I had never seen, or even heard of this show until I received this complete first season to review. I was a little hesitant heading in to my first viewing… especially after seeing that the main characters are played by Luke Perry (of 90210 fame), and Malcolm Jamal Warner (of The Cosby Show fame). But after viewing a couple of episodes, I must confess that I was hooked. Sure, the story is full of holes, and the acting is suspect at times, but the overall show is quite gripping and entertaining.
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Airing on Showtime, Jeremiah has the added luxury of allowing swearing and nudity in their broadcasts. This creates a more movie-like viewing experience, and adds to the allure of the show. The amount of violence/language/nudity varies by the story being told in the episode, and seems to suit the plot nicely. A number of guest stars do make appearances to add some spice to the story, including a great performance by another 90210 alum… Jason Priestly.
The plot is quite interesting, and best told by Showtime themselves… ”Based on a successful European comic book, the series is set in a future post-apocalyptic-like world. Jeremiah is one of the oldest survivors of a deadly virus that wiped out the adult population, sparing only those at puberty or younger.”
Audio
I expected much more from this set in terms of audio. That is not to say that it sounded bad, but it did not even include a 5.1 audio track. The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track that was included is pretty basic… with clean dialog, good bass, but poor use of the soundstage. Considering the style of show that Jeremiah is, there was so much more potential for surround activity. It is too bad that this show was not presented in a format that could have equaled its full audio potential.
Video
This show would have looked so good presented in a widescreen aspect ratio. With that being said, Season One of Jeremiah is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The transfer looks good in terms of color and tone, but the entire season is marred with a number of digital artifacts. There is also some noticeable grain in the transfer, but it does not really take away from the story… being set in an apocalyptic type of world to being with.
Special Features
There are a few extras to mention, but nothing spectacular. There is an audio commentary by Luke Perry & Malcolm-Jamal Warner on the pilot episode that is quite entertaining. The pair have great chemistry, and seem to have a great time… making the commentary fun to listen to. There are a number of long silent gaps that are marginally distracting, and their insight is not overly insightful. All in all, this track is still worth a listen. Also included are 10 deleted scenes (some good, some not), a 5-minute promo full of interviews and clips (quite useless), as well as a photo gallery, a production design gallery, and trailers.
Final Thoughts
This is a very good show that has received an average DVD presentation. If you have not seen Jeremiah, I would definitely recommend checking it out. All in all, this set is alright… but could have been done-up a little more.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary on Pilot Episode
- Deleted Scenes
- Promo Piece
- Trailers
- Photo Gallery
- Production design gallery
