If nuclear bombs destroyed 23 major U.S. cities, would your family survive?

That's the premise of "Jericho," a short-lived drama that aired on CBS. Set in a fictional town in western Kansas, the series shows a small town's fight for survival against roving gangs, nuclear fallout and other horrors in the wake of a devastating terrorist attack.

Despite critical praise, CBS canceled the show after one season because of poor ratings. Angry fans bombarded the network's office by sending more than twenty tons of peanuts, a reference to the season finale. After donating the peanuts to various charitable causes, including Greensburg, Kan., CBS decided to give the show a second chance.

The show returned earlier this year with more poor ratings and met its end after only seven new episodes, but CBS released the second season on DVD last week, offering a chance for new viewers to see the series.

Don't be fooled by its poor ratings - "Jericho" deserves your attention.

The first season begins on the morning of the attacks in September 2006. The citizens of Jericho see a mushroom cloud from Denver, but are otherwise oblivious to the full scope of the attacks. They later learn that 23 cities have been hit, including Washington, D.C., which was destroyed during the president's State of the Union address.

As the series progresses, the citizens are forced to survive with limited news from the outside world. They endure power outages, gas shortages, hunger and attacks from roaming gangs of mercenaries.

The show explores several interesting storylines throughout the first season. One of the most interesting involves a family that moved to town on the morning of the attacks. The father, Robert Hawkins, buries a mysterious package after the bombs go off. His extensive knowledge on the effects of nuclear fallout suggests that he has more information about the origins of the attacks, a storyline that plays out brilliantly over the course of the series.

As tensions build with a neighboring town, the first season ends with the town at war.

The second season, with fewer episodes, moves at an alarming pace. A new military presence shifts the focus of the series from survival to the development of a new country.

The country has split into three groups: the United States, the Allied States (formed by the states west of the Mississippi River) and Texas.

The show examines the new government's control over every aspect of society. Federal employees rewrite history, monopolize commerce and maintain stifling control of the media. As the citizens of Jericho lose faith in their unelected leaders, some of the characters fight to expose a secret that might change the outcome of the impending civil war.

"Jericho" includes multiple storylines and a detailed history, so it's easy to see why new viewers didn't latch on to the show the second time around.

Don't make the same mistake. "Jericho" is an excellent show, and it examines themes not usually seen in the majority of television dramas.

Brendan Praeger is a senior in journalism education. Please send comments to edge@spub.ksu.edu.