AOL ad for 'Reaper'

The devil is full of fun and hilarious hijinks on a new show debuting tonight on the CW Television Network that urges viewers to "be one of Satan's tools."

"Reaper," airing at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, revolves around a "20-something slacker" named Sam Oliver, played by Bret Harrison, who has an unexpected encounter with Satan while driving on a neighborhood street.

Sam then finds out from his father a deep, dark family secret, according to a trailer on CW's website

"I probably should have told you this a long time ago," his father says. "Your mom and I sold your soul to the devil."

Sam learns of his new obligations after asking the devil, "Do I have to go to hell now?"

"You're going to work for me here," says Satan, played by Ray Wise. "You're just going to bring escaped souls back to hell. You know, like a bounty hunter. That's cool!"

Sam replies: "I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to be your stupid bounty hunter."

"You will do it," warns the devil, "or I will take your mother."

(Story continues below)

Ray Wise plays Satan in CW's 'Reaper' (Courtesy CW Television Network)

Working for Satan apparently has benefits, though, according to the show, as Sam is given special powers to woo and impress his love interest, Andi, played by Missy Peregrym.

The prominence of the show's ad on AOL's Welcome Screen stunned Tamatha Miller of Chesapeake, Va., at 7:15 a.m.

"The thing that hit me was the 'Be One of Satan's Tools' slogan," Miller told WND. "Why would anybody want to be a tool of Satan, other than a satanist? It didn't remind me of something AOL should have on its sign-on screen."

The CW Television Network, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, boasts of being the only network targeting young adults 18-34.

The network says that as a reflection of that audience, it "strives to be a socially responsible company with initiatives such as its 'Free 2 B Green' environmental campaign, for which the network has partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council and StopGlobalWarming.org."

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