Pilot (Jericho)

"Pilot: The First Seventeen Hours"
Jericho episode
A mushroom cloud on Jericho's horizon resulting from a nuclear explosion in Denver, Colorado
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1
Directed by	Jon Turteltaub
Written by	Stephen Chbosky
Original air date	September 20, 2006
Guest appearance(s)
Alicia Coppola as Mimi Clark Germaine De Leon as Alvie Clemons
Episode chronology
← Previous — Next → "Fallout"

Alicia Coppola as Mimi Clark
Germaine De Leon as Alvie Clemons

"Pilot: The First Seventeen Hours" is the first episode of season one and the pilot for the apocalyptic drama television series Jericho. The episode was broadcast by CBS on September 20, 2006 to approximately 11.66 million viewers.

The pilot episode was filmed on location in Fillmore, California, while the standing sets for the town of Jericho were built at Calvert Studios in Van Nuys, California.

Thirty-two-year-old Jake Green returns for a short visit to his small hometown of Jericho in northern Kansas following a mysterious five-year absence. While he was away, Jake had no contact with any of his family or friends, except possibly his mother Gail. Jake is evasive about his absence; he is asked where he has been by various Jericho residents, and he gives different answers – including claims to have been playing minor league baseball and serving in both the Army and Navy.

Jake's mother, Gail, who apparently knows where Jake has been, is very happy and relieved to see him. Jake discusses with his father, Mayor Johnston Green, the inheritance Jake's grandfather left him. Johnston refuses to release the money to Jake until Jake leads what Johnston calls "a more productive life". Afterwards, Jake goes to visit his grandfather's grave. Despite his mother's objections. Jake leaves Jericho that same day, telling his mother that he must return to San Diego.