“iZombie,” the new mystery comedy drama on The CW, was brought to television by the writer/producer team of Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero.
That duo was also responsible for producing “Veronica Mars,” so it’s not surprising that this supernatural series feels a lot like an undead version of the mystery series.
Based on a Vertigo comic book series created by writer Chris Roberson and artist Michael Allred, the show follows Olivia “Liv” Moore (Rose McIver, a breakout star in the making), a very promising medical student who finds her life in upheaval after she goes to a boat party turned zombie dinner cruise.
The next day she’s on the beach, popping up from a body bag, pale and undead. She’s a zombie — brain-eating and all — and takes a job as a mortician’s assistant for easy access to her favorite delicacy, which she needs to eat to continue passing as a human.
As a bonus, whenever Liv eats brains, she gets some of the memories and attributes of the deceased.
This skill comes in handy when Liv works with Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti (Rahul Kohli), the medical examiner, and Detective Clive Babinaux (Malcolm Goodwin) to solve crimes.
With Liv, a bright, young female lead, narrating the episodes and solving quirky crimes, it really does tonally feel like an extension of “Veronica Mars,” and that’s a legitimate compliment to be in such fine company.
Add in a light, breezy take on the zombie genre — which is very inviting for those of you who, like this critic, are sick of zombies — and you have a seriously fun new series that’s got a lot of brains. Pun totally intended.
On TV: “iZombie” premieres Tuesday night at 9 on CW/11.
