CW Update: After the Upfront
Ray Wise and Bret Harrison in Reaper by Michael Courtney/The CW
A few thoughts after sitting through an L.A. satellite feed of CW's Upfront presentation on Thursday, which was more impressive (the Pussycat Dolls performance aside) than I expected.
The Reaper looks much funnier than I expected. Should have guessed given that the appealing lead, Bret Harrison as a schmo who learns his parents sold his soul to the devil, is best known for sitcom work (
Grounded for Life, That '70s Show, The Loop). Ray Wise is a scream as his demanding new boss, aka Lucifer. Only drawback:
Reaper's time-slot competition includes another largely comedic series about a reluctant nerdish hero, NBC's
Chuck. Is there room for two?
Also getting a good response:
Aliens in America, with its Muslim exchange student fish-out-of-water befriending his classmate/host, a nerdy social pariah. This looks perfectly suited as a companion piece to the similarly sardonic
Everybody Hates Chris.
Gossip Girl may well become a brand-appropriate hit, but I'm personally weary of shows about overprivileged "teenagers" who look and act like they're in their 30s, and the whole gossip-via-Blackberry/Sidekick gimmick makes them come off as an even more self-absorbed and unlikable tribe than usual. (I was amused when CW confirmed that when
One Tree Hill returns, it will have jumped forward in time four years to post-college graduation. For once, this cast will finally be able to act its age.)
