Imagine Veronica Mars as a zombie – still solving crimes precociously, still wielding a gift for gab and a quick mind, still relying on a small but loyal circle of friends. Except she’s undead, and the only way she keeps from becoming a full-out raging zombie is to feed her habit with a regular supply of brains. So she finds work in a morgue – and also finds that when she samples the brains of the recently deceased corpses there, she gains temporary access to some of their memories and skill sets as well. Presto: what could have been a tired entry in the zombie sub-genre becomes refreshingly original, like some strange crime procedural mixed in with elements from Pushing Daisies and Dollhouse. It may sound too strange to sample, but don’t prejudge harshly: iZombie is clever in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars mold, and the show’s star, Rose McIver, is instantly lovable. And, next to Tatiana Maslany on Orphan Black, she now has one of the most potentially challenging and open-ended roles on television.