May has arrived, which means the fate of many new shows will be soon be announced. Once again, I find myself worried that the only CW series I watch might be cancelled. Last year, the CW dropped Veronica Mars, much to the disappointment of loyal fans, including myself. This year, it looks like Reaper might be headed out the door.
The LA Times listed Reaper among the series currently “on the bubble.” Apparently, The CW isn’t sure they want to give the series another season. Meanwhile, Gossip Girl, which according to the Times, averaged fewer viewers, but “does noticeably better among the advertiser-beloved cohort of viewers ages 18 to 34,” has been picked up for second season.
Reaper centers on a 20-something college dropout named Sam, who works at a hardware store and spends his free time helping the devil collect souls that have escaped from hell. These are mostly demon-types masked as humans who pose a threat to mankind and definitely don’t want to go back to hell. Sam’s obligated to do this job because his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born. His slacker friends Ben and Sock are often by his side to help him out with the soul-reaping. The show’s mostly a comedy, though there are some dramatic aspects that come into play once in a while.
Reaper’s a fun series with some really clever dialogue and a pretty original premise. Hopefully The CW won’t give it the boot. You would think the networks would be a bit more lenient on their new series, given the fact that the writers strike forced most shows to go on an extra long hiatus, thus breaking the momentum of the season, which could’ve had an effect on the ratings. I definitely think Reaper has the potential to improve their ratings if given a second season. Guess we’ll have to wait and see if the CW agrees.
