This evening, ABC Family unveils their newest drama, Bunheads. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls), this TV show revolves around a classically-trained Las Vegas showgirl (Sutton Foster) who impulsively marries a guy, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law’s dance school.
The cast also features Kaitlyn Jenkins, Julia Goldani Telles, Bailey Buntain, Emma Dumont, Alan Ruck, and Kelly Bishop.
Will Bunheads be a success or will it be cancelled after one season. Is it worth watching? Here’s what the critics are saying:
LA Times: “Foster is delightful throughout, and Michelle her own person, that Lauren Graham thing notwithstanding. She adjusts wonderfully to different partners and circumstances, and is never less than real, serious or joking, drunk or sober — a perfect fit for a show that, like Gilmore Girls, merits a wider audience than its rough outline would suggest. It’s a sweet summer treat.”
TIME: “The premise is different from Gilmore but the theme of starting over, the snappy dialogue and the offbeat charm are very similar… One very big caveat: the pilot closes on a twist–no spoilers here–that may send the show in a very different direction than most of the pilot sets you up to expect. It’s a bold move, but also one that makes it hard to endorse the show unconditionally. That said, Bunheads is probably not the kind of show that is going to live or die on the basis of its plot. What matters is its voice, and the spring in its step, and its first hour was just so damn enjoyable that I’ll gladly season-pass this and see where the season takes it. Out of the gate, Bunheads has some impressive moves; I look forward to trying to keep up.”
Variety: “Foster, who seems to relish Sherman-Palladino’s rapid-fire quips and the rich complications of Michelle’s hot mess of a life, delivers a commanding turn in what already feels like a creative collaboration comparable to what Sherman-Palladino enjoyed with Lauren Graham on Gilmore… The biggest hurdle for Bunheads may be its awkward title — a colloquialism alternately viewed as a nickname or insult for young ballerinas, which goes unexplained in the pilot — but when the show itself is so immediately captivating, what’s in a name?”
Newsday: “It’s got that multigeneration appeal, spotlighting both teens and adults, this time striving to (re)define themselves in ways those Gilmore girls never had to. Monday night’s hour, spent setting up the premise, also drops a doozy of a conclusion that is up there with the equally stunning yet not-the-least-bit-similar twist delivered by The Shield. It changes the game in a huge way you may or may not take to.”
Washington Post: “As Michelle, Foster is a winning sort of gooney bird, confidently relating to the young ladies who are toed up to Fanny’s ballet barre. Bishop veers a bit toward stereotype as the disapproving mother-in-law obsessed with her own former glory; in fact, everyone in the cast has apparently been encouraged to dial their characters’ respective tropes up to the max. While it’s not perfect, Bunheads is a happy find, a ray of authenticity on a summer TV schedule filled with so much artificial light.”
What do you think? Will you or did you watch Bunheads on ABC Family? Is it worth watching again and again?
I LOVE THE SHOW….DON’T CHANGE A THING. I LOVE IT , I LOVE , I LOVE IT
I actually came across the show by accident and I LOVED it. I have watched all 3 episodes so far and I can not wait for more… I was never a fan of Gilmore Girls but Bunheads is a show worth watching.
Please keep it on; it is delightful and inspiring that you can pick up and use your gifts to help others.
Hubble (Alan Ruck) was the only reason I was watching this show…I was hopeful that tonight they would go to the hospital and he would be in a coma. Yet, the second show start with his mother shopping for a tent for his memorial and taking everything out of the fridge. What’s the point in having his wife stay when she was married to this man for less than 48 hours. I am beyond disappointed in the writers choice to kill Alan Ruck off. He was great in Ferris and he could have been awesome in this show. The commercials… Read more »
Please don’t kill off Hubble…re-shoot the second episode with him in a coma or something, but please don’t kill him…it will be a huge mistake… You need a rock like him to bounce the comedy off of… and to balance the emotional rampages of this brilliant, almost entirely female cast…
I agree with you on Hubble because if they do kill him off I don’t think i’ll will watch the show. He is the rock on that show that made it interesting to watch. I really want to see how they work out the relationship .
I will definitely be watching this series!
I liked it just don’t get rid of the Hubble character!!!
I didn’t want to like it at all (based on all the “sneak previews” they kept showing) but actually can’t wait to see the next episode. I really hope Hubble is not dead…I really ended up liking him.
i like the show, until the end. they can’t kill the guy off,it suchs
It has that great Gilmore Girls feel to it, and I think it might be worth continuing watching it..
I liked it that girl Michelle kind of reminded me of Lorelia’s character I was surprised to see the guy from Ferris Bueller’s day off being in the cast we he be back they showed him having an accident at the end of the show.
I’m probably the most unlikely demographic to ever watch this show, and honestly I stumbled on it completely by accident. However, I enjoyed it thoroughly, (having dated a few dancers in my time) and I watched it a second time when it came on again, with a friend, and she liked it too. Looking forward to watching again, and the DVR is already programmed.
BTW Kat, I liked Chloe too, but this does have much better production value, and far better acting. You might just like it…
I loved it !!! Kept my attention and kept me up later than planned…will watch again
Definitely will watch it, thoroughly enjoyed the pilot.
Won’t watch, would rather have Chloe King!
Liked Bunheads but I DO miss Chloe!!