DEAD LIKE ME: LIFE AFTER DEATH with Ellen Muth, Callum Blue, Sarah Wynter, Jasmine Guy, Britt McKillip, Henry Ian Cusick and Jordan Hudyma. Directed by Stephen Herek.

EVEN if, like me, you never saw any episodes of the Dead Like Me TV series, this film version, featuring most of the same characters and actors, is a good enough stand-alone story to provide some fun entertainment.

Ellen Muth plays Georgia “George” Lass, a woman who was killed at the age of 18 when a toilet seat from a space station plummeted to earth, killing her instantly.

Although she was no longer “alive”, this wasn’t the end of her story. She was recruited by a grim reaper agency to harvest souls.

She and her colleagues Mason (Callum Blue), Daisy (Sarah Wynter, taking over the role from Laura Harris) and Roxy (Jasmine Guy) are horrified when they discover they have a sleazy new boss, Cameron (Henry Ian Cusick).

However they also discover he’s not as strict as their former head reaper and they start breaking the rules.

Instead of “reaping” a man, Roxy saves his life to be seen as a hero. Daisy uses Cameron’s contacts to get her a role in a stage play, while George breaks one of the biggest rules of their profession.

She makes contact with her living family when she discovers her sister Reggie (Britt McKillip) is in love with an injured football player whom George has to reap.

With Reggie feeling suicidal (but it not being her time to die), George has to reveal ongoing existence to her sister to prevent catastrophe.

The film will obviously be enjoyed most by those who used to watch the series, but the show’s regular characters are introduced as though you’ve never seen them before and their back stories thoroughly explained, allowing non-fans to get equal enjoyment.

While the writing and directing is good, none of the actors really sets the screen alight, and it’s not that surprising that the TV series was eventually cancelled.

But if you enjoy other supernatural shows like Pushing Daisies, Ghost Whisperer and Reaper, then there’s a strong chance you’ll enjoy this comedic look at the afterlife.