“Reaper” (Tuesdays, The CW): The buzz surrounding this supernatural action comedy is true: It’s a winner. The premise is that a slacker’s parents sold his soul to the devil, payable when he turns 21, and now that the day has arrived, the devil has him on bounty-hunter duty, retrieving escaped demons and sending them back to hell. The first episode was much funnier than I expected; the emphasis seems to be comedy over action, which is fine with me. The devil is played with obvious glee by Ray Wise (Leland Palmer from “Twin Peaks”), and the hero is Bret Harrison, last seen in Fox’s prematurely canceled “The Loop.” They’re both strong, capable comic actors, and if the writing stays fresh like this, the show should be a hit. TiVo verdict: Hell yeah.
“Bionic Woman” (Wednesdays, NBC): And then there’s this piece of crap. An update of the ’70s series about a woman who gets some super-powered body parts, this version got off to a lazy start with a bland pilot. The top-secret government operation’s previous bionic woman, now gone rogue, pursues and fights with the new one — but no reason is given for her hatred of the new girl. (If anything, she should be going after the people who made her.) The new girl herself, Jamie, is played by an uncharismatic actress named Michelle Ryan, and she gives the character no personality whatsoever. Nothing about the first episode made me interested in watching it ever again. There just wasn’t anything to it. TiVo verdict: I have a bionic “delete this program now” thumb.
