SF Signal: Anyone Watching Dead Like Me?

Anyone Watching Dead Like Me?

I'm lovin' our new HDTV, but one of the downsides is that I find myself flipping through HD shows that I normally wouldn't bother with. Case in point: last night's channel hopping led me to two episodes of the Showtime series Dead Like Me on the InHD HDNet channel. It's a quirky black comedy about a bunch of dead people - modern grim reapers - charged with guiding the newly departed to the afterlife. It got a few laughs out of me and seemed like an interesting premise. The Scrubs-ending-like seriousness seems to add a little something to it.

Not being a Showtime subscriber, I hadn't seen it before. I now know that the SciFi channel is airing it, but in edited format. (On InHD HDNet it aired without commercial interruption and unedited - curses and all.) I've only seen the two episodes and liked it in a Eureka kind of way.

Has anyone else seen this show? Is this worth my time? Showtime canceled it after two seasons and I'm wondering if I should take the time to rent the DVDs.

What a great series, but do not get sucked in!!! I watched it on it's original run and then they cancelled it just as it was getting good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Bryans on Friday January 05, 2007 at 7:29 AM

Great series. 2 Seasons wasn't enough, but it ends while it still has energy rather than slowly dying across 5 pointless seasons. Don't listen to the guy above me, despite his frantic misuse of exclamation points. The show is rather emotionally charged and only worth your time if you invest in the characters.

Posted by Josh on Friday January 05, 2007 at 9:04 AM

Well worth it -- the cast is good -- especially Mandy Patinkin. The writing is smart, funny and thoughtful. It tried to do some "different" things in S2, which I thought were mostly a success. I never read why it was cancelled, but I enjoyed its too-brief run.

Posted by Darth_Bubbster on Friday January 05, 2007 at 9:41 AM

we loved it at our house, and it frequently had me weepy. The reaper hook was a great way of exploring the various ways of handling death... and life. The inevitable cast changes were handled well, and the group dynamic was always shifting. We didn't take it's demise very well.

Short answer: watch em all!

Posted by on Friday January 05, 2007 at 10:25 AM

I liked it, great show but it was too depressing for me. I teared up every week. It was clever for a show about death though.

Posted by SciFi Ranter Girl on Friday January 05, 2007 at 11:01 AM

Dead Like Me is one of the best fantasy shows I have ever seen. It used the fact that anything could happen to explore life and death in an honest and heartfelt way. At its core were the characters. An assortment of intriguing and personable reapers that I couldn't help but want to know more about.

I saddened me greatly when the show was canceled, and I still want to know Rubes secret past. It was a series with more potential than was ever tapped, and I hope they will revive the series in some way.

If you haven't rented it, do so. You will not regret it.

Posted by C. E. Dorssett on Friday January 05, 2007 at 4:15 PM

yes it was a good series who died far too young. I liked it quite a lot. It was kind of fun to see the problems of the living through the eyes of the dead who have the same problems, but even more pronounced.

Lots of dark humor, and bizzare deaths, the kitchen guilliotine was one of my favourite deaths. And all the great characters, i would still like to get some of my questions answered.

Well worth the effort

Posted by pug on Saturday January 06, 2007 at 4:34 AM

I heard always good things about it, lots of folks I know liked it lots, but for me I cannot stand Mandy Patinkin, his presence just sucks me out of anything he's in. (Do not like thee Dr. Fell...) So do not try and persuade me.

Allan Rosewarne
Buffy fans chicago

Posted by Allan Rosewarne on Saturday January 06, 2007 at 9:57 AM

Definitely worth the time. Even added the show to my collection.

Blessings
Richard

Posted by Richard Novak on Saturday January 06, 2007 at 5:32 PM

I did not have Showtime as well and disovered this show when I got HD. It is very entertaining. I love the characters and the unique ways people find to die.

Posted by David on Saturday January 06, 2007 at 6:32 PM

I just watch my first episode in HD last night (second episode ever) -- I like it even more, especially with all the cuss words! Too bad it's still cancelled.

Posted by Peter on Friday January 19, 2007 at 2:44 PM

Personally, I found it unfunny and uninteresting pap that deserved deserved the quick death it so richly deserved.

Posted by James on Saturday January 20, 2007 at 12:44 AM

D'oh! Last weekend my cable company decided that HDNet should be a pay channel. Now I can no longer watch Dead Like Me in HD. Darn it. Well, it's either fall back to the edited SCI FI Channel version with commercials or take it as a sign that I'm watching too much TV.

Posted by John on Thursday January 25, 2007 at 2:24 PM

No, you should take it as a sign that cable companies are out to screw you and that you should switch to satellite...

Posted by Peter on Thursday January 25, 2007 at 7:53 PM

Wow! This show is even better when you're bummed and have had a few drinks in you...

I just hope that when my time comes that I'll be reaped by someone like George or Daisy...

Posted by Peter on Wednesday February 07, 2007 at 9:17 PM

I hope Death will be as much fun as they've made it in this show...

BTW, WTF happened to the search function on this site?

Posted by Peter on Saturday February 24, 2007 at 11:54 PM

The search logs were getting about 10 times as much spam as real searches. If you want to search the site, use Google.

Posted by John on Sunday February 25, 2007 at 12:23 AM