The Kevin Smith-directed pilot of the CW's new show Reaper, which premiered this past Tuesday, will re-air tonight at 9.

Smith held a conference call with college journalists to discuss this rare foray into television directing, as well as upcoming film projects like the comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno and the more political Red State, a horror film with fundamentalists as the villains.

Q: How did you get involved with Reaper?

A: It came through my agency. I thought "Who wants me to direct a tv show? I want to meet this moron!" They are real characters dealing w/ supernatural characters. I was so bemused...

[on the female creators of the show, former Law & Order: Special Victims Unit writers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters] There are women on the staff of a show, say Buffy... but rarely do chicks create this kind of material. I said "That's kind of historic to me. I want to be a part of that. I think this could be funny, let's try it." I was also like "Wow, what an interesting notion, directing someone else's script." This was also a pilot, so there was no guarantee anyone was gonna see it.

Q: What did you try to accomplish in a short time?

A: I had a cush gig as a pilot director, most time when a director comes to a show that's up and running, you're locked into a formula. But when you direct the pilot, you kind of set that tone. Basically, that's all I had to do, was give it a certain look and feel and whatnot... so, for me, I just wanted to make it as watchable as possible, and amusing as possible.

Q: You said that you didn't necessarily follow runs of comics after you left them, but you did want to set the tone for Reaper. How much are you going to follow and care about the way the show continues?

A: That's a great question. I was just talking to the publicist at CW about it. I care about the show more than I should, because once you do the pilot, they're off and running, and they don't need you anymore. from the first time I sat down with the girls and listened to the mythology of the show, and I got to hear where it was going. I wanted to see some certain story arcs and characters that people weren't going to see coming. They've got some big ideas for it, that kind of takes it out of this realm [of a horror show] a little bit, in a very X-Files fashion, where some are a stand-alone and some are part of the mythology of the series. I'd like to see it keep going, selfishly of course. If you direct a pilot, you earn money, you make money for every episode that ever follows. You set the tone, and presumably that's why the show got picked up. I asked "You mean I never have to do anything, and you keep giving checks?" But also on a personal level, I want to see where the show goes.

Q: Was there research into the way the porn industry runs for Zack and Miri?

A: It's certainly not an in-depth expose on the industry, so the plot is predicated on two people who know nothing about the industry who decide they want to make a porno. I don't know nearly as much as the porn industry as I wish I did, but I know a lot about sex since I've seen a lot of it online, and I had some of it back in the day.

Q: A lot of your characters are kind of pop-culture obsessed, like you yourself. A lot of people have entire conversations quoting pop culture, what do you feel about your role in that?

A: I feel like I've contributed to the downfall of meaningful conversation. Oddly enough, I don't get to do it with my own films. If I did it with my own films, people would be like "Get over yourself, asshole." It takes a certain friend set to be able to do that. There's always lulls in conversations, not just in a particular conversation, but in the life of conversation amongst your friends. They know what I'm doing every day, I know what they're doing every day. When you kick back and riff on movies, it just kind of keeps the familial bond there without having to do any hard work, or acknowledge that you're attracted to each other and move into that forbidden territory of man-on-man love. "It keeps me from putting a cock in my mouth, is what I guess I'm saying."

Q: Is there apprehension in your diverging from your comfort zone, doing Zack and Miri or Red State, given the reception to Jersey Girl?

A: There certainly was three years ago, and I think that's why Clerks II was an important movie for me to make personally. It allowed me to close up that "View Askewniverse" [the universe in which most of Smith's films take place] and leave that behind. Now I'm gonna try a bunch of different thing. It's just face the fact that some shit's gonna connect with an audience, and some shit's not gonna connect with an audience. I'm really looking forward to Zack and Miri... you're not gonna watch that movie and go "Where dis this come from?" But Red State is completely outside my comfort zone. We have to see if A.) anyone wants to finance it, and B.) if we can actually pull it off.