are lackluster even though there are a few good shots due to its cinematography. Its slow plodding pace also serves as burden rather than pushing for a delectable endeavor.

At first, it has a few interesting foundations. The characters appear likable enough while the scenery is primed for a grand journey through the era. However, it soon falters with the slow direction. In the span of an hour, there are too many unnecessarily lingering shots and merely one or two notable events. Audience doesn't need to see longing stares numerous times or chase scene that seems to run in circle, even the supposedly crucial moments ironically lack impact on them.

This is a vanilla version of frontier drama with barely any excitement. It doesn't have to be full blown Wild West to be engaging, yet Jericho is atypically timid. Other series on the same time period like The Knick has shown the debauchery that can be fully capitalized, meanwhile Jericho doesn't appear to have the gusto to embrace the harshness of its time, which might feel sadly underwhelming.

Acting is clumsy at times, some of the characters feel out of place, not because they are meant to, but their mannerisms are either too reserved or overly blunt to be convincing. Furthermore, the visual and audio are designed a tad too merrily, which is strange since the on-screen characters would try to sell their predicaments. Soundtracks might sound fitting to the premise, yet the repetitive tune starts to worn out its welcome.

The slow and timid Jericho undermines its own potential, it feels too safe for the atmospheric and tenacious frontier era.

Great show, left on a cliffhanger

[LLV1964 · 9/10 · 31 March 2020]

Watched this series on Acorn. Really enjoyed it, but it left on a cliffhanger, so never got any closure. Very frustrating to invest that much time in a great show that never got a second season or answers.

Really enjoyable series - don't be put off by the 'western' theme ladies:)

[lanettekarner · 10/10 · 14 January 2017]

I was not sure I was going to enjoy this, but I have almost binge watched it!

It has a frontier town theme, with the best bits of romance and angst from the period dramas 'North and South' and 'Pride and Prejudice.'

I enjoyed the premise and story line and relating this drama to the history of real life towns set up around such 19th century projects. Life was brutal and this series reflects that well.

Give this one a chance and see how the story, characters and great acting draw you in.

Thoroughly recommend:)

derivative drivel, a poor mans Catherine Cookson

[jpdhadfield · 2/10 · 7 January 2016]

i was looking forward to 'jericho' as i'm interested in railways history and like dramas. well i should have known, the usual made up history ,parallel universe. ill number my complaints

1. not a single Irish man building the railway,

2, a black man in charge, in the 1880ish,

3 nobody even looks at the black man, a very rare thing in Britain in the 1880's .

4.unrealistic concerns for dead or injured workers

5. it felt just like a western cowboy film, just set in Yorkshire.

6pah

Hope this will replace Hell On Wheels in the US

[keepitezme · 10/10 · 9 October 2016]

This is the UK version of the popular "Hell on Wheels" in the USA that ended after 5 successful seasons in 2016.

Glad to see there will be this new show to see since Hell on Wheels is no longer a series. Hopefully the USA Network or A&E will pick up this series in the US.

I'm just starting the 5th of 8 shows, but it has me hooked!

Instead of it being about building a railroad across the US, this is about them constructing a bridge for a viaduct in the UK during the same timeframe as Hell on Wheels.

I can't believe we haven't seen anything about Jericho here in the States...unless it is because there are several other shows by the same name.

Deadwood it Ain't

[dg-13654 · 4/10 · 20 January 2016]

An interesting concept but far too sanitised

Should be far, far more gritty, violent and sweary. Deadwood which was a similar concept soared to majestic heights with dialogue approaching Shakespearian proportions and profanities which were entirely relevant within the context.

Some of the characterisation is is straight from central casting such as the "tart with a heart" and the drunk who sees the light thanks to the attention of a good woman.

The plot is entirely predictable as it comes lumbering over the horizon just as the trains will over the viaduct once it is eventually completed.

An opportunity missed.

Wish there was more seasons.

[bellahumada · 10/10 · 10 April 2023]

I found the writing and acting superb. Great story line and effects. The season ended with me craving for more! The scenery and wardrobe was perfect for the storyline.

I just stumbled on this series and was hooked from episode one. I grew up in Arizona and saw many western theme such as Old Tombstone. Westerns stayed with me throughout all these years.

I do wish they would bring it back to finish the story. There was a lot more they could have added. Truly impressed with the actors!! Several were new to me and now I am studying what else they played in.

So far I have quite a list made up. :o)

Need Season 2!!

[lynnjusko · 10/10 · 28 September 2021]

I loved it! Has a little bit of everything and keeps me guessing. I really hope as more people watch this they will consider making more. Maybe the USA market it will fair better....

I thought I'd try this as I like historical drama, but ...

[maureenbennett · 1/10 · 14 January 2016]

I couldn't get past the ridiculous outfits and makeup. In this shanty town full of filth, ruffians, chamber pots, and no baths, the immaculate heroine and her children stepped straight out of a Downton drawing room. The mother's big braids and sleek curls never fell out of place, even after a harrowing journey, or when there was a big explosion. The other women, all predictable soap characters, were equally overdressed. The scene of the women washing clothes in the stream (whilst wearing voluminous dresses, frothy curls, and not getting wet), may be typical in India, but not in freezing Yorkshire, (where the expression 'don't wash your dirty linen in public' originates). In those remote impoverished villages all the women had to work, and they wore thin straight dresses covered by coarse aprons, clogs, and shawls, with their hair tied back in buns. Should any man dare to wear a silky red shirt with puffy sleeves he would be laughed out of town. As for cowboys in Yorkshire ....! and no Yorkshire accents ....! To irritate further, the heroine suddenly acquired fine china and linen (imagine how the other women would have rightly laughed at such pretension). As I got more and more annoyed by the costumes, the makeup, the set, and the two-dimensional characters, I could not concentrate on the thin storyline, though I doubt if there was anything I could not have predicted.

No. Just no.

[merlinsk · 1/10 · 23 October 2018]

I have written several reviews here and Jericho is the first warranting one star!

If the writers had concentrated on creating a period drama set during the era of British railway building of the late mid-late 19th century they could've had a Poldark style hit on their hands but no, oddly they tried to turn it into a Yorkshire western!??

Ripper Street proves that a 'western' set in Britain's 19th century CAN work without absurd glaring anachronisms. Did the writers/producers of Jericho not learn that there is a huge difference between anachronism and artistic licence? I'm sorry, but you just can't suspend disbelief and I suspect I was not the only one with this view as the series quietly disappeared after the first season.

If you want a British western watch Ripper Street. If you want a railway building western watch Hell On Wheels. Just DON'T watch Jericho!

The casting confuses me

[samdixon-27304 · 1/10 · 23 January 2016]

I like Clarke Peters, he is a very good actor and I love watching him but I am really struggling with the concept of an African American in 1870's Yorkshire casually taking charge of building a viaduct. We are talking Victorian Britain here and no one has batted an eye lid.

While this is exactly how it should be this is not how it was in Victorian Britain, there is no way this would have happened. How are they supposed to convey the reality of the day when the role players are a fantasy of what the world should be like. This is as bad as Kevin Costner's Robin Hood, the days walk to Nottingham from Dover and suddenly ending up at Hadrians Wall.

I was expecting something much grittier and realistic. I've really tried to watch this but I can't go on.

Absolute twaddle

[jchm-21143 · 2/10 · 16 October 2021]

There is a difference between a suspension of disbelief and having to be completely ignorant of history.

This series seems to depend on the latter. You don't have to be a railway or history buff to apply a little logic and consequently go "Hang on a minute... that's ridiculous!" Anybody enjoying this series would probably consider The Flintstones a serious documentary.

So much promised - undelivered

[dtdenver-987-925546 · 4/10 · 18 January 2019]

One of the main reasons I love British TV, especially period dramas, is that it doesn't pull out every cliche-ridden plot device the creators can lay their hands on. Unlike American TV. Also British TV is not held hostage to politically correct casting. While watching Jericho, if you imagine the very worst case scenario at the beginning of each scene, that's what they've thrown in. Without sacrificing hair & makeup and giving every opportunity for the male lead to take off his shirt.