"Everything comes if a man will only wait." (Disraeli, Tancred)

And, so, the anticipated event finally arrives. DvD-Day. CBS promised us the First Season on DvD way back in May when they canceled JERICHO. This was most likely as an appeasement for the hoards of angry, disappointed fans, but it was also a very good marketing strategy. DvD sales of other canceled shows have proven lucrative; just look how many tapes and DvDs of STAR TREK have sold over the past 40 years! Fans of old, current and canceled television series have come to depend upon the networks to give them solace in the form of DvDs, and it works well for both sides of the coin. Networks get more money out of the series; the fans get a continuous fix of their favorite programs. It's a good system.

JERICHO: The First Season comes in an attractive enough package. Our hero, Jake Green, looks out from the window of his '69 Plymouth Roadrunner, an expression of apprehension on his face. Behind him is the infamous mushroom cloud as seen in the Pilot Episode. The color scheme is reminiscent of camouflage, with its prevalent gray, brown and dull green. The "distressed" JERICHO logo is prominent in reddish brown on the front. On the back is the more widely recognized scene of a boy standing on a roof looking toward the mushroom cloud, a chilling image of apocalyptic doom if ever there was one. Perhaps it might have been better to reverse the two scenes, but it works well enough as is.

Packaging aside, the DvDs have their own appeal. There are six discs, two per holder. All but one of them have four episodes, the sixth having only two, plus three bonus features. There are deleted scenes on all discs, however, the included scenes are only from selected episodes. A bit of a disappointment, that, but certainly something with which we can cope. It would have been nice to have some other bonus material, like maybe the "CBS Thank You" video, the JERICHO panel from ComiCon, or perhaps some information on the NUTS campaign. Those of us who attended JERICHON 2007 know for a fact CBS made use of our "nuts" idea to promote the DvDs; CBS was kind enough to send JERICHON members some of the small burlap bags of nuts they sent to their distributors. So, if CBS acknowledged the fan campaign for its own purpose, surely it could have included some tribute to Jericho Rangers on the DvDs themselves.

What really counts is the First Season episodes are all there, and they are beautifully presented. The color is a lot clearer, the details sharper, and the sound quality much better than on television or Innertube. The story unfolds like a lovely flower, drawing a viewer deeper and deeper into the sheer drama of post-apocalyptic JERICHO. All the angst, all the clear and present danger is there. Not a moment of those 22 episodes is lost, and with the addition of deleted scenes, the story is made even better. Those scenes truly explain a great deal, and CBS was wise to include them. They're one of the best things about the DvD sets.

Was it worth the wait? Do the ends justify the means, or, in this case, the suggested retail price of $54.95? Not that most of us paid that amount; Wal*Mart, Amazon.com and Target charged $34.99, and those who bought their DvDs from Target got a nice surprise -- an exclusive bonus CD! Filmed last March -- before the JERICHO team had any idea they might be canceled in May -- the "Q&A With JERICHO Cast & Creative Team Courtesy of The Museum of Television & Radio" was enjoyable for its humor, and its heretofore unknown information regarding cast, crew and story.

So, in my opinion, it was worth the wait, although some fans may be disappointed by the relative lack of special features. CBS could have put a lot more into the DvDs, but we can only hope future season DvDs will include additional bonuses. Perhaps they can add interviews with the cast & crew, or maybe do one of those "The Making Of ..." films. Maybe CBS will include information about fan activities and conventions. There's no end of things the fans would like to see about JERICHO, or be willing to plunk down their money to get. After all, fandom is an addiction, and if CBS is smart, they will give JERICHO fans their fix in more than 7 episodes.

Well, we can hope, anyway, and from the numbers of DvD sales, maybe it's not a vain hope.

"Hope is the thing with featehrs that perches in the soul -- and since the tune without words and never stops -- at all." (Emily Dickenson)