Dead Like Me watch online HD

This show is a combination of extremely clever plot lines, a unique and unusual musical score, contemporary editing, and outstanding character casting. The chemistry of characters with this cast is more than exceptional. The ability to give such realism to such an absurd story premise is bewildering and you find yourself taken for a ride down this fairytale as if it were real life. This is perhaps the best program that no one has ever heard of yet and I wouldn't be surprised if it rose to one of the best series of this decade when the show becomes better known to the public. Once you start watching this show, there is now going back. It is ultimately the most addictive show I have ever witnessed. If you haven't seen it, you need to.

For me, TV hit a golden age during the early-mid 80's. It's been a long time since I've been as moved by a television show as I was with Dead Like Me.

Dead Like Me features Ellen Muth, who plays an 18 year old kid who gets killed by a toilet seat from the space station MIR. Her death introduces us to the fascinating world of the Grim Reaper. Full of workplace rules, guidelines, assignments, and generally horrific deaths, Dead Like Me explores the subject of death in a very unusual, yet original way.

When George(Muth) becomes a reaper, her whole world as she knows it changes. She, and her group of reapers, lead by Rube(Mandy Patinkin), use a German waffle house as their base of operations, receiving post-it notes with the names and times of their reaps. Another sub-plot of the show centers around George's family, and the adjustment that they go through after George's death.

Throughout the two seasons(currently available on DVD), the viewer follows life through the eyes of George, and also though her quirky narration. We see George grow into a more confident young woman, and also witness the interactions amongst the various characters and their reaps.

This show is without a doubt one of the most interesting shows out there, and with any luck, Showtime will decide to re-visit this show. I watched for about two minutes and was hooked. I'm certain you'd enjoy this show, too.

Although the Takers of souls that populate 'Dead Like me' prefer being called "Reapers" they are in fact Grim. Each Reaper has his/her own dark secret or painful memory from their life that they have to deal with in their After-life...

'Dead Like me' is a witty, funny, but realistic look at what it would be like if there was (or is) an afterlife. Mandy Patinkin stars as "Rube" the boss, wise but contemplated. Ellen Muth stars as "Georgia" a young teen who was killed by a toilet seat, she's having trouble adjusting. Jasmine Guy stars as "Roxy" the angry Meter Maid with a license in 'kick your ass'. Callum blue stars as "Mason" the druggy, he drilled a hole in his head just to feel high. Laura Harris stars as "Daisy" the town /cough, country, slut... "i once blew ()

Other noticeable mentions go to Cynthia Stevenson who plays "Joy Lass" (oh the irony) who is the disgruntled mother who can't face her grief. Britt McKillip as "Reggie" the silent sister who misses her personal idol, Georgia, her sister. And Christine Willes who plays "Dolores Herbig" who is Georgia's boss at "'Happy Time' Temp agency", a lovable character, with a huge heart.

Brilliant writing, Funny but not over the top. Has plenty of drama, but doesn't breach the Series/soap opera boundary. For those who say "Oh they just a spin off of 'Six feet under'" you are wrong, 'Six Feet Under' is a Drama. 'Dead like me' is a Dark comedy. Believe me when i say they are on opposite sides of the tracks.

In my years of viewing gems that enchant my interest. Dead like me has struck a nerve. It shows you that live life while you can, (and other such cliché's) Or you might just miss it.

I give this show a 10 out of 10.

It's hard for me to like much on TV. I was devastated when they pulled Keen Eddie, it was one of the best things I've ever seen on network TV. I feel better after watching this show. It's quirky, engaging, and humanizing. I particularly admire the upbeat take on death juxtaposed to the darkly comic view of life. Dead Like Me is the only reason I'll continue to pay for Showtime. Most studios are desperate to be fringe and edgy, neglecting to notice that (while audiences love novelty) we also want characters with flaws. I'm sick to death of the beautiful empty. The show helps to remind us of what we are neglecting to notice in everyday life, the mundane poetry of the collective order. George discovers the beauty of life only after she's dead. The character's are lovably eccentric, the dialogue is casually caustic. It's Gen-X genius.

"Dead Like Me" proves that cynicism, humor, depth, and even compassion can not only co-exist on a single television series, they can actually flourish together. With sharp and witty writing and directing, "Dead Like Me" explores the bizarre world of our working-class grim reapers, the good folks charged with escorting human souls to the afterlife. As the second-lowest level group of bureaucrats in the afterlife system (best not to ask about the lowest), grim reapers must trudge along "popping" the souls of the soon-to-be-departed before they meet their grisly (and, dare I say, often hilarious) ends. And they must also survive, and pay rent, in the living world.

The chief protagonist on the series is George (a.k.a. Georgia), a recently deceased, uber-cynical, 18 year old who just can't seem to resist rebelling against the whole "death" system. Her fellow reapers include an unapologetically opportunistic drug-smuggler, a meter-maid who does a lot more than write parking tickets, a happy-go-lucky pragmatist who has developed a truly macabre taste in photography, and an actress whose resume is surprisingly out of date. And then, of course, there is Rube.

Rube is the would-be foreman of this somewhat strange assemblage of reapers. He is also, arguably, the most sympathetic, complex, and mysterious character on the showâ?'thanks in no small part to the superb acting of Mandy Patinkin. As with the other characters on the show, no amount of space here can really hint at the depth alloted to Rube by the writers and directors of "Dead Like Me" or the skill with which Patinkin explores that depth. Suffice it to say that Rube plays a lot more like a real person (or real undead person) than any mere television contrivance. Rube is more alive as a dead man than any television character from the living world.

The very essence of "Dead Like Me" is, in fact, its willingness to explore not only the bizarre world of the reapers, but also the lives and personalities of the reapers themselves. Undead life has had (and continues to have) some pretty strange effects on these formerly-living reapers, and watching their individual responses to the problems of their bizarre occupation provides much of the humor of the show.

And, not to leave out the living world, the creative minds behind "Dead Like Me," also frequently turn their attention to living characters on the show, from the "soon to be referred to the past tense" reaper clients to the families they leave behind (most notably George's grieving family). Just about any character is subject to being fleshed-out on this show (even dogs and frogs). A minor character named Angus Cook makes a more memorable impression in one episode of "Dead Like Me" (appropriately titled "A. Cook") than most TV series regulars will make in an entire season.

Some have compared "Dead Like Me" with shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and similar, more pedestrian, fare. But about the only thing Buffy and George have in common is youth and blonde hair. And the only thing the reapers have in common with television vampires is that they've both been around a while. Of course, one of the problems with television vampires is that they never seem to *realize* they've been around a while. They are also generally kind enough to join up with either the "good guys" or "bad guys" teams of the Buffyverse and its ilk, teams which don't exist in the universe of "Dead Like Me."

But you might want to visit the universe of "Dead Like Me" for yourself, and form your own impressions. Just don't stay too long. You might end up with a post-it note and a new job.

After reading another comment about this show being a rip-off of six feet under I'd like to comment.

I've seen every episode of six feet under and consider myself an avid fan. The main differences are not hard to determine.

Six feet under is a show that centers around a dysfunctional family in the wake of their own tragedy.(Death of the father). The way the series has played out makes the fact that they own a funeral home unimportant. Great drama is always about the characters. Six feet under is no exception. There are various story arcs that play out over the course of each season. Some stories carry over to the next season to keep you watching. It is very original.

Dead like me on the other hand is a fresh perspective of how the human dead are handled in the grand scheme of things. The idea that there is an entire sub-culture of un-dead following orders to take care of the mundane task of reaping a soul and showing the dead folks the way to the other side is comical but also makes you wonder "hmm... who's to say this doesn't occur? It also centers on Georgia Lass (freshly dead after a toilet seat from a de-orbiting space station takes her life)and how she handles the dubious distinction of becoming a reaper. Now in its second season, it again is focusing not on the occupation of those in the show, but the characters in the occupation of reaping. We are starting to get a glimps of the lives of Roxy, Rube, Daisy et al before they became reapers. I think Ellen Muth and Mandy Patankin are fantastic. I also like every last supporting character. It's superbly written and actually make you think about life in a different light. If you've not seen the show, at least give it a chance. Now if HBO came out with a show called "Gay as Family",(their version of Queer as folk) then I'd be screaming rip-off. Never forget Death happens to everyone eventually. There is surely room for more than one show that focuses on it.

Watch and be entertained,

Finally a show I can watch and get interested in. Dead Like Me continues to intrigue me through great acting and well written scripts. The whole reaper thing seems to be a sub culture; go to the message boards. There are back and forth discussions about minute details, as if the reapers are real. They aren't, but one can still empathise with these "dead" people. As each reaper grows through life situations (usually sticky) the viewer grows to like each character even more.

Mandy Pantinkin adds a wonderful balance to the whole cast. His character Rube fascinates me. He is secretive, yet he opens himself to emotional attachments with the reapers he "manages." Each of the reapers have their weaknesses and strengths, but like the viewer, they discover them through the crazy situations they find themselves in.

Its on late Sunday night, I'm on the West Coast, but I don't care because the show is the highlight of my Weekend TV viewing. Watch it once and you will be hooked!

This show is easily one of my favorites. Ellen Muth's interpretation of the disaffected, cynical teenager who is forced into sticking to a higher standard is right on. The writers have produced some of the funniest comedy, especially where George's boss Dolores is concerned; a former junkie who has taken home drifters ("passionate lovers", she calls them), who gives no thought to using a Tazer on a courier at the elevator in order to get her incontinent cat to the vet. The dialogue is funny, and hearing what's going on inside George's head while she puts on a smile is more than a little amusing. The show still visits the serious side of things, showing how the Lasses lost a daughter, while George has lost her whole family. Little by little, the audience is fed bits and pieces of information about the lives and deaths of the main characters. Most mysterious is Rube. He has a love-hate relationship with the unseen being who delivers the death lists, and we know only that he had a daughter, and that he attempted to send money to someone named Rosie and her mother back in the 1920's. (The postal service failed to deliver it,unknown to him until 2004.) We can only wait to find out how everyone's lives -and deaths- have played out. This show is absolutely nothing like Six Feet Under, for which I am grateful.

Dead Like Me is one of those unique TV series that will be remembered long after "flavors of the day" shows like The Sopranos are forgotten. It is bright and dark, hilarious and sad, awe-inspiring and introspective -- all at the same time. It is a wonderful piece of television.

I recently saw the season one DVD set and I must say this show is a marvel. Although it took me a few episodes to warm up to Ellen Muth as George the slacker grim reaper, the show was easily carried by old pro Mandy Patinkin as food-loving reaper Rube and his co-stars, including the gorgeous Rebecca Gayheart who makes a welcome - though all to brief - return to TV after coming off her own real-life tragedy which rivals anything seen on Dead Like Me. I won't rehash the details or the debate -- go look up her IMDb biography if you need more information.

The rest of the cast is outstanding, including Jasmine Guy - much older and wiser than her Different World days - Callum Blue and latecomer Laura Harris as George's fellow grim reapers. Harris, as wannabe actress Daisy, starts out annoying but very quickly develops layers that make her among the show's most interesting characters.

The format of the show is fascinating as there are two arcs going at the same time: George adjusting to the afterlife, and her family slowly falling apart because of her death. Central to this is George's kid sister Reggie, played by newcomer Britt McKillip. It probably isn't considered kosher to refer to an 11-year-old as beautiful unless you're a parent, but keep an eye on this one as she is going to develop into a spectacular talent.

Of course, a supporting cast means nothing without a strong lead, and Ellen Muth more than delivers. As I said above, she took a little getting used to, with her unconventional looks and a performance that gives "quirky" a whole new twist. It wasn't long before Muth truly owned the show and the character, and her narration is hilarious and touching throughout.

There were a few minor missteps in the show's first year. For some reason it was decided to do a flashback/clips episode at the 3/4 mark of the season. I will admit that the episode is fantastic and actually one of my favorites, but it might have been stronger without the flashbacks. Such things might be necessary when you're trying to create a jumping on point for an arc, but this isn't the case with Dead Like Me -- and the first season was only 14 episodes long; too short to need a recap.

The other problem I have with the show is the apparent use of the "Reset button" between most episodes. The events of one episode do not necessarily carry over into the next. This is very apparent as George appears to forget certain lessons learned in the previous episode on occasion. This is probably a minor quibble as this might not be so apparent if you watch the show in weekly chunks rather than all at once.

On the other hand, Dead Like Me is the first made-for-cable series I have seen that integrates adult language and sex (though the latter is relatively minor) in a way that is not jarring. This is not a kid's show, but I wouldn't have a problem letting a teenager see it.

Dead Like Me is easily the best series of the 2003-2004 television season, with Wonderfalls -- created by the same man -- in a very close 2nd place though it only aired 4 episodes. Dead Like Me deserves all the Emmys it can get.

This program is only like 6 Feet Under in that it deals with death. The rest is totally different. The characters are believable, sad, and sometimes stereotypes, but what show doesn't use stereotypes?? The cast is great, I wish they would use the Roxy character in their story lines more. Actually, this program deals more with life and how to live while you're alive than with death. The deaths are always wildly improbable, but then again, if you watch the news people die in weird ways every day. The music is appropriately atmospheric and thoughtful. The story lines are always a mix of sad, inspiring, and philosophical. These characters learn something and grow with each episode. An excellent show all around.

I read a few of the comments regarding this show. As we're all entitled to our opinion, I have to say I thought this show was great.

Mandy Patinkin & Ellen Muth work so well together. She conveys the frustration of being given a job that you do not want to do but have no choice in the matter. He does not - quite rightly - totally fill the role of Father figure but has a tenderness toward her that grows.

Cynthia Stevenson as the mum was an inspired choice & I thought the scenes between her and Britt McKillip as the younger daughter sparked. The child who was almost better prepared or better able to cope than the adult to deal with grief.

Greg Kean conveyed the tiredness and regret of his character with such empathy. The husband and wife of twenty years dealing with such loss and finding out where their relationship has gone was touching.

I would have wished that Rebecca Gayheart's character had lasted longer but Laura Harris sold me the moment she came. The chemistry between her and Callum Blue was so good that you rooted for them to get together.

Christine Willes was just a delight as Millie's boss and for me the star of the office was Crystal. Always in the background but the force to be reckoned with and such fun was had with her character.

The individual stories and the overall arc was set that I think had season three come it would have been the best one. I have so many questions and I'm hoping the DVD will answer some of them.

I miss the cynical voice over of Ellen Muth's character. It's entertainment I know but it's helped me deal with the subject of death and loss. Yes, death is sad but it is part of life and this show put it in a way that took some of the sting away and left a little more smile! Well worth a look if you can.

I, like others, may be adding my name the petition to get this show going again. It is top quality all the way. The characters are very original, the casting is great. I don't get Showtime, so I missed this in its original run but have seen it this year on DVD, courtesy of Netflix. I have loved every show. I am currently viewing the second season, disc two. The Mason character is hilarious and Ellen Muth does a fantastic job as George. Mandy Patinkin almost steals the show as the dour Rube. It's the best role I've ever seen him do. He was born to play this part. (Possible spoiler)** I love his comments on the afterlife, e.g. "I don't see Della Reese at this table". Another unsung character is the African American woman who plays the waitress. She's great. Perhaps in a third season, Betty could return (?). This cast of characters is just too good not to make more of this show!

Dead Like Me is one of those pop culture phenomena that while not a all-out success in its first run, proved ubiquitous, influencing pop culture in many different ways.

The concept of the show made a vague reference to Six Feet Under, and other predecessors, but was original; its take on death and the hereafter, and the way this was visualized was remarkable. The show was not a great success, surviving only a few seasons, but has gone on to prove incredibly influential.

Imitations of Dead Like Me's theme music, fashions, special effects, etc, have since appeared everywhere. And while one could argue that Dead Like Me drew some concepts from Six Feet Under, one could not claim that Medium and Ghost Whisperer were not created primarily to exploit the buzz created by Dead Like Me.

The Dead Like Me phenomena is extremely unique in America, for, while the entertainment industries of the UK, Australia, and certainly Canada, are OK with a singer, film or TV show going sub-culture, the American entertainment industry is more pragmatic, and wants to see the money roll in ASAP. Dead Like Me was a fantastic anomaly.

So, as Dead Like Me becomes legend for its great concept, excellent cast, and ubiquitous style, I hope it also becomes noteworthy for its very unique place in television history.

This show was totally unexpected for me. It has an atmosphere I've never seen in any other show. I found it so addictive to watch that I was upset there was only 2 seasons made. Looks like someone came to their senses because They started to make a season 3 as of 2008... YaY. This show gives you a different look at life and death. Imagine if you were to become a Reaper when you died and helped others move on to a better place while you are stuck on Earth and not even allowed to have anything to do with your old life. The whole Idea of the show is interesting. The relationships between the characters are complicated and sweet in some ways. Each character seems to be in a family relationship, but totally alone. I think most people will find this show interesting, entertaining and will get caught up in this show.

IMHO 'Dead Like Me" is the all-time best television series. Of course I like off-kilter stuff that still makes sense and tries to build themes into the story. For those who have not discovered this gem, imagine a cross between "Tru Calling" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" that pushes the envelope of irreverence about as much as "The Family Guy". Then imagine that behind all the surface irreverence is a transcendent reverence for the human condition. If that level of complexity appeals to you, "Dead Like Me" is something you should immediately track down.

I was permanently hooked by the conclusion of the "Pilot" episode when the resolution did not take the traditional happy path. Instead of being able to intervene and change the destiny of the little girl, George (Ellen Muth) is forced to do her job as a reaper. They go out to the strains of "Que Sera Sera", normally very corny but here very ironic. The song was originally written for Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much", a film about parents trying rescue their child which has parallels to what George is attempting and on another level the little girl is symbolic of George. And the song's lyrics are a perfect fit for the "randomness of life" theme of "Dead Like Men".

Each episode has subtle details like this, which may require repeated viewings just to uncover elements that you missed initially. I recommended purchasing a DVD of each season just to have the flexibility to watch several times at your convenience.

"Dead Like Me," has the mark of writers who aren't thinking about audience reaction or how the Showtime executives will relate to it. The story just pours out with a lot of verve, wit, and audacity.

Any series that focuses on a teenager killed by a falling toilet seat from the space station Mir has something going for it. George is sometimes called Miss Toilet Seat. She is assigned to Rube (Mandy Patinkin from "Chicago Hope"), who is kind of a platoon sergeant for a small group of "not always grim" reapers (soul collectors) who meet in a German Waffle House (listen for the occasional yodeling in the background).

The story is told from the point of view of 18-year-old jaded slacker Georgia "George" Lass (Muth), whose voice-over commentary sometimes contradicts what is happening on the screen. Her intelligence and advanced maturity give a world-weary "whatever" to the endless bizarre situations she must deal with; "it looks like death was just my wake-up call".

There is a running side story about the family George left behind. Her grieving unhappy mother Joy (Cynthia Stevenson), her professor father, Clancy (Greg Kean), and her sister Reggie (Britt McKillip) who collects toilet seats and may remind you of Dawn Weiner.

The reapers might technically be the undead but they interact with the living 24-7; although in a different body than they had when they were alive. There is no pay but they need a place to stay and food to eat so they get day jobs or relieve the dead of their spare cash. They even have pets; George keeps Mr. Blinky, the little girl's frog from the pilot episode.

Rube gives each reaper a yellow sticky note with a name, address, and an ETD; it's up to the reaper to collect the soul-ideally just before the actual death, and guide them to the next life. Reapers don't know why they got the job or how long they will be performing it; they accept it because it affords them the opportunity to continue to experience the things they liked and disliked about living; and they are not ready to give these up.

As a series "Dead Like Me" establishes a complex and consistent set of rules that viewers embrace. The writers are good about playing within this set of constraints and not cheating when they feel lazy or it is otherwise convenient.

Humor of various kinds is the predominant emotion but things often get serious and philosophical in a believable and intelligent fashion.

"When I was just a little girl I asked my mother what will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here's what she said to me.

Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see. Que sera, sera... "

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

It is such a shame that this show has been cancelled. I had been looking forward to the next season but I guess that won't happen! This show was so brilliantly written and the cast was perfectly picked. The premise of the show is so unusual you just had to watch. I was ended up thinking at the end of every episode. It left you wanting more and left you searching your own soul.

What gets me the most about this show is the way death is looked at. It is such a unique process. In some odd way it makes sense!

I usually don't get deeply involved in a show, but this one just strikes a chord. Go rent the DVD's!!!

The type of show done exceptionally well by network cable that stays under the radar from the big entertainment news, but becomes a jewel nonetheless.

I have just finished watching the final episode and feel that it had many directions to explore if it had been renewed. A distinct "What Next" anticipation.

It had begun to discover its' true foundations in the realm of the "Meaning of Life". The characters and their backgrounds were completed and it appeared that the overall story arc was beginning to grow.

I never would have seen it, except for a chance viewing of the repeats on the SciFi channel. I then went and purchased the series on DVD and became engrossed by it.

This series is finely made. The mock-traditions turn it takes is refreshing and it is comedically extremely well made. The casts' acting spirits creates a feeling and conversation easy to immerse one's mind into. The blend of talents from the cast and crew meshes smoothly and constructively in one of the most productive ways I've seen.

The greatly differing personalities of the main characters creates beautiful realistic conflict. The Dark-Comedy genre it falls under can make it unsuitable for children.

If you liked the series, Google the 'Dead Like Me Petition' and show your support for the uptake of Season 3. Showtime canceled the show. Curse them!

This series was such a joy to discover! Living in Vancouver, BC, the city in which the show is shot, I'm only now receiving it on Canadian television thanks to the SHOWCASE station.

On a personal side note - it's wonderful to watch a show that, although shot in a Canadian city under the guise of being an American city (Seattle, I believe), doesn't hide the street names, the weather, or the skyline and scenery of Vancouver, BC! This is not a series typical of the usual American sitcom fare, thank god! It ain't a tiresome reality show, or a poorly disguised soap opera for the masses.

I would say that it would appeal to all of those who dig the movie "Donnie Darko", enjoy "Six Feet Under" and those who are willing to look at the humor in the blandest of everyday activities, as well as the inevitability of death with a dash of hilarity.

This is an original concept of a show that takes us through the "lives" of the undead few who have been chosen at the point of their deaths to have the responsibility of being "reapers" of souls in there not-quite afterlife.

The great thing is, even those these chosen undead ones, these "Bail bondsmen for the disembodied", are given the power of being reapers of souls, they have no special powers (except appearing not as themselves to those who knew them in life) and must maintain jobs (or commit petty larceny as the character of Mason does) in order to pay the rent, bills, and all of the other unpleasant factors of a real life. This particular gaggle of reapers is run by "Rube" played by Mandy Patinkin, meet at "Der Waffle Haus" each day to receive their post it notes on which are written the first initial, last name, place or address, and E.T.D. (estimated time of death) of their "reaps" for the day, and must find the time to do so despite their interferences of everyday "lives" and jobs.

The main character of Georgia Lass, or "George", the wry-witted, sarcastic and irreverent 18 year old struck down in her prime and chosen to be a reaper is beautifully portrayed by husky-voiced young actress Ellen Muth.

As the series progresses, the audience is taken through often hilarious, sometimes heartwarming lessons of life with a wicked sense of humor. Teaching that life is short, that we all die, that the little moments in life are what count and so on could've made for a very clichéd show, but this series takes such an original and dry approach to its characters and humor that it touches all who can appreciate a good laugh wrapped around a positive message. The majority of the lessons taught throughout this darkly humorous, often irreverent, always entertaining series seems to be "You don't know what you've got till it's gone", a message that cannot be delivered enough times to enough people in this crazy day and age! Having watched the entire series (seasons 1 & 2) on DVD, I was pleased to see the evolution of the show's characters into a solid ensemble piece of fascinating people rather than a single centralized character driven piece with caricatures surrounding her, which I must admit, was a risk that the series could've suffered had it not grown up very quickly from its initial 2 or three episodes.

Yet again I'm saddened by the cancellation of one of the few intelligent and truly funny shows on television these days - "DEAD LIKE ME". Why this happened to a show that is so well written, acted, directed and cast is beyond me, but I've given up on reasoning what is obviously a network decision based on money, ratings and the whathaveyous that control such things.

If you haven't seen the series yet, watch it, or better yet, get the DVDs and watch the whole thing straight on through - you won't be disappointed!

~T.Paul

Except that the sardonic George Lass's afterlife is very much more than so-called, although to the appearances of everyone around her she's as alive as they are. "Dead Like Me" is also very much alive and kicking, and this Showtime series is proof that HBO doesn't have the monopoly on fine cable TV shows (actually, they never did, but that's another story).

Created by "Star Trek: Voyager" graduate Bryan Fuller and shepherded by John Masius ("Northern Exposure," "St. Elsewhere," "Providence"), this series is built on the premise that the afterlife is no less flawed than this one, with the same bureaucracies, character flaws etc as this one; the man who "popped" her soul before her demise fulfilled his quota and gets to move on, but George is stuck here as a Reaper collecting souls until she's reached her target. The pilot wisely didn't reveal said target, a move too few series like this make... although just how many series there are set among the undead is a good question.

The series is never as determinedly quirky as Digital Kitchen's "A Day In The Life Of A Grim Reaper" main title sequence (black-garbed scythe-carrying Death figures walking the dog, doing the laundry, battling with stapling machines at work, body-slamming each other after winning a basketball match etc), with the possible exception of some of the deaths that Rube and the team have to be present at; and if there's one fault that could be placed at the feet of "Dead Like Me," it's that some of the deaths do seem to be played for maximum black comedy value, from George's flaming-toilet-seat-related death in the pilot onwards (though in fairness this gets toned down a bit in the later episodes of the first season). And no one can say this is a show for everyone; leaving aside what Sky One's continuity announcer calls "strong language throughout," the show's examination of death - both the circumstances and the consequences - can be a turnoff.

But the series is intelligently put together, canny enough to not explain everything at once, and blessed with strong writing and a good cast; particular props to star/narrator Ellen Muth - think a cross between Graham Norton and Ellen Barkin - Mandy Patinkin as her boss, and Christine Willes as George's Happy Time superior Dolores Herbig ("As in 'Herbig' brown eyes!"), though you can't ignore Callum Blue, Laura Harris (infinitely better here than when she was on "24"), Jasmine Guy (infinitely better here than when she was on "A Different World") and even Cynthia Stevenson as our heroine's mum (whose rather cheerless character, in yet another blow to those who insist Americans have no concept of irony, is called Joy). The series's refusal to let the family George left behind be forgotten is another plus, allowing us to get a continuing sense of death's aftereffects (especially through George's sister Reggie).

Topped off by the excellent special effects (especially the Gravelings, the creatures who "orchestrate" the deaths) and Stewart Copeland's unmistakable scoring and the surprisingly light and peppy theme credited to Copeland and Emilio Kauderer, "Dead Like Me" is the antithesis of "Ed Stone Is Dead" in every conceivable way - the latter is a British sitcom starring Richard Blackwood about a man who's dead but who has to remain kicking around here for years, and one which I really couldn't get through more than ten minutes of. Although it does bear a bit more resemblance to this gem than a certain Emmy-winning American show which more than a few other people have compared it to.

Wonder what happened to Betty...?

Ever get the feeling that something you're watching was made just for you? Where the overall tone, the humor, the drama, the characters and the stories all click right away and never lose any of their magic? It just fits your own personal definition of TV greatness like a glove? For this reviewer, that show was Dead Like Me.

The show won me over from the opening voice over in the pilot where Georgia Lass introduces herself, "That's me. I'd say I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not. I excel at not giving a s---!" Ellen Muth brings a kind of cheerful pride to George's cynicism, giving her voice over narrations a lightheartedness that keeps it fun. Even later on when the character explores her emotional side there's usually a wise-crack waiting to bring her from going completely melodramatic (usually, but not always.)

Muth has a very expressive face (and an entire array of the funniest "WTF?!" expressions I've ever seen) complimented with dead on timing. Half the fun of Dead Like Me lay in watching George react to the increasingly bizarre world around her. Especially in scenes she shares with Christine Willes who plays Delores Herbig (aka the boss from hell – not that Delores is cruel and mean … just … indescribably weird and freaky and upbeat and she goes on about her cat and she tells you things you don't need to know and Ugh! Make it stop! The whole dying and becoming undead to reap the souls of the living thing? Yeah, that's normal juxtaposed to Delores Herbig.)

Which brings me to the rest of the Grim Reapers: Mason (Callum Blue), the perpetual screw up forever in over his head with every possible sin he can commit in his afterlife. Roxy (Jasmine Guy), the no-nonsense, kick-ass, counterweight to the chaos that is Mason. Daisy, Daisy Adair (Laura Harris), the aspiring extra from Gone With the Wind with stories about every actor from the golden age of cinema. And lastly, Betty (Rebecca Gayheart), the free spirit from Season 1.

The great Mandy Patinkin leads the pack as Rube, a character that walks dangerously close to disastrous clichés. The foreman of the group, kind-of a father figure, to keep the Reapers in line, and someone for George to rebel against early in season 1. But Mandy Patinkin infuses the part with a sense of real-world honesty – the employer who never forgot his origins. Even when he reprimands George for her rebellions or the screw-ups of Mason with words that very easily can be taken as condescending, his delivery carries a subtext of wisdom and sincerity as though he knows this is the only way to get through to these stubborn kids.

I liked each character in their own right, but I liked them better as an ensemble – their differences and clashes brings out the best in each. And typically such deliberate placement of different character types in the ensemble annoys me, yet it feels natural with the premise of Dead Like Me where none of the characters have any say about their circumstance – none of them choose to continue on as Grim Reapers. Thus their postmortem associates is forced upon them, and they have to make due with the hand dealt to them. In the land of the living, the show follows George's dysfunctional family as they deal with her loss amidst their own problems. I particularly liked this family's portrayal – it resonates with a sad truth that I seldom see on TV. Things aren't all right by the episode's end or even the season's end for that matter. This isn't a family concerned with climbing back up – that's a dream, a miracle, that won't happen. The reality they face and the best they can hope for is to simply stop the spiraling descent.

The little sister Reggie, obsessed with George's death, gravitates away from her parents and never really connects with them anymore (mirroring her older sister when she was alive.) I like how the mother, Joy, never seems to handle this rejection well, never seems to find the right thing to say, and even when she does Reggie almost never responds. It gives the impression that Joy would handle things differently if given the opportunity, for once giving meaning to the expression "hindsight is 20/20" in a TV show. Furthermore, it implicitly asks whether or not a "right" answer even exists at all.

Joy and Clancy face an exhausted and loveless marriage that goes largely unvoiced except in snide remarks and petty cheap shots. Not a perfect family, not even a happy family, just one trying to get through life. And yet the show never dwells on them long enough to depress its audience. It presents them with enough restraint, and just enough positive turns of fate to keep it from dragging the episodes down to full blown angst.

None of the characters are entirely likable (save George – George is always fun); however, that doesn't detract from the show at all. In fact, it enhances it – it gives the characters more depth, a wider range of personality – it shows they have a darker side, an irritating trait, that they have bad days. It shows the characters screw up. That they misjudge – Mason crosses a line with his lifestyle, and essentially betrays those around him. Rube will be overly harsh on George in one episode for something beyond her control. Daisy inexplicably gets involved in a stupid relationship when she knows better. Again, these touches only add to the characters.

Lastly, a show about Grim Reapers deals heavily with death. And despite the emotional grounds that come with the territory, Dead Like Me manages to dance delightfully around the macabre premise with its impish ludicrousness and uncanny patience. Alfred Hitchcock would be proud.

What can i say about dead like me? Excellent, terrific and most importantly why the hell was it canceled.

Being a English person we often join the best shows late, usually well after they are canceled. This is the case with dead like me, that i found late one night whilst channel surfing on satellite.

The show has so much dead plan humour in it which endeared me to the character of george, who was the main character throughout the first season (until the other characters started to being evolved in season 2) The show is done in very much the style of the wonder years where the main character george does the voice-over explaining certain things.

If you like dead pan humour with lots of weird and wonderful ways to die then this is the show for you. So either check you TV listings for details (hint sci fi in the UK has just started showing season 1). But does make you wonder when great shows like this get canned after 30 episodes yet certain shows run for years and yeats that are trash.

Six Feet Under is a drama about the lives of a family of morticians. Dead Like Me is a comedy about the afterlives of grim reapers. They both happen to involve death.

If that's what constitutes a rip-off, then any TV show involving a family is ripping off "Father Knows Best".

Furthermore, it's very funny, has very snappy dialogue, and has an awesome cast. Mandy Patinkin is outstanding as the Reapers' boss, Jasmine Guy is excellent as Roxy, the p***ed-off metermaid, and this show is the first I know of to replace the actress who played the killer in a slasher movie (Rebecca Gayheart, "Urban Legend") with the actress who played the alien in a science-fiction thriller (Laura Harris, "The Faculty"). I don't know if that counts for anything, but in my book, this show is top-shelf. May it last longer than friggin' "Sex and the City" and remain as interesting as "Star Trek: the Next Generation".

I could use all the adjectives that the other reviewers have, but I will refrain. It's a tragedy that this show (along with Firefly, Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies in the same time-frame) were cancelled in favor of the typical brain-dead police procedurals and medical dramas.

The 2009 continuation was lacking Mandy Patinkin's "glue" that made the show click.

Dead Like Me is such a great series in that it gives the viewer a way to laugh at the greatest fear we all have, death. The reapers are all too human,... in-humans. They use their undead persona's to better their plight, within reason, under Rube's loose supervision. There are hints of teen rebellion, tempered by ironic twists where the children are more mature than the adults. Toilet Seat Girl, (Ellen Muth) is a reaper who hasn't experienced much in her short 18 years on earth. Her eyes are opened as a reaper to a world that she never knew, or gave a chance to. Her introduction as a dark, cynical slacker gives the viewer little reason to bond. Mason,(Callum Blue) the English teen who also died too young, starts her on new life by bringing her to a mass murder scene. She learns that to survive as a reaper, she'll have to work...At the very place where she died. Her inability to give up her family, who she couldn't stand to be around when she was alive, is one of the most touching aspects of the series. She becomes a far more sympathetic character, dead, than she ever was in her life. You see this through flashbacks of her short, yet turbulent life. Stewart Copeland's musical direction is spot on and the great characters from Roxy to Delores Herbig ("as in her big brown eyes") carry this show. SciFi has been running the 1st season, hope the second makes it on. And oh yeah did I mention that you'll be rolling on the floor with laughter.