Death Valley

When I first heard about this show I wrote it off as just another stupid MTV show. I never really gave it a chance when it finally started airing, I would watch a few mins of it every now and then but I never really sat down and gav it a shot. Then finally once it appeared on Netflix I decided to watch the entire first (and last) season, and man did it surprise me.

One of the main things that shocked me about this show was that it actually has a very interesting story, the episodes play off of each other in a very cool way. I expected it to be a "Reno 911" rip off with zombies/werewolfs/and vampires thrown in, but it actually takes on a life of its own with nice plot twists and likable characters.

All in all this is an excellent series with very few flaws. Its a bummer that it was not renewed for a second season because this is really a gem. Definitely check this out. 9/10

On TV, what I like to see are interesting characters who have great interactions & decent evolutions. To my surprise, this show is delivering all of that!

Forget all the gimmicks other reviewers are highlighting. This show is more fiction than mockumentary - the camera-crew are actual characters in the story and they have dialogue. The gore & supernatural elements aren't the reason for the shows existence - they're used to create a humorous & surreal environment.

'Death Valley' IS a great "buddy cop" show. The characters are so charming. Each one is "fleshed out", with his/her own beliefs, quirks, skills. When they start interacting, it's just some of the best television you'll ever see.

The charm of this show is that the comedy is derived from the friendships between these characters...not artificial & annoying conflict. Because of their jobs (& the acting, & the writing)...you see a group that has a believable family bond. But because of their unique cultural, moral, & even sexual baggages...you get hilarious interactions & reactions whenever those baggages are brought up.

Compare this to say...'The Office' (American version). In that show, all they do is parade out any number of ridiculously annoying mental handicaps (Michael, Dwight, Andy, Kelly, etc.). Their unsubtle stupidity & artificial conflicts are supposed to generate comedy.

Another thing I'd like to highlight is that this show actually has numerous arcs!. Everything from the macro (police vs. demons) to the micro (Carla vs. John John) evolves as the show goes on. It's all done subtly, but by the end of the season...there are pay-offs on all these fronts (sort of!).

When you add this show to 'Awkward', MTV starts to look like a formidable & respectable network. This is praise from someone who's never...ever...thought highly of them.

Somebody said Zombies are the new vampires. I don't really care (since I like both so much), but I can't help but wonder why my favorite new shows have zombies (am I the only one with a countdown for The Walking Dead's second season?).

Just like the old show COPS, Death Valley starts out with a chase, two cops following a bloody faced woman through a small convenience store. There's shaky video as the videographer (is that even the right term for the person who follows the action?) chases after them and catches the shocking and somewhat funny conclusion to the chase.

Anyway, I love this show. It has just the right amount of earnest police procedural to balance out the bloody gore and humor of cops chasing after zombies and vampires in Los Angeles.

If you think this will be a one hit wonder, think again, like other good cop shows, it's the characters that really carry the show, but I am hoping for some kind of overarching plot, maybe something to do with a vampire prostitution ring, werewolf mafia, zombie ultimate boxing, something ridiculous, of course.

Death Valley hasn't hit a high with a cop like Captain Jim Dangle (my fave cop from Reno 911!) but you can't go wrong with characters like "John John" and my Death Valley favorite, Joe Stubeck, who made me giggle so much I almost spit out my coffee.

Anyways, I'll be tuning in for more.

Where the hell did this come from? I'm guessing the surprise mainstream success of The Walking Dead has opened the door for a whole new genre of horror/gore based TV series, and this one actually manages to have fun with it!

The humour is low brow with an endless stream of one liners but I'm a sucker for that when it's done well, and when you throw Vampires, Zombies and Werewolves into the mix you can't go wrong (as long as the effects budget is there that is.)

I've only seen one episode so far but I hope this takes off and doesn't get cut-off mid season like some other gems that have come out recently (Walking Dead, V, etc)

I'm a zombie fan. That's why i checked out this show. But what hooked me was the humor. It's one of the most funny shows I've ever seen. The characters are some of the most brilliant ones ever created. I just can't get enough. I'm shocked that this show didn't get a second season. My guess (and hope) is that some other network will pick this up, because this is too good to let go. I would consider this a top 5 all time as far as comedy shows go. If you have not seen it, see it! If you have seen it, buy the DVD when available. If you are the head of a TV network, please pick this show up and give it a much deserved season 2 (and beyond).