That’s the sentence I keep repeating to myself whenever I see Mandy Patinkin on TV. I can’t help it – I’ve got the script from The Princess Bride pretty much ingrained in me because… well, it’s awesome.
Today’s post isn’t about Inigo Montoya, but it is about Mandy Patinkin. Before he was starring in Homeland and even before he was in Criminal Minds, he was in a very little known TV show called Dead Like Me. It was only on air on Showcase for two seasons, but it gained somewhat of a cult-like following that was actually big enough for it to get not one… but two movies.
This show follows the life – or rather, afterlife – of Georgina Lass (call her George). She’s a college dropout from Seattle with zero aspirations to be anything more than what she is. That is until her first day at lunch on her temp job… she’s killed by a toilet seat from the MIR space station. Upon death, George gets recruited for a team of grim reapers – led by Inigo Montoya. I mean, Mandy Patinkin. Along with fellow team members Mason, Roxy, Betty, and leader Rube, George discovers life after life.
If you watch the show, the backdrop is fairly obvious to local Vancouverites. Quite a few of the scenes were shot at UBC, Yaletown, Tinseltown and various other parts of East Vancouver. I also recall walking by them filming in Richmond Centre and wondering what they were filming for. One of the crew members told me about the show… and that’s how my curiosity was piqued.
I wasn’t able to source a lot of background shots, as I do not own seasons 1 or 2 on DVD (nor do I have a copy of it on any other format), but I was able to dig up these shots…
Photo credit: Dead Like Me Movie.com
Photo credit: AJ Cook.com
Photo credit: AJ Cook.com
Dead Like Me aired from 2003 to 2004 on the Showcase network. It stars Ellen Muth as Georgina Lass, Laura Harris as Daisy Adair, Callum Blue as Mason, Jasmine Guy as Roxy Harvey, Cynthia Stevenson as Joy Lass and Mandy Patinkin as Rube Sofer. Dead Like Me: The Complete First Season
Lesley Chang is an avid TV watcher who has always had a fascination with Vancouver being used as the backdrop of many TV shows and films. Follow her on Twitter at @LesleyChang.
I LOVED this show. I thought it was one of the funniest, and well written shows out there and miss it dearly.
I had no idea they had 2 movies. Do we know when they aired or is it coming? I’d love to reconnect with the characters again!
They actually only had one. I got confused and thought there were two! The movie that they made was Dead Like Me: Life After Death. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1079444/
It was pretty cool show. There was another show that was probably filmed in Vancouver, but I can’t remember the name. It was based on a guy getting a newspaper the day before a major headline and the guy had to figure out to save the people.
Ahh that was Early Edition. Not filmed in Vancouver… it was filmed on a sound stage in Chicago!
Loved this show. Have all of it on DVD. I was so disappointed when they got cancelled.
I just remembered that I bought the two seasons on DVD at your London Drugs store eons ago!!
I loved this show too. I knew about the first movie, but wasn’t aware of the second. Is it available on DVD?
My mistake – I thought there were two movies but there’s actually only one!
Already I saw this show its really good show and thanks for sharing with us.