Reaper is returning! Well, in a manner of speaking. Very cool channel FEARnet has not only picked up the two original seasons of former CW supernatural comedy Reaper, but is staging a reunion special similar to Firefly‘s, a roundtable discussion featuring stars Bret Harrison, Tyler Labine, and Ray Wise.
Check out the details:
FEARnet adds a cult favorite to its Tuesday night Twisted Comedy Block with the wildly popular ABC Studios comedy series REAPER, licensing both seasons of the hour-long series for a complete 31 episode order. REAPER will be the lead-in program at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT to FEARnet’s original half-hour comedy series HOLLISTON, which premieres its second season that same night at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT. The announcement was made today by Sarah Shannon, Vice President of Programming and Network Operations, FEARnet.
In addition to airing the series, FEARnet is producing a half-hour special reuniting some of the original cast and crew in which they will discuss the series’ popularity, its finale and their rabid community of fans in a round-table format. Set to appear in the special are series stars Bret Harrison (Sam Oliver), Tyler Labine (Sock) and Ray Wise (The Devil), among others.
“REAPER is the first off-network series that we have licensed for FEARnet. We are constantly looking for TV and cable properties that are still relevant, and that will resonate with our large base of fans, and REAPER fits that criteria perfectly,” said Shannon. “Many REAPER viewers feel the show left too early, so we hope that they will enjoy our plans for the series and our REAPER Reunion special.”
The quirky series focuses on the life of Sam Oliver (Harrison), a college drop-out who, on his 21st birthday, learns that he now must work as a bounty hunter for the Devil (Wise), as part of a deal made many years ago when Sam’s parents offered up their firstborn son in exchange for good health for the ailing father. Tyler Labine (TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL) and Rick Gonzalez (COACH CARTER) play Sam’s slacker friends who help him in his new secret double-life of ‘reaping’ souls, using a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner as well as other modern household items.
Often noted by TV fan websites as a series that was cancelled too soon, REAPER continues to enjoy a thriving community of devoted viewers who have rallied for the series to come back in syndication since its last network broadcast.
REAPER is a production of ABC Studios and the Mark Gordon Company. The series was executive produced by Michelle Fazekas (ED, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT), Tara Butters (ED, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT), Mark Gordon (GREY’s ANATOMY, CRIMINAL MINDS), Deb Spera (CRIMINAL MINDS,) Tom Spezialy (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) and iconic filmmaker Kevin Smith (CLERKS, JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK), who also directed the pilot.
Deadline reports that the series will premiere on June 4. The SciFiMafia.com Spring and Summer Prime Time TV Schedule will be updated accordingly.
Reaper, starring Bret Harrison, Tyler Labine, and Ray Wise, premieres Tuesday, June 4 at 9/8c/6p on FEARnet.
