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Based on a series of graphic novels by Hermann Huppen, the show takes place
on an Earth where, some 15 years earlier, a hormonal virus killed everyone who
was past puberty. It's an intriguing premise, but one that creator J. Michael
Straczynski (best known for his work on "Babylon 5") and his team haven't
exploited to its fullest. The slow-moving, 90-minute pilot episode
explains little of the internal logic of this post-apocalyptic
world; how, for instance, did these young folks, the oldest of whom
were only 12 or 13 when "the Big Death" wiped out six billion
people, manage to survive, educate themselves, and learn skills and
trades without any adult influence in a society that's in shambles? Still, the show's ideas are provocative, and the work of co-stars and TV
stalwarts Luke Perry as the title character, a hero with a conscience and
Malcolm-Jamal Warner as his more cynical sidekick, is good. Jeremiah, to
its credit, doesn't rely on special effects, production design, costumes, or
sets to carry it. That means the burden is on the ongoing themes and individual stories, which are
frequently compelling and smart,
even while favoring talk over action. |
