Jericho, ITV: 4 things you need to know about the British Western TV show starring Jessica Raine

The ambitious new eight-part series offers a new type of period drama
Ben Travis8 January 2016

Are all those new crime dramas getting to you? Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders, and Death In Paradise have all made a return this week – but here’s something a bit different.

ITV are launching their new series Jericho, an eight-part drama set in 1870s Yorkshire - and it isn't your usual period drama.

Here’s what you need to know about the new original show.

1) It’s probably the only Western ever set in Yorkshire

Jericho isn’t your typical period drama. Forget the lavish grounds of Downton – this has more in common with the Western genre than anything.

Eh? A British Western? How does that work? Well, it’s set in the wilds of Yorkshire in a settlement camp that slowly moves towards an increased sense of civilisation, as the residents build a viaduct for the railway network.

Think Deadwood, but without all the swearing and nudity.

2) It’s got Lester Freamon from The Wire in it

Clarke Peters, best known for playing the laid-back and methodical detective Lester Freamon in The Wire, plays railway agent Ralph Coates in Jericho.

Call the Midwife fans will also know Jessica Raine who plays lead character Annie Quaintain – a widow forced to leave her home and move to Jericho to start a new life. Raine played Jenny Lee in the hit BBC drama, and also took on the role of Jane Boleyn in Wolf Hall.

3) It’s authentically Yorkshire

Based on the building of the real-life Ribblehead Viaduct, it was important for Jericho to look the part.

Many areas in Huddersfield have served as filming locations, from North Light Film Studios to Colne Valley Museum. The accents aren’t too shabby either.

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4) It’s unlike other period dramas

The period drama genre has been ruled by Downton for years, and most of the British ones tend to focus on sleepy villages, huge estates, or bustling cities.

Jericho, with its shanty town setting and industrial development in the rolling countryside offers something that few other UK series have attempted before.

ITV, 9pm

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