The "Dead Like Me" pilot — starring Tony winner Patinkin and Rebecca Gayheart — will begin airing on Showtime June 27 at 10 PM ET; check local listings. In the premiere episode of the series, an 18-year-old girl is killed by falling space debris. Ellen Murth plays the young woman who is then recruited to be a grim reaper, "an undead being charged with claiming souls from the dying." Others in the premiere episode of the new series about "life after life" include Callum Blue, Jasmine Guy and Cynthia Stevenson. For more information about "Dead Like Me," visit the Showtime website at www.sho.com.

Mandy Patinkin won a Tony Award for his role as Che in the Broadway mounting of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita. His theatrical work includes roles in The Wild Party, Sunday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden and The Knife. An Emmy Award winner for his work on "Chicago Hope," his other screen credits include "Yentl," "Ragtime," "Dick Tracy," "Broken Glass," "Life with Mikey" and "The Princess Bride." Patinkin's latest solo recording, "Mandy Patinkin Sings Sondheim," is available on the Nonesuch label.