The storyline centers on the residents of Jericho, a small northwest Kansas town, in the aftermath of a nuclear attack on twenty-three American cities in the contiguous United States.

Initially, it is assumed to be an accident, until a teenager reveals a recording of a phone call from his mother in Atlanta, Georgia, which is cut off by the sound of an explosion – demonstrating that the Denver disaster was not isolated, and thus unlikely to be accidental.

Later, power is restored to Jericho by what is alluded to the efforts of the U.S. government but an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from an unknown source disables all electronics.

Themes regularly addressed in the show include the gathering of information, community identity, public order, limited resources, the value of family, hardships of fatherhood and internal and external threats.

The show also features several mysteries involving the backgrounds of major characters, the perpetrators of the attack and the extent of damage to the United States and its government.

After a somewhat awkward return home and a tense reunion with his father, Jake steps up to become a leader in Jericho, fighting to protect the town and its citizens.

As the people of Jericho struggle to survive in a changed world, most remain unaware that one of the newest residents, Robert Hawkins, knows a lot more about the attacks than he is letting on.

A black box flight data recorder that Jake recovers from a crashed airliner indicates that air traffic control is non-existent, a mushroom cloud is rising 16 km (9.9 mi) into the atmosphere and that flashes have also been seen towards Texas.

As a semblance of normality returns to Jericho, the plot shifts away from day-to-day survival to life and political intrigue under the ASA government.

Hawkins must calculate his every move to avoid capture, piece together the trail of evidence and bring the truth to light, before the conspiracy's mastermind buries it forever.

Jake can no longer tolerate the methods of Ravenwood and the ASA government in Jericho and leads an underground movement to remove them from power in the town.

In April 2013, Jericho creator Stephen Chbosky revealed during a chat with Nerdacy that talks about a live-action season 3 remain ongoing.

In his statement, Chbosky noted, "you know William Morris Endeavor Agency, who represents me, executive producer Jon Turteltaub and many other people, and they've been talking to Netflix and you never know.

The series originated as a feature film idea of co-creators Jonathan Steinberg and Josh Schaer: a post-apocalyptic plot set amidst the trappings of "a little character drama" movie, in the vein of The Day After, Threads, and Testament.

However, they soon realized that a two- or two-and-a-half-hour-long film would still not carry the necessary length they felt such a concept required to properly explore the setting and the characters.

Thus, Schaer and Steinberg decided to re-conceive the entire project as a television series, producing a treatment out of the original feature screenplay.

One of Chbosky's major contributions to the structure of the series was the introduction of a greater feminine element to the storyline, opining that, "[We] could use some girls, a little kissing, and some laughs."

[14][16] Filming also occurred in Pasadena, California, including in front of the city hall, for scenes involving the Allied States capital of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

"[28][30] In June 2007, Jericho executive producer Carol Barbee announced that CBS was discussing the possibility of the show's return for an eight-episode mid-season run.

[31] A day later, Tassler posted an announcement on the forum stating that seven new episodes of Jericho had been commissioned as a midseason replacement for the 2007-2008 television season, with the possibility of an extension based on viewership.

We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high-quality second season.

[49] In April 2008, The New York Times website reported that CBS Paramount Network Television held talks with Comcast about finding a new home for Jericho.

[50] Possibilities included an arrangement whereby Comcast would pay part of the series' production expenses and then offer episodes in High-Definition before they air on CBS.

[51][52] Jericho fans continued efforts to resurrect the series, including a one-page advertisement in the April 25, 2008 edition of Variety magazine.

[3] In 2017, Skeet Ulrich confirmed than a third season was in development and then cancelled: “Karim Zreik, one of the producers, called me and said, “Netflix has a schedule, they have budget, they have locations.

[58] As the publisher's description, posted at Amazon.com reads:[59] Overseen by the original writing staff of the television series, Jericho is back with a vengeance, with a whole new chapter of stories told in the show's official continuity.

The website's critical consensus states: "Jericho squanders the limitless potential of its apocalyptic premise by relying on tired tropes instead of forging a new path forward, leaving humanity with a retread rather than a reboot."

The website's critical consensus states: "Jericho improves in a redemptive second season that better explores the premise of humanity starting over, but the series still suffers from a thin approach to weighty material and conspiratorial plotting that strains credulity.

Nearly all dialog takes place as SMS messages on an AT&T cellular phone, and a full-screen AT&T logo appears in every episode when Hawkins views the expert interviews.

[citation needed] Created for the Tom Tooman game, JenningsandRall.com is the purported website of Jennings & Rall, the corporate giant which plays an increasingly prominent role in the second season of the series.