Dead Like Me TV Show - Dead Like Me Television Show - Yahoo! TV

"Dead Like Me" unfortunately fell into that group of television shows that confront uncomfortable, although realistic, topics. As was the case with "Arrested Development", a show that was too short-lived due to its head-on take on the modern dysfunctional family, "Dead Like Me" causes the viewer some discomfort at first, knowing that several characters will be killed each episode. Perhaps this is why the show never developed the following it truly deserved -- try convincing a friend that you want them to watch a show where a grim reaper takes souls from dying bodies, and unless your friend is a science-fiction or horror fan, the friend has probably immediately been turned off. Explaining the show in this manner is akin to explaining "The Sopranos" as a simply show about mobsters -- while the narrative surrounds this concept, the real substance of the show, and what makes it truly special, is the development of the characters and the life-lessons that are learned. Just as "The Sopranos" is compelling because we feel we can truly understand both the triumphs and struggles of Tony Soprano, so too is "Dead Like Me" compelling as we watch as a young girl struggle with the concept of death while undergoing self-realization and reflection about the meaning of life. While grim reapers and gravelings may seem to be only the domain of science fiction, the difference with "Dead Like Me" is that it superimposes these elements on top of a real-life girl's struggle to answer the question that most young adults face -- "What do I want to do with my life?" Only after dying can this girl begin to truly understand what it meant to be alive. For this reason, the show comes highly recommended to anybody, young or old, asking themselves those same questions about the purpose and meaning of one's own life. The show presents a hopeful and positive view of death and the afterlife, and for that reason the show is also highly recommended to anyone experiencing sickness or death of a loved one.
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Robert H. Goretsky
Hoboken, NJ