It has the format of COPS, the irreverent sensibility of Reno 911, and the monsters-in-our-midst premise of True Blood. And it's a successful mix, judging from last night's premiere of the new MTV series Death Valley. An embedded TV news crew tracks the exploits of the Undead Task Force--the officers charged with protecting the general public from the hordes of vampires, zombies, and werewolves that have descended upon the San Fernando Valley area. Kill shots and one-liners abound in the pilot episode, but comedy ultimately trumps the macabre. There are some inspired bits of wittiness here (e.g. a confrontation with a werewolf couched as a D.U.I. stop) that hopefully can stay fresh over the course of a full season. Perhaps the long-term success of Death Valley hinges on the development of a story arc and the presentation of the monsters as villainous characters and not just grisly targets. Safe to say, though, I will be tuning in again next Monday night at 10:30 to watch the UTF at work.
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