There’s plenty of potential in ‘Not Dead Yet’
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We all know that sitcoms work familiar formulas we’ve all seen many times before. What makes a sitcom work is its characters. Give us a cast of characters we love spending with, and we’ll watch them work through well-worn situations and issues just so we can see how they’ll react.
“Not Dead Yet” puts a novel twist on a very familiar formula. It’s essentially a workplace comedy but it filters that situation through a “Sixth Sense”-like plot conceit: the protagonist sees dead people. Thanks to that twist and an engaging cast, “Not Dead Yet” is a series that has plenty going for it, if it’s handled correctly.
This show introduces us to Nell Serrano (Gina Rodriguez), who left her life in the U.S. to be with her man in England. When that relationship falls apart, Nell moves back home and takes a job writing obituaries for the news outlet she used to work for.
Unfortunately, Nell soon discovers that she can see and interact with the ghosts of the person whose obituary she’s currently writing, which causes her all kinds of added stress. On top of that, she struggles to maintain her relationships with her friends Sam (Hannah Simone) and Dennis (Josh Banday) while keeping the peace with her boss, Lexi (Lauren Ash), and her roommate, Edward (Rick Glassman).
There are a number of good elements here to work with, starting with Nell herself. Rodriguez is delightful, so likable and easy to root for. She has a really approachable quality about her as if you could sit next to her on a park bench and talk for hours. (Not that I recommend sitting next to strangers on park benches).
Simone and Banday provide good supporting work to the proceedings and add a lot as Nell’s coworkers and BFFs. The weekly guest stars also give the show a lift, especially Martin Mull, who gives a monologue near the end of the pilot that really tugs at the heartstrings.
The show also does a good job of making each ghost address a specific issue Nells battles with. For example, in the second episode, Nell writes about a motivational speaker and her travails writing the piece and dealing with the ghost help her become more assertive.
Not only do such plot elements and themes make Nell more relatable and easier to pull for, but they also made me think about issues I’m having in my own life. I like shows that entertain for the sake of entertaining but I love shows that get me to think a little in the process of entertaining me.
Despite all these good elements, “Not Dead Yet” is far from perfect. First and foremost, while it’s frequently clever and witty, the show is rarely laugh-out-loud hilarious. The scene I mentioned with Martin Mull earlier packs a nice dollop of the feels but the following episodes never reach those emotional heights again.
But the biggest flaw is that the show seems bound and determined to make break-out characters out of Lexi and Mason the Intern (Jimmy Bellinger). Ash is fine in the role but it’s hard to imagine anyone as loopy and incompetent being able to find their way to the top of a major business. As for Mason, well, he’s just straight-up annoying and unfunny.
“Not Dead Yet” has a lot going for it and if handled right, I think it can be a rewarding watch for a long time. Making the show more consistently funny will help. More laughs would probably even make the more annoying characters a little more tolerable. But with Rodriguez, a good supporting cast, excellent guest stars and themes that leave you thinking about your own life, the is plenty of life in “Not Dead Yet.”
”Not Dead Yet” airs each Wednesday night on ABC and episodes can be streamed on Hulu.