Not Dead Yet

Not Dead Yet is a 2023 ABC comedy series starring Gina Rodriguez as Nell Serrano, a broke, newly single journalist trying to restart her life after years abroad. Back in Southern California, Nell takes the only job she can get at a local newspaper: writing obituaries. The twist is that the deceased she writes about begin appearing to her as ghosts, offering blunt, funny, and unexpectedly personal life advice. Based on Alexandra Potter's novel Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up, the series mixes workplace comedy, romantic messiness, and a supernatural premise to follow Nell as she rebuilds her career, navigates friendships, and confronts the versions of herself she thought she had left behind. The show also features Hannah Simone, Lauren Ash, Rick Glassman, Josh Banday, and Angela Elayne Gibbs in supporting roles. (rottentomatoes.com)

Critical reception for Not Dead Yet has been mixed. Review aggregators reflect that split: Rotten Tomatoes lists the series with a 50% critics' approval rating and an average rating around 6.5/10, while Metacritic assigns it a score of 58 out of 100, signaling mixed or average reviews. Some critics praised Gina Rodriguez's charm and the cast's energy, noting that the show is promising when its writing finds the right rhythm and when its diverse ensemble clicks. Others felt the series leans too heavily on familiar network-comedy beats and that its jokes do not always land. A Time review called it punchy enough to hold attention, but also pointed out its reliance on familiar tropes. Audience response has been similarly divided, though IMDb user ratings sit at 7.0/10, suggesting many viewers found the premise entertaining even if the execution was uneven. Overall, the show is often described as engaging because of Rodriguez, but still in search of a sharper comic voice. (rottentomatoes.com)