Do you remember Reaper?  It's the CW series about a 21-year old named Sam, whose parents sold his soul to the devil, and who now has to catch escaped souls from hell for Satan.  And, it's a comedy.  Reaper was one of The CW's highly-touted freshman shows coming into the 2007-2008 TV season, though it failed to set the world on fire early in the year.  Although reviews were largely positive, the ratings were mediocre in its initial pre-strike run.  The CW has not yet made an announcement regarding Reaper's future past this season, and will likely make a decision based upon its performance the rest of the season, starting tonight.  The first new episode of Reaper since the strike began airs on The CW at 9pm tonight. 

This is a new time slot for Reaper, which previously aired on Tuesdays.  The move is a little confusing for me, because tonight Reaper will face off against both Lost and The Celebrity Apprentice.  Then again, had The CW kept Reaper in its old Tuesday night slot, it would have been up against the American Idol war machine.  Nonetheless, the future of Reaper hangs in the balance, and it'd be a shame if the series didn't make it past its first season.

Reaper has a chance to become another Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I truly believe that.  The writers need to expand the cast a little, figure out some character relationship issues (the Sam-Andi thing has gotten old), and spend more time with the overall mythology.  But, I've thoroughly enjoyed every episode of Reaper that's aired, laughed my ass off consistently, and am convinced that Reaper's potential is off the charts.  Watch it tonight.  DVR it.  Just give it a chance.

Tonight's episode is called “Hungry for Fame” and guest stars Jamie Kennedy as a musician who tries to sell his soul to the devil for music stardom. 


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of The CW)