I have always been a fan of physical format media. Whether it’s CDs, DVDs, and most recently Blu-Rays, I’d rather have some form of hard copy to hold in my mitts, other than a digital download code card. With the popularity of digital media growing, however, so does that of streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu. While I’ve been aware of Netflix original series for quite some time now, I had no idea that Hulu was host to some original series, as well. One of those that I had never heard of was the supernatural comedy, Deadbeat, created by Cody Heller and Brett Konner.
Kevin Pacalioglu (Tyler Labine) is a real-life medium who, with the help of his friend and drug dealer, Roofie (Brandon T. Jackson), assists ghosts in accomplishing their unfinished business. He is indirectly in competition with the famous Camomile White (Cat Deeley), a medium, who actually doesn’t believe in ghosts at all.
Not knowing anything about this show, I went into season one with very little expectations. I was quickly pleasantly surprised at how entertaining Deadbeat turned out to be. The show itself doesn’t require much thought and is a really fun way to just sit back and allow yourself to enjoy some corny jokes and naturally funny people.
Tyler Labine (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) is the perfect choice for a role such as Kevin. He seems right at home playing an unhealthy, carefree, pot-head who happens to be able to help dead people. Labine is funnier than I expected and I really enjoyed hearing the mixed up phrases and silly quips that came out of his mouth in each of the 10 episodes. Brandon T. Jackson was a great companion for Kevin, always encouraging him and helping him out whenever he needed a little pick me up… both emotionally and the drug-related kind! The duo made a great pair and I’d love to see them work together more.
I don’t know much about Cat Deeley, but I think she did a fantastic job throughout the entire season. She was the perfect ‘nemesis’ of Kevin, providing the perfect levels of witchiness to Kevin’s kindness and cleverness to his denseness.
Deadbeat is clever and original and I’m glad it didn’t slip under my radar for too long. I flew through the entire 10 episodes with ease, and actually wish there was more to watch. I am genuinely eager to see what they do with season two, which I hope is being worked on as we speak. If you are up for some mindless, silly entertainment, give Deadbeat a shot.
Aside from being available to stream on Hulu, you can also enjoy the entire first season on DVD and Digital, released by Lionsgate. I give this Hulu Original series 4 blob pals out of 5.
