Dark humor is really hard. It is a thin line to walk, it can turn to mean, and no one likes that. But when dark humor is good, it is the best kind of humor, it makes us feel grateful to be alive, andhelps us laugh our problems off.Not Dead Yetwears its darkness with pride on its title, now we have to watch it use it.
Not Dead Yetis based on the bookConfessions of a Forty-Something F**k Upby Alexandra Potter, published in late 2020. The book has the same named characters, and is about a woman who is no longer so young that she could be considered a child, sees no point in her life, feels worthless, and tries to find meaning and excitement, along with a new friend. It does not seem to be any dead people in the book, though. Maybe the creators felt thata show about a struggling millennialneeds something supernatural to be interesting.
Nell Serrano is not in a good place in her life. Five years ago she left her country in order to move to England with her boyfriend, leaving everything and everyone she knew behind. Now, five years later, she returns homeafter they broke up, and she has to put her life back together. She left her career as a journalist, but this is what she knows to do, so she returns to an environment that is strange to her. But she has no choice, her roommate is weird, and they have to pay their rent, so she will do whatever she has to do, in this case, writing obituaries for a paper where no one cares about her, apart from one friend, and a boss so insufferable, that we wish they existed only in the movies. Life is hard, and we do what we can. Nell does that, like everyone else, only unlike everyone else, shehas a sixth senseand starts seeing dead people. Now the meaning she was looking for has changed, her job may not be exciting, but it is not meaningless. She has to write proper obituaries for the dead in order for them to rest in peace.
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The official description by ABC is below.
“Not Dead Yet follows Nell Stevens (Rodriguez), a broke and newly single self-described disaster, working to restart the life and career she left behind 10 years ago. When she lands the only job she can find – writing obituaries, Nell starts getting life advice from an unlikely source.”
The role of main character, Nell, is played by Golden Globe nominee Gina Rodrigez, who is also an executive producer for the show. Her nomination was for her appearance inJane the Virgin, but we have also seen her in many other parts, such as 2021’sAwake, or the television seriesDiary of a Future President. She has also givenher voice to many animated characters, like Velma in the 2020’sScoob!, Carmen Sandiego in the television series and movie by the same name, and many more.
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Her boss, Lexi, is played by Lauren Ash, known for her parts inChicago Party Aunt, Superstore, andAnother Period, among many others. Her friend and supporter Sam and her weird roommate Edward are played by Hannah Simone and Rick Glassman, respectively. We have seen Simone before inNew Girl, the American remake ofOldboy, andKilling Gunther, among many others, and Glassman inAs We See It, Undateable, andThe Sixth Lead, among others.
The cast is quite large. It includes Phillip-Charlie Daniell (Concession, The Last Nora), Ren Hanami (Star Trek: Piccard, Super Giant Robot Brothers), Angela Elayne Gibbs (Hacks, Black Jesus), Imani Love (The Independent, Pretty Smart), Josh Banday (Upload, Slumberkins), Livia Treviño (Will & Grace, The Creatrees), and many more of actors comingand going as dead people.
The show is created by Casey Johnson and David Windsor. They both serve as executive producers as well. Johnson and Windsor have previously worked on successful shows likeThe Real O’Neals, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, This is Us, and more. Other executive producers include Dean Holland, Mary Viola, and Corey Marsh. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.
Release Date
Not Dead Yetwill debut with two episodes on February 8, at 8:30 pm ET/PT on ABC. The show will also be streaming on Hulu the day after.
Meaning should not be found in money, it should be found in helping each other, in any way we can.Not Yet Deadlooks like it is taking the route, and through the process of helping the dead, Nell will probably help herself find a new life. We will have to see it with our own eyes.
