I caught "Dead Like Me" on DVD having been curious about the premise, and the knowledge that Mandy Patinkin has not been bad in anything, ever. And the pilot did not disappoint-- the show was funny, witty, and clever. Everything we've come to except from Bryan Fuller, who would go on to create the similarly clever but low-rated "Wonderfalls," and the critical and popular smash "Pushing Daisies." His first show as creator, "Dead Like Me," begins with much the same tone of these shows.
Whatever mess was going on behind-the-scenes, however, quickly began to spill over onto the show. It swiftly began to lose its direction, being conceived as a dark comedy with moments of drama, but by the end of its first season, it's far more dramatic with only sparing moments of humor. From the first episode to the last of season one, the Gravelings (the tiny little CGI that 'cause' deaths) go from dreaded demons to wacky comic relief. In season two, their definition, motivations and character are changed completely.
Anytime a show re-used footage from a previous episode, the writer of that previous episode was given a screen-credit, which is unheard of in television-- it wreaks of petty backstage squabbling and ego. The first season sets up that George (our main character and protagonist) does not appear as herself to mortals, but by midway through the second season (when Fuller was no longer involved), this has been dropped from the show completely, first when a character reacts to her supposed 'hotness' (even though we've established that mortals see her as quite homely), and then she appears in a mirror as herself later on, sealing the sloppy writing by the new staff.
By the end of season two, the show had become a melodrama; season one was dark but witty in the beginning, even appropriate for children over 13... at the end of season two, a guest character attempts to rape a regular character, and is subsequently killed on-screen by a third character. Fans of the early episodes could not be pleased with what the show became, and fans of whatever the show ended up as, could not have known what was going on, because they were never watching in the first place. The show was cancelled at the end of season two, and mercifully so.
For a good time, watch the first half of season one, until Rebecca Gayheart's character departs (Fuller departed after episode four). After that, it is quickly downhill, as new writers are simply and obviously there just to collect a paycheck, clearly having petty arguments behind the scenes, and on top of all that, none of them have any clue whatsoever what to do with George's family. But hey, at least everyone got paid.
9/10 for the first 4 episodes, 4/10 for the series as a whole.
Whatever mess was going on behind-the-scenes, however, quickly began to spill over onto the show. It swiftly began to lose its direction, being conceived as a dark comedy with moments of drama, but by the end of its first season, it's far more dramatic with only sparing moments of humor. From the first episode to the last of season one, the Gravelings (the tiny little CGI that 'cause' deaths) go from dreaded demons to wacky comic relief. In season two, their definition, motivations and character are changed completely.
Anytime a show re-used footage from a previous episode, the writer of that previous episode was given a screen-credit, which is unheard of in television-- it wreaks of petty backstage squabbling and ego. The first season sets up that George (our main character and protagonist) does not appear as herself to mortals, but by midway through the second season (when Fuller was no longer involved), this has been dropped from the show completely, first when a character reacts to her supposed 'hotness' (even though we've established that mortals see her as quite homely), and then she appears in a mirror as herself later on, sealing the sloppy writing by the new staff.
By the end of season two, the show had become a melodrama; season one was dark but witty in the beginning, even appropriate for children over 13... at the end of season two, a guest character attempts to rape a regular character, and is subsequently killed on-screen by a third character. Fans of the early episodes could not be pleased with what the show became, and fans of whatever the show ended up as, could not have known what was going on, because they were never watching in the first place. The show was cancelled at the end of season two, and mercifully so.
For a good time, watch the first half of season one, until Rebecca Gayheart's character departs (Fuller departed after episode four). After that, it is quickly downhill, as new writers are simply and obviously there just to collect a paycheck, clearly having petty arguments behind the scenes, and on top of all that, none of them have any clue whatsoever what to do with George's family. But hey, at least everyone got paid.
9/10 for the first 4 episodes, 4/10 for the series as a whole.