Death Valley

A mix of Reno 911 and Zombieland, MTV's new mocumentary Death Valley follows the Undead Task Force. The UTF was created just one year before to combat the mysterious appearance of zombies, vampires, and werewolves in California's San Fernando Valley.

You might recognize Captain Dashell (Bryan Callen) as Eddie the wedding chapel owner from The Hangover. He's lost the accent and the overload of affection but not the humor. Stubeck (Charlie Sanders) and Pierce (Bryce Johnson) are the dynamic moron duo. They are more worried about looking cool and one-liners than doing a good job but they keep you laughing. Rinaldi (Tania Raymonde) and John-John (Texas Battle) are the resident bad asses who kick butt and take names. They aren't afraid to do what they have to including take out one of their own, a zombie bitten camera man. And no good spoof would be complete without the newbie, Kirsten (Caity Lotz). She may be new and the Captain may not believe in her but it's clear that she knows her stuff. But doubtful she'll ever get the credit.

The show has an interesting take on the zombie/vampire phenomena. Zombies are a part of everyday life instead of an apocalypse occurrence. The cops see zombies as just another criminal and take care of the problem like they would any other. Well, they beat them with bats and blow their brains out, so not exactly like any other. Vampires are prostitutes who get paid in blood. The show pokes fun at the zombie/vampire genre and does a good job of it while not being mean. Best of all the camera people get in on the action which is something you usually don't see.

These supernatural happenings are everyday things. One of the camera men even asks why people don't just move away instead of staying and dealing with the supernatural foes. The reply? It's their home, would you leave? They make a good point. Except for the being undead and drinking blood parts these cops seem to be dealing with the same things that real cops handle every day. The show could be a commentary on the craziness that people and cops are dealing with in the real world. We may not have zombies but we do have drugs, crime, and prostitution that can be just as bad.

Although the show is full of laughs there is an overkill of sexual innuendos. A few are funny but when they keep coming up they really get boring. There is a lack of back story. The audience is thrown into the action immediately following two cops running after a zombie and that's a little jolting for a first episode. This leaves you wondering where these supernatural beings even came from.

If you like zombies and shows like Cops you will like this show. There are a lot of laughs to be had and lots of zombie killing. It's a nice 30 minute show to watch and take a break from the stresses of life without having to think too hard.

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.

Sometimes it is hard to understand how Hollywood works. The super dreary Zombie Nation goes on for years while this spot on zombie comedy gets cancelled after one season. It's been six years and everyones in awhile I catch myself really missing this show. Loved the humor and the gore. Thought the casting was great and the characters really likable. Bring it back please!

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).

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.