Horror Movie News and Reviews - Horror Express.com

NOT DEAD YET?

I have not seen DEAD LIKE ME myself. I have a rental system set up with one of the online retailers just so I can get caught up on all the TV shows I miss because I can't adjust my schedule to the tube. Also, I don't have the movie channels. You may love your Horror Express editor, but he still can't afford HBO. So, the online rental sites are the only way I could discover that THE SOPRANOS is vastly overrated but SIX FEET UNDER is one of the greatest shows ever put on television. I did not however have a chance to see DEAD LIKE ME before Showtime announced they were cancelling the series last month. No worries though as DEAD may still have some life in it.

DEAD LIKE ME is an ensemble which chronicles the thankless job of the Grim Reaper. The show had premiered to strong ratings in its debut season, but Showitme had noticed a large dip in the ratings for season two. In the end, they figured the show was played out and decided not to renew it for a third season.

But MGM Television prez Hank Cohen disagrees. "We are exploring every opportunity and option that we have available to us," Cohen told TV Guide. "It's a terrific show and, contrary to what [Showtime president Robert Greenblatt] told Variety our producers don't feel like we've even begun to explore all of the Reaper opportunities that we have. We have a very, very loyal fan base and I'm going to do everything I can for these fans to make sure the show lives on. The irony of all this is that DEAD LIKE ME is a metaphor for second chances, and we're hopefully going to find one."

Sure enough, speculation began circulating and letter and e-mail petitions from devoted fans flooded the networks. Now, Bloody Disgusting is reporting that the show may make the unlikely leap from cable premium channel to network television. MGM has approached the WB with the option of picking up the show for a third season and the network is currently considering it.

It would be a welcome sight to the WB lineup. They lost BUFFY and ROSWELL in 2001 and cancelled ANGEL one year later. Since then, the WB hasn't been packed with the genre shows it used to boast. Of the old horor/sci-fi lineup, only CHARMED and SMALLVILLE remain. An attempt to cast Rachel Leigh Cook in a FEARLESS TV series unfortunately imploded and their TARZAN show was a costly mistake. DEAD LIKE ME could help recapture the magic that made the struggling network a friend to genre fans in the past.

Besides, anything that takes airtime away from reality television or more Blue Collar Comedy crap is okay by me.

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