While audiences are waiting for season 4 of MGM+’s hit seriesFrom, there is one underrated mystery series that ran at the same time asLost. Since its premiere in 2022,Fromhas built up an impressive fan base of horror and mystery lovers.From’s mysteries have often drawn comparisons toLostitself.
From’s season 3 endinganswered some big questions about the town and its inhabitants, but it also raised some huge questions for season 4 with a major death and a new enemy.Fromseason 4 is already confirmedand production has begun, but one forgotten mystery series with similarities toLostandFromis a great watch in the meantime.
Jericho Is Another Great Mystery Show Like From & Lost
The Series Features Another Small Community Working To Solve Big Mysteries
Mystery showscan have a difficult job, creating a mystery big enough to keep audiences guessing without becoming too obscure and losing interest. So far,Fromhas managed to largely avoid this problem, solving old mystery boxes while raising new ones in a satisfying manner. The2000s mystery seriesJerichotried to do the same thing with its own twist.
FromandLostboth take their viewers on an adventure to an unexpected new location that neither of their characters can make sense of.Both shows highlight the difficulties of surviving in these new environmentswhile simultaneously exploring the mysteries that come along with them, from monsters to mysterious numbers.
Their more supernatural aspects connectLostandFromvery well, butJerichotakes a slightly different approach to the mystery genre. Instead of taking place in a mysterious, supernatural location,Jerichoinstead takes place in a fictional Kansas town in the aftermath of nuclear attacks around the United States.
Similar toLostandFrom, the series is partially focused on the day-to-day survival of its main characters.
Jerichocenters on the town of Jericho, Kansas where residents deal with massive changes to their town after a nuclear bomb is dropped on Denver, Colorado, which lies just across the state line. While the characters don’t come to an unknown location likeFromorLost,the world around them changes both physically and socially, creating a similar unfamiliarity.
The residents of Jericho attempt to come to terms with their new world as news of further bombings spread to them. Similar toLostandFrom, the series is partially focused on the day-to-day survival of its main characters. Simultaneously,the mysteries surrounding the attacks slowly uncover how they’ve come to their current situation.
Why Jericho Was Canceled After Only 2 Seasons
Jericho’s Low Ratings Forced It To End Too Soon
Despite having a great premise,Jerichowas sadly canceled after just 2 seasons, though its story is a little more complicated. Initially, CBS pickedJerichoup for one 22-episode season. Season 1’s viewers averaged 9.24 million.Following low ratings during season 1, the network opted to cancel the series.
This may come as a bit of a surprise since the show actually had two seasons, though its second was just seven episodes. This is becauseJericho’s cancellation was met with an overwhelming fan response, which prompted network executives to renew the series for a few extra episodes.
While it is impressive that fan attention caused the show to get renewed, it was not enough to keep it going for long. In comparison to season 1’s 9.24 million viewers,season 2 garnered 6.16 million(viaTV by the Numbers). As a result,Jerichowas canceled again at the end of season 2, but even that was not the end.
After its onscreen cancellation in 2008,Jerichoreturned yet again in the form of comic books for seasons 3 and 4, released from 2009 to 2012.The comics continued the story from season 2’s endingand follow Jake Green and Robert Hawkins as they continue dealing with the fallout from the bombs and new factions.
Jericho Should Have Debuted After Lost Rather Than At Its Peak
It Could Not Compete With The More Popular Mystery Show
Lostwas such a landmark series that it has created a problem for every mystery show that has come after it.Lostserves as the point of comparison for each of them. EvenFrom, which has been compared favorably, does not always benefit fromLost’s legacy becauseit should be seen as great on its own.
Unsurprisingly, this is an even bigger problem for shows that were actually airing at the same time, includingJericho.Lost’s run lasted from 2004 to 2010, commanding millions of viewers' attention at that time.Even its lowest-rated season still averaged over 10 million viewers per episode, easily outpacingJericho.
WhileJerichoshould have been seen as a promising show on its own, becauseLost’s cultural grasp was so strong,the lesser-known mystery series couldn’t compete. Instead, afterLost’s 2010 ending, CBS could have capitalized on the newly empty mystery genre and releasedJerichothen.
Jerichois available to stream in the US on Paramount+.
Instead of getting completely overshadowed byLost,Jerichocould have had a better chance to become its big replacement show if it had premiered just a few years later. Luckily, despite its early cancellation,Jericho’s brief continuation and later comic books do show that there was a strong fan base for the series.
What’s more, with the current dominance of streaming, great shows likeJerichoalso have the chance to find a second life with new fans. Though it may not have the legacy thatLostdoes,Jerichois still a great mystery show with its own unique post-apocalyptic angle that fans ofFrommay enjoy.
Source:TV by the Numbers
