I was a huge fan of "Gilmore Girls" and when I heard that Amy Sherman Palladino was creating a new show, I was eager to watch it. I grabbed my remote this past Monday night, my bowl of popcorn, and snuggled down on the couch to watch the premier episode of "Bunheads." After watching the entire pilot, I was left . . . wanting. I know many pilots are hard to judge as they are to jump start the new show, but remember, this is from the same woman who brought the amazing cast of characters that was "Gilmore Girls." I am NOT comparing the two. I am comparing the quality of effort put into the shows.
Bunheads is about a former ballerina turned Vegas showgirl who gets married quickly and ends up in Paradise, a small coastal town, where the man she married is a prominent feature in the town and his mother plays an important part in his life. Not only is his mother important in his life, she lives in his house, and she also runs a ballet studio--shock and awe abound! His mother was a ballerina, his new wife is a ballerina! *Sarcasm intended* The main draw for the show is Sutton Foster (much more known for Broadway and it shows) and Kelly Bishop (who does not sparkle like she did in her previous roles.) The girls who are the four "stars" of the dance studio are lackluster and have no real chemistry with the show at all, especially the girl who plays Sasha. The Sasha character is supposed to be an angst character who has daddy issues and is bored with life, but the audience can tell that this is the actress' first role as she is a completely flat character. Every time she would open her mouth, I would cringe. The other three girls are not as bad; however, the inexperience shows.
I will not continue to watch this show. There have been many actresses that have successfully moved from Broadway to TV, but Foster's acting feels a little too forced. I feel Bishop gave so much more in other roles and maybe the writers do not feel that they have to write quality work for her. Bishop is a dynamic actress, but when the writing is horrible, it's not worth watching her. Finally, until all of the girls get in good acting classes, especially the Sasha character, I will continually be turned off by the acting.
Overall, I was disappointed and I was looking forward to seeing a great new show. I expected more from Ms. Sherman Palladino and ABC Family, but I think they decided to rely more on her success with "Gilmore Girls" and their success with some of their other shows, e.g. "Make It Or Break It," "The Lying Game," "Pretty Little Liars," instead of concentrating on quality writing, acting, and production of what could have been a great show.
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