Death Valley

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.

I was on vacation with the family in Sanduskey, Ohio. Everyone else was asleep in our hotel room, so i turned on the TV.. Flipping around i came to MTV, and some show that looked like a COPS rip-off with.. wait.. what's that? ZOMBIES?

I kept watching, and laughed my ass off.

It is now airing on MUCHMUSIC here in Canada, and I've watched the first 3 episodes. I have fallen in love. Why had i not heard of this show until now? It deserves to be on a bigger network and get more attention.

It's got some sparkling writing, and the chemistry between the ensemble cast is electric. Most enjoyable show i've seen in a LONG time.

Hope it survives!

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)

This show is AWESOME! It never should have ended! The characters were really fun to watch, and the situations they got themselves into were hilarious. I remember watching this for the first time and thinking "where did this come from"? The concept was really pretty original, which is hard to do now days. Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves start becoming real! Genius! I can't figure out why it would have been cancelled. Everyone I know loved the show. I guess they figured it wasn't getting enough views. I REALLY wish they would bring it back! You Listening MTV? We the fans want more Death Valley! Please make it happen!

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.