No, you’re not seeing things — “Not Dead Yet” has officially changed time slots, so set your DVR accordingly.
While the first season followed ABCs smash hit “Abbott Elementary” on Wednesday nights, the second season now precedes it as a lead-in show every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.
Based on Alexandra Potter’s novel “Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up” (2020), adapted by “This Is Us” alumni Casey Johnson and David Windsor, the supernatural sitcom follows newspaper reporter Nell Serrano, who moved to London with her boyfriend but is now back in Los Angeles after their breakup. Her new assignment at the SoCal Independent is to write obituaries, causing her to see the ghosts of the very folks she’s writing about.
The contrast between the two roles shows Rodriguez’s range with a completely different look, style and attitude. While “Players” cast her as a suave man-eater tricking hunks into bed, “Not Dead Yet” gives her a more innocent, down-to-earth role as the wounded but resilient Nell, sporting blazers over graphic tees. She routinely wears a single earbud, pretending she’s on the phone as she talks to ghosts so others don’t think she’s talking to herself.
Inside the newsroom, Hannah Simone (“New Girl”) plays her reliable best friend Sam, while Joshua Banday (“Upload”) plays their jocular editor Dennis, all bonding over their hatred of news director Lexi (Lauren Ash, “Superstore”). Lexi’s character is more developed in Season 2 with the addition of Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) as her father, who owns the newspaper and cluelessly asks Nell for help at being a good person.
This season, Lexi is also developing a surprising romance with Nell’s lovably nerdy roommate Edward (Rick Glassman), who last season stole Nell’s bad first date Ross (Trent Garrett) for his own video game pal. Who knew his next flame would be Nell’s boss in a series of sarcastic zingers during an office visit? Could Lexi’s cold heart be thawing this season? Episode 2 proved they can claim it was a one-time fling, but there’s no stopping this one.
Still, it’s Nell’s dating life that fuels the show, some suitors failing, others showing promise. One special beau gave new meaning to the word “ghosting” as Jesse (Langston Kerman) turned out to be a ghost in the best twist of Season 1. In Season 2, Nell meets a new love interest while writing an obit for a deceased politician whose son turned out to be the charming Andres (Tommy Martinez), a portrait artist hilariously bad at drawing eyes.
Romantic subplots aside, “Not Dead Yet” is less about the ghosts and more about the growth. Nell grew a ton by shedding her ex in Season 1 and the first episode of Season 2 saw a ghostly real estate agent urging Nell to ask for a promotion. Along the way, she consistently gets sage advice from Cricket (Angela E. Gibbs), the bartender widow of her first obit subject. What other growth moments might we see from Nell’s endearing character arc?
You’ll just have to tune into Episode 3 this Wednesday night — just remember the new time slot of 8:30 p.m. because there are no ghosts in the halls of “Abbott Elementary” — well, maybe an old janitor haunting the basement. If you happen to miss it, you can wait an extra day and catch it streaming on Hulu on Thursday. Just know that Thursday also brings “Ghosts” on CBS, so that might be a little too much hilarious haunting for one day.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
