Before ‘Crystal Lake’, Bryan Fuller Created an Overlooked Fantasy Series You Can Watch for Free
Bryan Fuller’s first television series, *Dead Like Me*, is gaining attention as a free-to-watch example of the macabre humour and fantasy that later appeared in his better-known work. The article argues that the show remains an overlooked way to see how Fuller finds humour and humanity in stories about death.
The 2003 series follows 18-year-old George Lass, who becomes a grim reaper after dying in an accident involving a toilet seat and a falling piece of a decommissioned Russian space station. She joins a group of reapers led by Rube, played by Mandy Patinkin, and helps escort people’s souls after their deaths. Fuller left the series after five episodes amid creative differences, but its themes and cast connections carried into his later work, including *Hannibal*; the full series is available free on Tubi.
In short
- *Dead Like Me* was Bryan Fuller’s first television series.
- The 2003 fantasy comedy follows a teenager who becomes a grim reaper.
- The full series is streaming free on Tubi.
Explained simply
Dead Like Me is a 2003 fantasy comedy about George Lass, an 18-year-old who dies in an unusual accident and becomes a grim reaper. She joins a group led by Rube, played by Mandy Patinkin, whose job is to guide people’s souls after they die.
Bryan Fuller created the series but left after five episodes following creative differences. Its blend of dark humour and human stories about death is also associated with his later work, including Hannibal.