Jeremiah

This show is really quite well done; every episode seems to fly by and leave you anticipating the next. L Perry & MJ Warner are a superb duo in this exciting post-apocalyptic tale. The show is done in such a way that the aftermath of the "Big Death" (a disease that was fatal to all those past puberty) seems plausible, even if the Big Death does not. If you have not watched this show, I highly recommend giving it a shot. You will not likely be disappointed.

I must admit that I like Sci-Fi, but what I don't like are fairy tale sci-fis (Star Wars) or Techy-Sci-Fi (Star Gate, Star Trek-Franchise). I rather enjoyed Battlestar Galactica and Babylon 5 and Jeremiah (which is thought out by the very same Jay Michael Strazynski) has everything of a good classical drama: Action, structure and plot items (short per episode plots and longer plots over a whole season).

In the two seasons filmed (I think they cancelled the show afterwards and even the ending of Season two was rushed!), JMS has again shown his capability of handling TV series in theatrical fashions. We have the classical 3 tiered system of Exposition, Climax and Ending with the weapon showed in the Second Act (I am not going to reveal that one).

The show lacked financial support in the first season, but the second one showed what could have been possible. And I especially liked the focus on an anarchic world trying to find itself and the two major themes: the generational conflict between new and old in the first season and the exploring of fascism and totalitarianism in the second season.

There are very few programs on television that are allowed to cover gritty aspects of the world in such a detailed manner. For the team that puts together "Jerimiah" however, they have the opportunity to do so because they have given themselves a new world to base these realities out of. By carefully keeping the series ever-real, and not allowing cheap humour to overtake it like so many programs have, they leave themselves with quite a credible piece of work to their name.

There have been plenty of post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows, and JEREMIAH stands out as a decent example of the genre. This brief series (two seasons) follows Luke Perry as Jeremiah who wanders around parts of what had been the U.S., trying to put things back together after a virus has wiped out most of humanity. He has to deal with all sorts of folks, including various bad guys who have decided that are now in charge. The show amounts to a sort of post-modern Western. Perry is quite convincing as an emerging leader in his typically understated way. Sean Astin is on hand for some episodes, and Malcolm Warner from The Cosby Show plays Jeremiah's closest ally. At times, it is painfully evident we're watching a low-budget Canadian-lensed show. But various plot twists and Perry's commanding presence keep things moving along.

Wow. For anyone out there who is a die-hard sociological and/or post-Apocolyptic scifi fan, this series is for you. An excellent rendering of what, sadly, everyone calls a 'comic book,' this translation of a 'graphic novel' is captivating. The characters are believable, which makes the scenarios believable. Most importantly, we are drawn into the times, and we have heroes to root for. Jeremiah is intelligent and thought provoking, which will no doubt be unappealing to many. No, there are no fancy special effects, so that will disappoint many also, and every now and then we run into continuity questions, but the story-lines well make up for that. Luke Perry and Malcom-Jamal Warner deserve kudos for their acting skills (and made me forget their origins), as does anyone who plays a major or minor part in this series. For anyone who likes a good, intelligent story, a good drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat and rooting for good to best evil, you will relish this series. Yes, I gave it a 9 out of 10, as that is well-deserved.