Jeremiah (TV series)

Jeremiah

Season 2 intertitle
Created by J. Michael Straczynski
Starring
Theme music composer Tim Truman
Country of origin Canada
United States
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 35
Production
Running time 45 minutes
Production company(s) Platinum Studios
Jeremiah Productions, Inc.
J. Michael Straczynski Productions
Lionsgate Television
MGM Television
Distributor MGM Television
Release
Original network Showtime
Original release March 3, 2002 (2002-03-03) – September 24, 2004 (2004-09-24)

Jeremiah is an American-Canadian post-apocalyptic action-drama television series starring Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner that ran on the Showtime network from 2002 to 2004. The series takes place in a future wherein the adult population has been wiped out by a deadly virus.

Developed by Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski and executive produced by Straczynski and Sam Egan in the first season, and Straczynski and Grant Rosenberg in the second, the series is loosely based on Belgian writer Hermann Huppen's comic book series, Jeremiah. Aside from the names of the two main characters, the general personality of the protagonist, and the post-apocalyptic setting, there are no similarities between the comics and the series.

The series ended production in 2003, after the management of Showtime decided they didn't want to be producing science fiction programming anymore. Had the series continued, it would run under a different showrunner than Straczynski, who decided to leave following the completion of the production of the second season, due to creative differences between him and MGM Television.[1][2] Episodes for the final half of the second season did not begin airing in the United States until September 3, 2004.

The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Premise

The year is 2021, 15 years after a plague has killed nearly everyone over the age of thirteen (both the event and the virus itself are referred to as "The Big Death" and "The Big D"). Two young men, Jeremiah and Kurdy, meet up and join forces with those inside "Thunder Mountain" and help rebuild civilization. Jeremiah is searching for the "Valhalla Sector" where his father may still be alive.[3]

Synopsis

The eponymous Jeremiah is a semi-loner who has spent the last 15 years travelling back and forth across the United States, seeking out a living and looking for a place called "Valhalla Sector," (the remains of Raven Rock) which his father—a viral researcher—had mentioned to Jeremiah as a possible refuge shortly before disappearing into the chaos of "the Big Death." A stop in the Colorado trading town of Clarefield results in Jeremiah teaming up with another lone traveller named Kurdy, before being imprisoned by the town's warlord in a cell with a man named Simon, who wants to recruit Jeremiah for a vague and mysterious organization. With Kurdy's help, Jeremiah and Simon escape, but Simon is fatally wounded in the process.

Following the instructions given to them by the dying Simon, Jeremiah and Kurdy take Simon's truck back to "Thunder Mountain," the remains of the NORAD complex, where they discover a well-organized and -equipped group operating out of the base, led by the former child prodigy Markus Alexander. Markus chooses to employ Jeremiah and Kurdy as a recon team to replace the now dead Simon and his partner, sending the two men back outside to gather information in preparation for the time when the mountain will need to start rebuilding the world.[4]

Over the course of the first season, the group increasingly encounters threats originating from Valhalla Sector, which they discover to be a sealed and heavily armed bunker complex in West Virginia, used to house the remains of the US government and military leadership during the Big Death. The survivors there plan to rebuild the world in an authoritarian mold, combining their military power with attempts to control the "Big Death" virus itself in order to wipe out resistance by slaughtering non-compliant populations. The second half of Season 1 primarily deals with the efforts of Jeremiah and Thunder Mountain to stop Valhalla Sector.

After the final defeat of Valhalla Sector in the opening episodes of Season 2, a new threat emerges in the form of a crusading army from the East, led by a mysterious prophetic figure known as Daniel. Season 2 deals with the impending conflict between the unifying survivor communities under Thunder Mountain, and the advancing Army of Daniel.

Although a third season was considered, series creator J. Michael Straczynski made it clear that if the show ran a further season he would have nothing to do with it. The show concluded with the end of the second season resolving most plot threads.

Series overview

Season Episodes Season premiere Season finale
1 20 March 3, 2002 July 19, 2002
2 15 October 10, 2003 September 24, 2004

Season 1 (2002)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
1/21/2"The Long Road"March 3, 2002 (2002-03-03)
Jeremiah, a loner who lives on the road, meets up with Kurdy, another loner. The two make their way to Clairfield, a small market community run by the ruthless and beautiful Theo, in the hope that they can find out about a mysterious place called the Valhalla Sector. There they meet Simon, a man who claims to know the whereabouts of the "End of the World", a place where the old world is still intact. Simon gives them a map and an entry key and asks them to pass on an important message. Markus, the leader of the Thunder Mountain group, asks them to take up Simon's work.
33"Man of Iron, Woman Under Glass"March 15, 2002 (2002-03-15)
Jeremiah and Kurdy meet a man who believes himself to be a superhero. They help him save his sister from being raped, but he is killed in the process. Meanwhile, Markus, the leader of Thunder Mountain, has hidden an adult from before the Big Death in a glass room.
44"...And the Ground, Sown with Salt"March 22, 2002 (2002-03-22)
Jeremiah and Kurdy find an Army base led by a man who believes that he replaces God, and wants to find out the location of Thunder Mountain.
55"To Sail Beyond the Stars"March 29, 2002 (2002-03-29)
Jeremiah and Kurdy meet a woman who is saving up gasoline to try sailing her boat across the ocean while they are in a town trying to track down one of their predecessor's contacts. They also encounter mysterious people in biohazard suits who are burning down settlements.
66"The Bag"April 5, 2002 (2002-04-05)
A travelling doctor visits a town where Jeremiah and Kurdy find a man who was used for testing a vaccine for the Big Death.
77"City of Roses"April 12, 2002 (2002-04-12)
Kurdy visits his old home, from prior to the Big Death. Jeremiah searches for a vaccine which could inoculate against the Big Death. Kurdy remembers some dark secrets from his childhood regarding his parents' deaths.
88"Firewall"April 19, 2002 (2002-04-19)
Jeremiah and Kurdy capture an old man, over 50 years of age after they hear of people in protective clothing abducting people. The man, Major Quantrell, who is identified by Markus, had originally worked at Thunder Mountain. Quantrell reveals he is with Valhalla Sector.
99"The Red Kiss"April 26, 2002 (2002-04-26)
Children are being abducted at an old fairground; the children believe it to be Vampires and that Jeremiah is their saviour.
1010"Journeys End in Lovers Meeting"May 3, 2002 (2002-05-03)
Jeremiah and Kurdy befriend a group of people on a pilgrimage to another life.
1111"Thieves' Honor"May 10, 2002 (2002-05-10)
Jeremiah and Kurdy return to Clairfield, but someone in Thunder Mountain has leaked their mission. They encounter Theo just as she faces revolt from her own people.
1212"The Touch"May 17, 2002 (2002-05-17)
Jeremiah and Kurdy visit a village where physical contact is outlawed.
1313"Mother of Invention"May 24, 2002 (2002-05-24)
Jeremiah and Kurdy visit a self-sufficient community with the hope of setting up an alliance. Jeremiah finds an old friend, the person who first started him writing to his father.
1414"Tripwire"May 31, 2002 (2002-05-31)
The Thunder Mountain team help out a settlement, hoping to receive intelligence should Valhalla Sector come that way. Jeremiah encounters his 'brother' Ezekiel and learns more of the fate of his father.
1515"Ring of Truth"June 7, 2002 (2002-06-07)
Jeremiah and Kurdy travel to meet again with Theo. They don't find her but they do find trouble in a brothel and end up helping out the circus.
1616"Moon in Gemini"June 14, 2002 (2002-06-14)
Jeremiah and Erin go to help Erin's twin sister after a message asking for help. Kurdy and Elizabeth travel to offer help to a Black Power group who have sought isolation.
1717"Out of the Ashes"June 28, 2002 (2002-06-28)
Jeremiah and Kurdy go to Denver in order to obtain new books. Kurdy saves the library from extremists and Jeremiah meets up with an old friend.
1818"A Means to an End"July 5, 2002 (2002-07-05)
Jeremiah and Kurdy are told to bring Theo to Thunder Mountain, as part of Markus' plans to unite the local community leaders. Not all of Thunder Mountain agrees, though, and some plot to discredit Markus and his plan.
1919"Things Left Unsaid, Part One"July 12, 2002 (2002-07-12)
Jeremiah and Kurdy learn that Lee Chen is a spy who's been keeping information about the Big Death from Markus. They soon learn of a group of adults who had natural immunity to the Big Death and have been collecting information about the disease's origin and imminent return... and the truth about Valhalla Sector.
2020"Things Left Unsaid, Part Two"July 19, 2002 (2002-07-19)
Markus attempts to hold a huge meeting of community leaders in St. Louis, to form a government, but Valhalla Sector already knows about it. Kurdy tries to find help for Elizabeth, who is dying from gunshot wounds, and Jeremiah goes to the Valhalla Sector-controlled town of Milhaven in search of answers of his own.

Season 2 (2003–04)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
211"Letters From the Other Side (Part 1)"October 10, 2003 (2003-10-10)
Markus, Erin, and Jeremiah have been taken into captivity at Valhalla Sector. Jeremiah endures torture to keep VS from obtaining the vaccine for the Big Death. Meanwhile, Kurdy must decide whether to trust Lee Chen again. Chen admits he was a double agent, but claims to be on Thunder Mountain's side, and he has a plan to rescue their friends.
222"Letters From the Other Side (Part 2)"October 17, 2003 (2003-10-17)
Lee Chen plans to release the Big Death again, but can he keep it under control? Kurdy takes on the responsibility of command and leads men into battle, to make sure the virus is contained. The mysterious Mr. Smith is determined to help him.
233"Strange Attractors"October 24, 2003 (2003-10-24)
Jeremiah and Libby go to Milhaven to save the leaders, including Theo. Libby, with her previous knowledge of Milhaven helps Jeremiah save everybody by posing as members of Valhalla Sector. It's decided that Jeremiah will later oversee the rebuilding of Milhaven, once things calm down.
244"Deus Ex Machina"October 31, 2003 (2003-10-31)
Markus tried to bring order out of chaos but is meeting resistance from the new young leaders. Theo is his unlikely choice for a possible ally but she has a surprising reason for being preoccupied. One person everyone at the leaders' meeting seems to have heard of, but never seen, is the mysterious Daniel who controls an area on the East Coast. When his representative arrives, Theo makes an astonishing declaration that sets new wheels in motion.
255"Rites of Passage"October 31, 2003 (2003-10-31)
Devon arrives at Thunder Mountain and Jeremiah is looking forward to spending time with him, but what happened to Jeremiah's mother? Libby knows and gives Jeremiah a letter Devon entrusted to her long ago.
266"The Mysterious Mister Smith"November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07)
Jeremiah begins his job of supervising Millhaven, but finds he's tired of being a hero and just wants to let things slide. However, disturbing new activity involving Daniel's group forces him to make a stand again. Back at Thunder Mountain, Kurdy finds Smith has been lying, spying, and telling stories of Kurdy's operations to strangers... but has a very good reason for all of it.
277"Voices in the Dark"November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07)
Libby saves Jeremiah from an assassination attempt plotted by Daniel's forces. In the aftermath, he and Libby start a physical relationship, and Jeremiah covertly goes against Markus' orders by asking Kurdy and Smith go with him inside Daniel's territory to New York City. There they meet a resistance who ask their help in smuggling out a defector from Daniel's inner circle.
288"Crossing Jordan"September 3, 2004 (2004-09-03)
The Alliance recruits another town, Ridgeway, to its side, but when Sims, one of the leaders in Daniel's army hears about it, he decides to make an example out of them, enslaving the populace and burning the town. Smith struggles with information from God about Libby. When he's left alone with her during Sims' attack on another town considering the Alliance, he makes a startling discovery, and must take drastic action.
299"Running on Empty"September 3, 2004 (2004-09-03)
Jeremiah sets off to find Sims to avenge Libby's death. He later joins Kurdy and Markus to try to find Daniel's raiders. Mister Smith gives Erin a message from God.
3010"The Question"September 10, 2004 (2004-09-10)
Smith tells the group they will each be granted a miracle, however all the men doubt Smiths prediction. Marcus enlists the alliance towns leaders for recruits of soldiers and Kurdy begin to train an army against Daniel and his men.
3111"The Past Is Prologue"September 10, 2004 (2004-09-10)
Jeremiah gets captured in a town that looks just like towns did before the Big Death, but he tricks his way free with the other captives.
3212"The Face in the Mirror"September 17, 2004 (2004-09-17)
A Big Death survivor Frederick Monash knows the truth about Daniel. Thunder Mountain wants to find Frederick before Daniel's forces can kill him. The truth: Daniel isn't real! The Leaders of Daniel agree to start war against the Alliance.
3313"State of the Union"September 17, 2004 (2004-09-17)
Jeremiah, Kurdy, and Mr. Smith bring radios to a town that, unknown to them, are part of the plans of Daniel's army to strike against Thunder Mountain's alliance by blocking all communications. In a fit of guilt Smith admits to Kurdy what happened to Libby. The Army of Daniel is prepared to strike at Thunder Mountain.
3414"Interregnum (Part 1)"September 24, 2004 (2004-09-24)
Someone on the inside has been sabotaging things at Thunder Mountain and Lee Chen is in charge of the investigation. Mister Smith leads Jeremiah and Kurdy to a small town full of smart children, who will need defending. Jeremiah learns the truth about Libby's death, and Daniel's army strikes at Thunder Mountain itself, both inside and out.
3515"Interregnum (Part 2)"September 24, 2004 (2004-09-24)
Markus matches wits with Sims, and he and Erin take on those inside the mountain. Kurdy leads the defense of Millhaven against Daniel's Army. Jeremiah sets out to finally kill Sims. Smith reunites with his daughter. Frank documents it all.

Characters

Most of the characters are survivors of the virus who are now in their late twenties or younger.

Character Actor Description
Jeremiah Luke Perry While roaming the country on a quest to locate a mysterious place called Valhalla Sector, which his father claimed might hold some hope for the survivors of the big death, Jeremiah comes in contact with a group who not only has information on Valhalla Sector, but also the resources to rebuild the world. In Season Two Jeremiah is put in charge of rebuilding the town Millhaven.
Kurdy Malloy Malcolm-Jamal Warner Jeremiah's partner, a tough and cynical man, yet also passionate. He and Jeremiah discover the secrets of Thunder Mountain.
Markus Alexander Peter Stebbings The leader of Thunder Mountain, a colony located inside the former NORAD headquarters in Cheyenne Mountain Complex. He seeks to form alliances with other survivors and to forge a new world.
Mister Smith Sean Astin This quirky, colorful character partners with Kurdy in Season Two. He claims to be a messenger from God.
Erin Ingrid Kavelaars Markus' second-in-command at Thunder Mountain.
Lee Chen Byron Lawson The humorless and paranoid head of security at Thunder Mountain. His loyalties may lie elsewhere.
Meaghan Lee Rose Suzy Joachim Meaghan is a survivor of "The Big Death" and a carrier of the plague. She lives in a biohazard containment room in Thunder Mountain.
Ezekiel Alex Zahara A mysterious figure who gives Jeremiah cryptic prophecies about his future and protects him from danger.
Theodora "Theo" Coleridge Kim Hawthorne Theo rules Clarefield, Colorado as a ruthless warlord, until her reign is overthrown. However, she will still become a strong voice in the new world.
Elizabeth Munroe Kandyse McClure Elizabeth is a resident of Thunder Mountain, and Jeremiah and Kurdy first arrived there to bring news of her boyfriend Simon's death. Kurdy becomes attracted to her after comforting her in her grief over Simon's death.
Devon Robert Wisden Jeremiah's father and a resident of Valhalla Sector. Jeremiah thought he died in the Big Death, but he was taken to Valhalla Sector and survived. He is a scientist who understands the Big Death and may hold the key to its cure.
Liberty "Libby" Kaufman Joanne Kelly Libby is Devon's assistant in Valhalla Sector and appears to fall in love with Jeremiah. Her loyalty to the Western Alliance is questionable.

Locations

Name Locations Group
Thunder Mountain Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado New America Alliance (Western Alliance)
Valhalla Sector Virginia or West Virginia United States of America, remnants of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Executive Branch
Milhaven Colorado Valhalla Sector, later Western Alliance
Clarefield Colorado New America Alliance (Western Alliance)

Production

The inspiration for the television show came from a European graphic novels by Belgian artist Hermann Huppen, first published in 1977, which was translated into 26 languages. Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, the CEO of Platinum Studios, a company that specializes in comics-to-film properties translations, brought the books as a television series. Executive Producer J. Michael Straczynski stated it was a "road show" with Jeremiah and Kurdy traveling around the country in a military Jeep.

Shooting began in Vancouver, Canada in the fall of 2001. Actors Luke Perry, from Beverly Hills 90210, and Malcolm Jamal-Warner, from The Cosby Show, were cast in the leads.[3]

Cancellation

Straczynski had prepared a five-year series. But a change in personnel in Showtime's administration caused the network to decide to stop producing science fiction programming and unofficially cancel Jeremiah before the second season had its debut in November 2003. Fans realized the possibility of cancellation when Showtime announced the airing of only the first seven out of fifteen episodes of the second season, and organized a campaign to write and phone executives at Showtime, MGM and Platinum Studios to convince them to show the remaining eight and continue with a third season. Ultimately, the network began airing the remaining of the second season starting in September 3, 2004 - after a ten month break since the last aired episode - but despite continuously rising ratings did not proceed with the renewal of the show.

Before season 2 premiered, Straczynski vowed to never work with the then-current administration of MGM Television after experiencing major creative differences with them, and had there been a third season it would have to run under some new showrunner. Everyone on cast and crew, including Grant Rosenberg, the second season's co-executive producer, were willing to have continued.[3]

Home media release

In January 2004, MGM Home Entertainment released season 1 of Jeremiah on DVD.[5] Season 2 was released on DVD as a "burn on demand" from Amazon (available to US and Canadian addresses only) in March 2010.[6] The series episodes are also available as digital purchases on Amazon,[7][8] Hulu[9] and iTunes (season 2 only).[10]

Games

After having been designed by Morrigan Press, Mongoose Publishing published Jeremiah: The Roleplaying Game in 2005.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "JMS to Quit Jeremiah?". 2003. link broke
  2. ↑ "JMS to Quit Jeremiah?". 2003. alternate link
  3. 1 2 3 Frank Garcia, Mark Phillips, Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004: Histories, Casts and Credits, December 10, 2008.
  4. ↑ ThoughtHammer.com: Jeremiah- Thunder Mountain
  5. ↑ "Jeremiah - The Complete First Season". January 20, 2004. Retrieved November 22, 2016 – via Amazon.
  6. ↑ "Jeremiah Season Two". March 2, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2016 – via Amazon.
  7. ↑ "Watch Jeremiah Season 1 Episode - Amazon Video". amazon.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Watch Jeremiah Season 2 Episode - Amazon Video". amazon.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Jeremiah". hulu.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Jeremiah, Season 2 on iTunes". apple.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
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