The CW’s Most Underrated Supernatural Series Turns 19, And It’s Time to Start Talking About a Reboot

The CW has had some of the best supernatural television shows, starting in the 1990s when it was known as The WB, and going through the 2010s before the network rebranded. This includes some extremely successful shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural, and other popular spinoffs like Angel, The Originals, and Legacies. These aired alongside superhero shows like The Flash, Arrow, and others in the Arrowverse, making The CW the go-to destination for genre TV fans. For every successful supernatural series that aired on the network, there were more that didn’t seem to leave a mark. This is disappointing because some of the shows are highly underrated and deserve more recognition than they receive.

The supernatural series Reaper premiered on The CW on September 25, 2007, and while it remains mostly forgotten, it is much better than its reputation might suggest. In fact, it is time that networks considered rebooting the series and giving it another chance.

Reaper Is One of The CW’s Most Underrated Supernatural Shows

Reaper premiered 19 years ago and told the story of a young man who learns that his soul was sold to the Devil. At the start, the cast of Reaper is masterful from the get-go. The lead character, Sam, is played by Bret Harrison, a guy who dropped out of college and lives at home with his parents while working at a home-repair superstore. Most of his life is spent playing video games and wishing he could get up the nerve to ask out his co-worker Andi, played by Missy Peregrym. When Sam turned 21 years old, he learned that his parents promised the Devil their firstborn child, and now it is time for Sam to pay the price. Having someone as hapless as Sam put in this role was brilliant.

However, it was the rest of the cast that really shone in their roles. Tyler Labine, who co-starred with Alan Tudyk in the cult-favorite horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, played Sock, Sam’s best friend, and someone who has about the same lack of concern about his future. Rick Gonzalez (Old School) plays his other friend, Ben. Armie Hammer joined the cast as Morgan, the actual son of the Devil, and his arrogance and conceit fit that character perfectly. However, the actor who stole this show was the Devil himself. Ray Wise plays the Devil, and he is perfect in the role as the smooth-talking master manipulator. Wise was already a genre favorite thanks to his role in Twin Peaks, and he might be one of the best versions of the Devil on television.

The plot was also simple and set up the show for a great episodic format. When the Devil showed up to claim Sam, he didn’t want to do it, but the Devil said if he didn’t, then Sam’s mother’s soul would be forfeited to the Devil, so Sam went along with it anyway. Sam’s job was to serve as the Devil’s bounty hunter, tracking down souls that escaped from hell and sending them back with his new supernatural powers and various objects that were given special powers as well. In Sam’s own mind, he is tracking down evil in the world, so he is doing good while saving his mother’s soul. This set up a highly entertaining and hilarious supernatural comedy, but it never gained the audience it deserved and ended after just two seasons.

It’s Time Reaper Got a Television Reboot

Reaper was a great show with a fantastic cast, and it just didn’t get the following it needed for a few reasons. One big problem is that the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike happened during its first season. The first 10 episodes aired, then after the strike ended, the last eight aired, with a three-month break in between. It also changed nights when it returned, although the ratings stayed consistent despite the change in nights. It was then renewed for a 13-episode second season, and then The CW cancelled it. ABC Studios attempted to negotiate to run the show in syndication or sell it to cable, but that fell through, and an attempt to sell it to the Sci-Fi Channel also failed.

Now, 17 years after the final episode aired, it is as good a time as any to reboot Reaper. The idea is still solid, and anyone could step into the role of the Devil’s son, forced to hunt down and return escaped souls to Hell. Ray Wise is also still acting and could easily return as the Devil again, and likely steal every scene once again. With streaming services becoming more prevalent, Reaper is a show that could be a hit just about anywhere, and maybe today, it could find the success it deserved 19 years ago when it debuted.

Do you remember Reaper and watching it when it originally aired? Do you think a reboot of the series could work in today’s streaming world? Let us know your best memories of this series in the comments below.