Not Dead Yet Series Review

I talk to ghosts. Can you keep that a secret?

Not Dead Yet is an ABC series that premiered in 2023. Nell gets a job as an obituary writer for a newspaper. Discovering that she has the gift to speak to the people she’s writing about, These ghosts help her figure out problems in her life.

The premise of Not Dead Yet immediately appealed to me as it had a ghost concept. I love anything that centers around ghosts. The show is relatable to anyone struggling to start a career, but eventually, the storyline wears thin on its intriguing premise repeating storylines or lessons from past episodes.

Not Dead Yet features Gina Rodriguez as Nell, a young woman starting her life over. Nell is someone most young adult audiences can relate to as she struggles to find her dream job and make a healthy social life. Rodriguez was great in the part. I liked her comical reactions and the way she guided her character.

Not Dead Yet has a memorable ensemble of characters. Some credits include Hannah Simone, Lauren Ash, Rick Glassman, Joshua Banday, and Angela E. Gibbs. I like shows that pay attention to all the characters instead of focusing on the main character. Everyone has a story.

Edward (Rick Glassman) was my favorite character. On the spectrum, Edward has a lot of house rules which Nell does not abide by sometimes. Finding it difficult to live with one another, Nell and Edward work out strategies to be more tolerant of one another. This show is a positive example of roommate etiquette.

I had mixed opinions about Lexi (Lauren Ash) and her storyline. As the boss, she is sharp around the edges, but as one character points out, there’s more to Lexi than one thinks. There’s one storyline too many with Lexi trying to be more fun and failing in her intentions. We needed more study of her background.

Notable guest stars as ghosts include Martin Mull, Brittany Snow, and Rhea Perlman. These roles always allow plenty of creative driving. Why are ghosts still here? Aiding Nell in her conflicts, their storylines were heartwarming and tear-jerking. They had several gratifying morals for Nell.

Not Dead Yet is not without its blemishes. Struggling to get into its main premise, the show is predictable, and the concept of ghosts is not developed enough. It’s what the show is all about.

The ghosts didn’t have many purposes in the last few episodes, occasionally appearing to advise Nell. One episode has Nell writing an obituary about a dog. What could have been a creative episode, the dog doesn’t do much other than bark to get Nell’s attention. We never find out how the dog found closure.

Creators Corey Johnson and David Windsor used the same formula for each episode where a character has a crisis and learns a lesson from it. Lessons are repeated from previous episodes. The writers didn’t put a lot of thought into the dynamics of each episode.

Moving past the show’s flaws, Not Dead Yet has positive insights. The show takes the characters' problems seriously and has a positive message about the journalism world.

The show has fun being what it is. I looked forward to seeing what would happen next. I was also surprised by one clever twist.

I still enjoyed the show and I hope it gets more seasons. Not Dead Yet is a funny sitcom that has a heart. Find Not Dead Yet on Hulu and watch the series. It’s a quirky and light-hearted show that we all need right now.