Reaper

Network: CW
Status: Returning Series
Timeslot: Tuesdays 9 PM EST
Premiere: March 17th
Website: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/reaper

Update December 2008: The CW has finally announced the return of Reaper. The devilish series that developed a strong cult following last year (don’t take that too literally) and that just barely got a second lease on life with a renewal as a mid-season replacement will return on March 17th. The bad news is that slot is pretty crowded right now with CBS’s powerhouse The Mentalist duking it out with FOX’s upstart Fringe during that hour. And at some point, the second half of Eureka Season 3 will start to air in that slot as well. Reaper barely got numbers tolerable for CW last year in a different timeslot, so its prospects against so much competition within the genre don’t look good. Still, I am looking forward to another thirteen episodes of this wicked little series.

Previous Entry:
This quirky, fun series about a slacker who finds on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the Devil and that now he must act as a bounty hunter for the Dark One received a ton of critical praise when it debuted last season, but never found a substantial audience. It didn’t help that after the hilarious premiere it quickly descended into formulaic escaped-soul-of the-week stories and that it forgot how to be funny. However, it managed to pick up steam again (and deliver the laughs) toward the end of its first season just as the CW network almost lost faith in the show. It seemed on the verge of cancellation when a last-minute decision (prompted by some stern words from down below maybe?) saved it from an early grave. However, Reaper only received a commitment for thirteen additional episodes and as a mid-season replacement.

I really enjoyed the series last year, though I admit to being one of those who tuned out through the middle episodes as it descended into formula. The show really pulled it together again at the end though and I look forward to its return so long as it continues to expand on its premise as it did toward the end of Season 1. To my knowledge, production has not begun on the second season episodes and the CW network’s current financial woes could lead to a shut down before things begin. Let’s hope that the Devil still has a few tricks up his sleeve to keep this series running.

Buy Season 1 of Reaper on DVD at the Axiom's edge Webstore