TV Blogger Press Conference: CBS's Jericho

Over the two plus years that I have been carving out a little something of an online presence, I have encountered many firsts. Tonight was another first which saw me in a position that I have never been in before.

Tonight CBS held an online press conference for bloggers in preparation for the debut of new series Jericho. The participants were executive producer Jon Turteltaub and star Skeet Ulrich.

I have never experienced anything like this before, and I have to say that it was rather cool to be involved in it. I received the invite last week, to which I immediately responded in the affirmative, and this morning we received the link, login information, and a phone number to use if we wanted to ask a question.

The conference went online shortly after 9:00pm Eastern time. Of course, I experienced the requisite technical issues as my network dropped and I missed a little bit of the opening. Isn't that the way it always goes? Anyway, my network came back up and I was able to get back in relatively quick.

Both Turteltaub and Ulrich were both quite amiable as they joked about whether anyone was watching or what they were supposed to do. They went on to open with a clip from the pilot episode, where they have the reveal of the mushroom cloud in the distance. They go on to say that the first time they saw that cut of the scene was the day that CBS picked them up as a series.

What follows is an account of the conference, to the best of my ability, in a paraphrased form. It was weird being involved in something like that, and I was not terribly well-prepared. I was able to scratch down some notes as we went along. I should also note that I did not call in, as I had no idea what I would ask. Perhaps the next time I get a chance like this.

First, it was asked about balancing the action and the drama aspects of the show. Jon answered that the show will be a mix, but the show starts with the characters. With the drama of the characters they will build in action, but they recognize that they are not 24, nor do they want to be. He believes that people watch for the characters, and if the characters are good, they will come back. I agree with that, characters are important for a television show that has hopes of lasting for any length of time. People will run from the sinking ship of a television show that is only action, at least I know I would.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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