There are countless stories that begin with a nuclear explosion, but none of them end the exact same way. A post-nuclear story can go incredibly grim in a project like Threads or The Day After, relatively lighthearted like Class of ‘07 or Fallout, or full-on hard-boiled dystopian sci-fi like Silo or The 100.
Two decades ago, a CBS broadcast drama brought the network TV formula to the post-nuclear wasteland setting, and while it didn’t take a firm stance on its tone like any other series, it ended up cementing itself in TV history thanks to its passionate fanbase.
Skeet Ulrich starred as returning Jericho native Jake Green in Jericho.
Jericho starred Skeet Ulrich as Jake Green, a man returning to his hometown of Jericho, Kansas, only to find himself stranded there after a series of nuclear attacks on nearby major cities. The son of current Jericho mayor Johnston Green, he quickly becomes the de facto leader of the survivors, and must figure out how to keep everyone alive and how — or if — to keep others out.
On its surface, it’s a pretty bog-standard survival thriller, like The Walking Dead but with radiation instead of zombies. Some characters hold secrets, others get into conflict, and the neighboring town of New Bern becomes a major threat to the fragile new post-apocalyptic society. It wasn’t a massive hit, but those who loved it really loved it.
That’s why it was so shocking when CBS canceled the show after only one season. A Season 2 seemed like a foregone conclusion; the Season 1 finale even ended on a massive cliffhanger when mercenaries invaded the town. Fans were outraged and decided to take matters into their own hands.
The cast of Jericho sits atop the massive amounts of nuts sent to CBS to save the series in 2006.
In the Season 1 finale, characters in a flashback discuss the classic WWII story of U.S. General Anthony McAuliffe, who famously said "Nuts" when the Nazis asked him to surrender. Later, when Jake is presented with a similar dilemma, he simply says, “Nuts.”
That inspired fans to say “Nuts” to CBS’ decision to cancel the show — quite literally. Inspired by the Roswell fan campaign that sent Tabasco sauce to The WB, fans sent peanuts to CBS headquarters to make their voice heard. However, while Roswell only sent a few thousand bottles, Jericho fans managed to send about 20 tons of peanuts, mostly ordered in bulk from online retailers. Overwhelmed, CBS executives got the message and greenlit a truncated seven-episode Season 2. It was the first successful prop-based fan campaign aimed at a major network, and it proved what could be possible if a fandom is organized enough.
You may not remember Jericho today, but you can draw a straight line from its revival to the demands for the Snyder Cut and the recent campaign to revive The Hunt for Ben Solo. It proved that even when it looks like the end of the world, there’s always hope on the horizon.
