Halloween Day by Day: "Dead Like Me" (Season One)

2003 saw a TV series hit the air that tried to answer the eternal question: Who IS the Grim Reaper...?

A faulty toilet falling from the Space Station accidentally hits teenaged Georgia- killing her. What she couldn't possibly have expected is that her soul would be tapped by the administrative system of the afterlife... as a Grim Reaper...

"Dead Like Me" is a charming and fun comedy series that treats death with humour, and sincerity at the same time. The world is well crafted, and pretty coherent from episode to episode.

The characters are unique, interesting, and emotionally engaging. They are believable people, who you come to care about, and even relate to as they deal with the baggage left from their past Life, and their current Death.

I really enjoyed the performances from the actors. They all brought a nice solidity and reality to their roles. Ellen Muth as Georgia was especially wonderful to watch. She brought a nice dry sense of humour and pathos to the character that helped to balance out some of the more surreal moments. She was a protagonist that you could really get behind and emotionally invest in. Also of special note was Mandy Patinkin in the role of Rube. He brought a real sense of charm and maturity to the role that played well against Muth's character, and meshed well all the others.

It's unfortunate that "Dead Like Me" only lasted two seasons, as I really enjoyed watching it. If you get the chance, find it on DVD and watch it. I don't think you'd be disappointed. "The Good" for sure.

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