"Todd" plays out like a Canadian "Buffy" with a little more risqué humor and lots more gore: a group of high school students team up to fight evil (invariably caused by the titular Book) and have to defend themselves and their fellow students against a monster-of-the-week type occurrence. Except that they don't very often succeed in keeping the body count to a minimum.
Being produced outside of the United States, "Todd" is a lot less MOR than most American series: the producers are unafraid to veer off into directions that will send some accidental viewers running for the hills, especially if said viewers have homophobic issues.
The four lead characters are well cast, but the supporting actors are simply a joy to watch. Chris Leavins (as guidance counselor Atticus Murphy) and Jason Mewes (as Jimmy the janitor) steal most every scene they're in, but even one-line characters get the talent they deserve.
The overall tone is very dry, which brings out the dark humor in even the most gruesome scenes. The ensemble's collective timing is some of the best comedic group work I've yet seen.
The only problem I can find with "Todd" is that the 20-minute episode length limits the show to sitcom-like story lines, with little attention spent on larger story arcs: things get out of hand, the gang saves the day (sort of), and things reset for next week's episode. Should it get picked up again, I don't really see "Todd and the Book of Pure Evil" evolving into something that could be quite as heart-wrenching (or as emotionally involving) as Joss Whedon's magnum opus.
But hey, if you're a fan of intelligent horror comedy, this show is for you. Here's hoping some guy in a suit will find enough financial incentive to renew "Todd" for a third season. Tell your friends.
