Jericho fans who can't wait for season 2, and who want to delve further into the world of their favorite show, may want to check out the new alternate reality game based on the series.  An alternate reality game, or ARG, is an interactive story where the plot unfolds over time and across all forms of communication, which can include anything from graffiti to phone calls to stickers to web site puzzles to videos.  Sometimes there are puzzles for players to solve, sometimes it's just a matter of connecting some dots, and other times it's even more complicated.  The clever marketing minds behind Jericho recently kicked off an ARG that will offer devoted fans some clues of what's to come in the series.

The Jericho ARG follows the story of Tom Tooman, a Native American man who, like the characters on the show, woke up one day in a changed America and decided to take action.  CBS drops hints that Tom will be crossing paths with characters from the series, and mentions that he might even make an appearance himself in future episodes.  Devoted fans who want to explore more of Tom's story should click here to visit the official CBS website.

The Jericho game actually started with a simple sticker featuring a barcode, which was handed out to some people at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con in July.  The clever fans eventually realized that the numbers in the bar code were an IP address leading to ajkin.com, and the game was on.  It just goes to show that Jericho fans can accomplish pretty much anything when they band together.

Alternate reality games have been a popular way to promote both television shows and movies for a number of years.  Perhaps the most notable promoter of these online experiences is ABC's Lost, which currently has its own ARG going at Find815.com.  While it's usually only the most hardcore fans who get involved in these games, they can be a fun way to pass the time between seasons of your favorite show.

- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of CBS)