Tonight at about 11pm on Channel 4 is the first episode of Reaper.  Take my advice and either stay up late, set the video, Sky+ or V+ box, or hope it will be available on 4OD afterwards.   Last week we watched the first season finale on E4 and it was brilliant, as indeed the whole season was.

The pilot/first episode, being shown tonight was directed by Kevin Smith, who is billed as creative consultant for the whole series – and it shows.  There are echoes of Clerks and all the other Smith films throughout.  Its like a comedy version of Supernatural, and along the way there are some belly laughs, amazing plot twists and then some more laughs.  For the last few months it has been, for me, the third best thing on TV behind My Name Is Earl and Doctor Who.

The premise is that an ordinary teenager finds out that his parents sold his soul to the Devil, who appears to make him work as a bounty hunter, rounding up escaped souls and sending them back to Hell.  His friends and workmates at the Work Bench (a sort of large-scale B&Q that sells absolutely everything) are roped in to help and hilarity ensues.   Just stop wondering why an intelligent lad from an obviously well-off family is working at a minimum-wage sort of job and instead enjoy the endearing cast and clever script.

Or just watch the highlights of Spain v. Russia on BBC1 instead. Either way you can’t go wrong.