the mediator

I've been complaining about this for a while now, but seriously Meg Cabot gypped us tv-fans when she allowed her Mediator book series to get optioned as a Disney Channel original movie. This series could have been the next Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seriously, it's set up exactly like our beloved BtVS...

First off, the characters! There's Suze, who's the Buffy, of this series. She's the sassy, strong, independent girl, with the notion of doing good with her powers. In this case, she has the ability to see ghosts (yes, yes like the kid from the Sixth Sense, she "can see dead people"). And she believes that with this power, it is her job to help the ghosts to find peace and move on. Then there are the two school sidekicks: Ceecee and Adam. Ceecee is the editor of the school paper, Willow-style dork! Adam is the goofy guy who's been best friends with Ceecee since forever and the unrequited love of Ceecee's life -- Xander! Then the eccentric adult figure, Father Dom. He's the headmaster of the school Suze has transferred into (which strangely enough is a religious school, so there are a lot of Fathers and Sisters at the school). He, too, can see ghosts, and he believes that this is a God-given gift and assists Suze to see the good in her powers. The Giles of the series! Then there is the "mysterious guy" quickly turned into love of Suze's life, Jesse. Think Angel-vampire, Buffy slays vampires, Buffy loves a vampire? Well Jesse-ghost, Suze helps get rid of ghosts, Suze loves a ghost!

Second off, plotlines. So there are the miniplots of the different ghost characters she meets in each episode -- I'm sorry, I meant volume. Similar to the different supernatural forces/vampires Buffy gets to meet. Then there's the underlying overall storylines that are going on -- the mystery of Jesse, why'd he die? why's he still around? -- her powers, why does she have them? what can she actually do with them? The formula for Buffy's success! Short themes for each episode, and one bigger overall storyline running through each season.

Third off, introduction of subsequent "Big Bad." BtVS was extremely good with this, and in having those Big Bads have dual-sides. Best example: Spike. We loved to hate him, then we loved to love him. Well Meg Cabot has created that character (well as best as she could, in a 6 book teen-series): Paul!

But besides the Buffy-like ensemble (the Ghostbusters meet the Scoobies?), and the Buffy-reminiscent plotlines and complex relationships, the Mediator does have some of its own flare to add to the mix. The kooky family of Suze's. Her mom is newly remarried at the beginning of the series so she has a terrific new stepdad, who loves to cook, and 3 crazy stepbrothers (that she nicknames after the 7 dwarfs). Sleepy, the overprotective older stepbrother who takes his role seriously; Dopey, the "stupid jock" who's her age. He's the one she gets into fights with all the time; and Doc, the incredibly intelligent youngest child who is the only one Suze genuinely likes from the beginning. Plus, she has the ghost of her father popping in every once in a while.

Come on! Wouldn't this be a really great tv show? It would fulfill that void that's been left in our tv-watching lives since the end of BtVS! SERIOUSLY, Meg Cabot, you really robbed us crazed-tv-watchers of a potentially really good show. *sigh*

But, thanks for the happy ending at the end of Book 6, Twilight. Also, double thanks for knowing when a series needs to end. Too often, books and tv alike, series are dragged out beyond what their lifespan should've been. Thank you for keeping it short and sweet. :-)