'Reaper' stays dead, another loss for quality TV

In my post yesterday where I mourned the loss of ABC’s “Cupid,” I had meant to say a few words about another good TV show that got the cancelation axe – the CW’s “Reaper.”
The comedy-drama had a good two-year run, with 31 episodes. That’s more than lots of shows I like. Better to burn short and bright than to fade out like other shows.
For the uninitiated, “Reaper” is about a slacker, Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison), who finds out his parents sold his sold to the Devil and now he must work as a bounty hunter for Hell. Sam later finds out that the Devil (Ray Wise) is his father and wants him to one day rule the underworld. But Sam would rather lounge around with his buddies and do nothing. Each episode, the Devil gives Sam a vessel (Dustbuster, Super Soaker, etc.) to capture escaped souls from Hell. Sam’s main goal is to survive long enough to find a way out of his parent’s contract with the Devil.
“Reaper” fans had hoped the show would be picked up for a new season in syndication or on a cable network like the Sci-Fi Channel, but those options withered, TV Series Finale wrote June 9.

Renewals of ‘Dollhouse,’ ‘Reaper’ possible, but with major compromises

Two of my favorite TV shows, “Dollhouse” and “Reaper,” might return with fresh episodes in the fall, but both would have to make changes that could hurt their quality.
Fox reportedly has picked up “Dollhouse” for a second 13-episode season, according to Michael Ausiello of EW.com. But producers of the show have agreed to a “drastically reduced budget,” Ausiello writes.
I hope that doesn’t affect the quality of the show. I remember when NBC cut the production budget of “Miami Vice” (1984-1989) in its final years. The show lost its slick, theatrical film quality and started looking cheap and slapdash.
The CW’s “Reaper” might return with new episodes as a syndicated program or on cable, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
But again, there’s a catch. The show’s budget would have to be slashed. Also, some of the talent behind the show has already left for new shows.
“Reaper” creators/executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters are gone and Tyler Labine, the actor who plays comic sidekick “Sock” Wysocki, has signed to star in a new Fox comedy, “Sons of Tucson.”
The producers of “Reaper” likely would have to take the show in a completely new direction. Labine is one of the best things about “Reaper.” He’s a hoot and will be missed.
Chalk up the renewal of these two shows to: Be careful what you wish for.

Do petitions to save TV shows work?

You see it a lot in TV fandom. A devoted fan base for a television show with low ratings starts a petition to convince network suits to save a beloved show from cancelation.
Right now, you’re seeing online campaigns to save “Chuck,” “Dollhouse,” “Reaper” and other shows on the bubble.
Do these petitions work? They can’t hurt, particularly if a show could go either way between renewal and cancelation.
Ultimately it depends on whether a network thinks it can do better with another show. If its options are limited, it’s more likely to stick with the known quantity and hope the fans can build ratings through word of mouth.
“Jericho” (2006-08) is perhaps the best recent example of a show brought back for another season because of fan support.
Fan support for the CW’s “Supernatural” may have helped that horror-fantasy drama get two more seasons to finish telling its story. It’s expected to end its run next year after five seasons.
At the suggestion of a reader, I recently signed an online petition to save the CW’s “Reaper.” I encourage other fans to do the same. It’s a gem of a show.

Four low-rated TV shows worth saving

I have the frequent misfortune of choosing to watch TV shows that end up having short lives.
Four of my favorite TV shows are “on the bubble” and being considered for cancelation because of low ratings. They are:

1. “Cupid” (ABC): With all the violent, pessimistic, base TV shows out there, you’d think there’d be a place for a gentle, romantic comedy with heart and mystery. This remake of the 1998-1999 TV series of the same name might be even more short-lived than the original. Both shows feature a main character who thinks he’s the Roman god of love, Cupid, and must get 100 couples to fall in love so he can return to Mt. Olympus. Or he might just be insane. In many ways, the new version is better than the original, which lasted just 14 episodes on ABC. (Another episode was unaired, according to Wikipedia.) The freshman series is a midseason replacement with just 7 episodes ordered.


2. “Dollhouse” (Fox): Another entertaining and thought-provoking series from Joss Whedon, the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and “Firefly.” This show, staring Eliza Dushku, got off to a slow start but is really cooking now plot-wise. “Dollhouse” revolves around a secret organization that uses programmable people to carry out missions and fantasies for high-paying clients. Fox ordered 12 episodes of the new series. (A 13th episode was filmed, but Fox hasn’t agreed to air it.)


3. “Reaper” (CW): Now in its second season, “Reaper” is a hugely enjoyable comedy-drama. The show focuses on Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison) who works as a reaper for the devil, retrieving souls that have escaped from hell. Oliver is helped by two sidekicks – slacker co-workers from a home improvement superstore called the Work Bench. Comic standouts include Sam’s buddy Bert “Sock” Wysocki (played by Tyler Labine) and the Devil (played by Ray Wise).


4. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (Fox): This television sequel to “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” movies has been inconsistent during its two-season run so far. This season started slow (a sin with short attention span audiences these days), but ended with a bang. The show is at its best doing twisty science-fiction and intense action sequences featuring murderous Terminator robots from the future.

My hope is that these shows have fans at the networks who are willing to give them another chance and maybe a different time slot. Or maybe a cable network is willing to pick them up. Either way, fingers crossed.