Gina Rodriguez stars in new ABC series, Not Dead Yet. Catch it LIVE on ABC on Wednesday nights or Thursdays on Hulu. The new series is adapted from the book “Confessions of a 40-something F**k Up” by Alexandra Potter. I have not read the book, but I might be ordering it soon. Thanks to ABC Publicity, I prescreened a few episodes, and keep reading to get my thoughts on Not Dead Yet.
NOT DEAD YET – Key Art. (ABC)
My Thoughts on Not Dead Yet
First off, I’m happy to see a show with a Latina lead that does not revolve around them owning a business, working in food, or being poor. Nell is just an average person trying to make it in life. The series begins with Nell (Rodriguez) narrating the setup of the series (episode) as she is coming back to a job at a newspaper she left five years prior when she moved overseas for a love interest. As you can guess, it did not work out so Nell is back and the audience gets to watch her navigate life post-breakup.
There are a few cringe-worthy moments, but Nell will grow on you as the rest of the cast does. In each 22-minute episode, Nell is visited by the deceased person for whom she is writing an obituary. I immediately thought, “why is it taking her a week to write a single obituary?” In reality, it isn’t taking her that long, but to make things interesting she gets to spend a bit of time with the deceased this way. They also impart advice to help her in life as well. As you can imagine, Nell is a bit of a train wreck, so it adds to the story.
While you might have moments where you think, hmm.. I promise you are going to want to keep watching. The obituaries can be a little weird but watching Nell’s character evolve from her experiences is endearing enough to keep watching. I am rooting for Nell and Gina in this series.
About The Series
NOT DEAD YET – ÒPilotÓ Ð Nell attempts to restart her life in a new place with a new job and a new roommate. She begins writing obituaries at the local paper and starts getting life advice from an unlikely source on ÒNot Dead Yet,Ó WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (ABC/Eric McCandless)
MARTIN MULL, GINA RODRIGUEZ
