Newsflash! Chuck and Reaper are the same show.

Are you interested in a genre show about a classic underachiever turned hero? NBC and the CW hope you are. I have now seen the first eps of both Chuck and Reaper and they really are basically the same show. I kind of liked both, didn't love either. Which do I watch? I don't have room in my busy tv schedule, so I figured I'd throw them head-to-head as see what happens.

Main character:

• Chuck: This guy reminds me way to much of Jimmy Fallon. I don't like Jimmy Fallon. At least this Zachary Levi guy can finish a scene without cracking up.
• Reaper: Hey! It's that Guy from the Loop! I kinda liked that show. What's Sarah Mason doing these days?
  

Edge: Reaper

Genre convention/pitch:

• Chuck: Remember Marshall from Alias? Let's make him less smart, put him a big box store, and team him with a hot chick and have them fight terrorists together.
• Reaper: Remember Xander from Buffy? Lose the slayer and make him save demons by himself (while working in a big box store).

Demons > Terrorists. Plus a ghostbusters-like device (this week it was a dirt devil) to take down demons is much cooler than lots of flashy pictures edited together quickly.
Edge: Reaper

Big Box Store:

• Chuck: Our hero is a member of the Nerd Herd at a Best Buy-clone.
• Reaper: The Work Bench - which I thought was like Home Depot (and the CW describes as a home improvement store) but I thought I saw a big enough variety of stuff (TV's, first aid stuff, fire extinguishers) that you'd almost have to go to Target or Walmart to find together. Get your bland store identity together CW!

Edge: Chuck

Female Lead:

• Chuck: Yvonne Strzechowski may be the hottest person on TV right now. Plus, Sarah Lancaster is great as Chuck's sis.
  
• Reaper: Isn't that the girl from Stick It? Oh yeah, and Heroes. I definitely recognized her from Heroes, not a movie about gymnasts.

Edge: Chuck

Abrasive Sidekick:

• Chuck: Like Seth Green, but less funny
• Reaper: Like Kevin Smith, but on network TV

Edge: Reaper

Antagonist:

• Chuck: Adam Baldwin as a take-no-prisoners NSA assassin. Jayne from Firefly, but all dressed up and licensed by the government to kick ass.
• Reaper: I didn't think anything could top Adam Baldwin, but Ray Wise as the friendly, chicken-fried steak lovin' devil? We'll call it a draw.

Edge: Tie

Other Stuff:

• Chuck: From the OC guy. Boo. But on a real network (NBC) that hopes it will feed of of Heroes' popularity.
• Reaper: From Kevin Smith. Yay! But on the network (CW) that canceled Veronica Mars (Bastards).

Edge: Chuck

Hmmm. 3-3 eh? I guess I'll have to check out the seocnd episodes of each show and return to this dilemma next week.