Simon, may I ask the connection you see with "Joan of Arcadia" and "Dead Like Me"? I love those two shows and I'm just curious.

Madhatter | September 25, 14:37 CET

Back when they first aired, various critics labelled those two shows as post Buffy or the number one Buffy substitute or words to that effect. I didn't see the comparison but others did.

Simon | September 25, 14:42 CET

I was just reading the Fall Preview EW the other day, and it talked about how the girls who created "Repaer" are huge Buffy fans, and they even wrote specs on Buffy, before envisioning this new show.

Numfar PTB | September 25, 14:50 CET

Damn, my stupid satellite provider doesn't carry the CW, and in my rural neck of the woods, it's the only game in town.

Shey | September 25, 15:01 CET

That must be why this is the one new show I'm actually curious about.

loa | September 25, 15:25 CET

Ah, the comparisons towards Buffy. Got ya'll. Back to topic, I'm looking forward towards what the BBC can do with "Ripper".

Oh wait, you're talking "Reaper". Don't I feel foolish....nevermind.

Madhatter | September 25, 15:27 CET

All this "post-Buffy-like-Buffy" talk reminds me of:

WILLOW: And I will therefore fix it. I got her head back on, didn't I? And I got her off those knock-knock jokes.
BUFFYBOT: Ooh, who's there?
XANDER: You know, if we want her to be exactly-
SPIKE: She'll never be exactly.
XANDER: I know.
TARA: The only really real Buffy is really Buffy.
GILES: And she's gone.

BUFFYBOT: 'If we want her to be exactly she'll never be exactly I know the only really real Buffy is really Buffy and she's gone' who?

[ edited by quantumac on 2007-09-25 12:43 ]

quantumac | September 25, 15:38 CET

Reaper's pilot was entertaining, but I don't think that it would ever occur to me to compare it to Buffy.

zeitgeist | September 25, 15:42 CET

It's actually pretty entertaining as a pilot show goes. I'll be curious to see how it plays out on a week to week basis. But Buffy it ain't. It's more like a version of Supernatural that is more comical than scary.

war_machine | September 25, 15:51 CET

Does no one else remember that this show was already on the air? It was called Brimstone and aired in 1998. It starred Peter Horton, John Glover and Teri Polo. Peter Horton played a dead cop who was in hell because he killed his wife's murderer. To get a second chance at life, the Devil (John Glover) gives him the job of recapturing 113 escapees from hell. We never got to see if the Devil would make good on his promise because the show didn't get a chance to air that long.

vesta | September 25, 17:03 CET

If you have DirectTV Brimstone runs on the Chiller channel. It was a brilliant show (IMHO), and Reaper just seems like the slacker version of it... but I'm checking it out anyway!

UnderTheDark | September 25, 17:11 CET

Before Brimstone there was Spawn and before Spawn there was Ghost Rider and before Ghost Rider there was Faust etc...

war_machine | September 25, 17:37 CET

Dude, I cannot wait for this show. By far my most-anticipated new show of the season...Kevin freaking Smith directs the pilot!

UnpluggedCrazy | September 25, 17:41 CET

I don't know...I might give it a try, but I really don't like that "dude" from Invasion/Breaker High.

draculatte | September 25, 17:51 CET

The article in EW is actually really good. I've seen the pilot, and I liked it. Nothing to make me automatically fall in love, but I certainly liked it enough to keep watching. After reading about the writers and how they are big Buffy fans (and they're women!), it makes me more excited about all the buzz. I wish my fellow sex and Buffy fans much luck!!!

Harmalicious | September 25, 18:21 CET

Simon, I cannot believe you forgot to include Wonderfalls in the post-Buffy type group, besides the obvious connection. Oh and Point Pleasant got the Buffy comparison.

RavenU | September 25, 18:57 CET

Mr. Smith mentioned that he had quite a time arguing with the creators over the funny bits that he changed/added when he did some script polishing on the pilot. Hoping that they learned something and that future eps keep up the funny.

zeitgeist | September 25, 19:31 CET

Mr. Smith mentioned that he had quite a time arguing with the creators over the funny bits that he changed/added when he did some script polishing on the pilot. Hoping that they learned something and that future eps keep up the funny.

I didn't get that impression from the comments I read, seemed pretty tame. Only reason he agreed to do the show was because he felt the pilot script was so good. Dude probably found some slight things he could change for the better. Some of the humor, specifically the uniform scene, seemed decidedly Smithian.

I base that on nothing, though. If the Fazekas/Butters wrote that it's an excellent sign. Still, overall, it's an excellent pilot. The three male leads are great and the family is quality as well. So long as the recast female lead is decent, the show has potential to be the best comedy of the season.

Show has some Buffy vibes, though, definitely. Think its awesome that the creators of Reaper were Buffy fans and wrote a spec script. Seems to be further in the comedy vein than Buffy ever was, though. Infusions of drama didn't hurt the pilot, but if it ever goes down the Season 6/7 Buffy route of "dark" melodrama... That'll be a show killer.

[ edited by Dirk Lance on 2007-09-25 18:50 ]

Dirk | September 25, 21:49 CET

I love Reaper. It's so hilarious. Ray Wise as Satan is brilliant casting. He's awesome.

I like Reaper better than Chuck. I know, different premise -- but the main characters are similar and it's a similar work setting. I'm glad that finally Reaper is getting some attention from this site too.

BTW, Kevin Smith directed the pilot episode.

[ edited by ElectricSpaceGirl on 2007-09-25 20:40 ]

electricspacegirl | September 25, 23:38 CET

I could understand comparing 'Dead Like Me' and 'Joan of Arcadia' to 'Buffy', because critics are always surprised and amazed that a young woman is the lead character.... I'm less sure why 'Reaper' is compared to it, but I'll be taping the show so that I can check it out.

embers | September 26, 00:07 CET

When you think about it, "Reaper" is the anti-Buffy: instead of a young girl given the holy mission to kill vampires and assorted Hellspawn, we've got some schlub having to work for the Devil to round up demons who escaped from Hell because he's got the dumbest parents in the world.
And in a pefect world it should be on Wednesday nights instead of Gossip Girl. I mean, this show against House? Praise be to DVR's!

impalergeneral | September 26, 00:25 CET

This show rocked.

"RUN, BITCHES!"

UnpluggedCrazy | September 26, 06:04 CET

You can kind of see some similarities. Spoiled directionless teen/young adult suddenly finds out they have a destiny they can’t escape. They must fight demons in order to protect others, and do so with the help of a few friends and their new superpowers, all while trying to keep their secret from the rest of the world. I suspect this show will be entertaining (tonight’s show was quite funny) and lighthearted, but certainly no Buffy.

jengirl824 | September 26, 08:58 CET

I just watched it, and I get the connection.
It's a supernational action show that's occasionally gruesome but most of the time FUNNY!

Plus, the lead reminded me of early Xander.

I liked it.

Xane | September 26, 09:27 CET

Yep, Xane, he also reminded me of Xander.

UnpluggedCrazy | September 26, 17:52 CET

Bret Harrison. I've loved him since The Loop.

Haunt | September 26, 18:53 CET