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Dead Like Me
from Issue #1 August 2003
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During the summer television hiatus, where reruns are the norm, Dead Like Me by Showtime is a refreshing change. The show focuses on the lives (afterlives) of 5 grim reapers, all of who died with unresolved issues. They each need to work out their problems and comprehend what they failed to understand during their mortality.
Georgia (Ellen Muth) is the lead in this new dark dramatic comedy. Her life is cut short at the tender age of 18 when a toilet seat from the re-entering MIR space station drives her into the pavement. She has trouble coming to terms with her new circumstances and even more trouble with the task of taking souls and escorting them to the beyond.
Right from the start you can see what type of show this is going to be. It is a comedy, but not of the standard sort. It’s a change from the typical network sitcom. The show also contains drama. More than once Georgia tries to save those she is suppose to escort to the other side. Not knowing the cosmic rules however, Georgia’s actions often lead to disaster.
The show offers up a great supporting cast. Mandy Patinkin, Rebecca Gayheart, and Jasmine Guy bring a wide range of talent to the series. Even if you don’t know them by name you’ll recognize their faces when they show up on the screen.
Showtime has had a hard time matching the success of rival premium network HBO. With the exception of Stargate SG-1, Showtime hasn’t had any original series hits. Even SG-1 moved to the SCI-FI network when Showtime could no longer fund the show. Dead Like Me offers real promise if the exceptional writing continues. There will always be an audience for a good witty, quirky, dramatic comedy that is exempt from the censorship rules of regular network television.
Dead Like Me airs Fridays at 10pm EST on Showtime
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