I’ve never stuck with a series on ABC Family, but I’m sticking with this one.
“Bunheads” is the best pilot I’ve seen since Starz’ “Boss.” Sutton Foster (“Flight of the Conchords”) plays a Las Vegas showgirl drunkenly lured to a small town on the California coast by a salesman played by Alan Ruck (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”).
It’s unusually witty and moving and masterminded by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who earlier masterminded The WB’s hilarious tentpole dramedy “Gilmore Girls.”
Kelly Bishop gets one of the more complex roles and some of the best lines as a far more likeable mom than the one she essayed on “Gilmore.”
I loathe the ABC Family promos, which make “Bunheads” look too much like the vastly inferior “Glee.”
The channel stuck the “Bunheads” pilot on the Internet a while ago so you won’t need a lot more from me, but others are now talking about it:
… Sherman-Palladino's snappy banter and slightly melancholy characters only enrich the texture of a series perfectly pitched between comedy and drama. … 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." Foster has instant chemistry with Bishop, who retains the sharp-tongued delivery she utilized so well as Emily Gilmore …
... writing this kind of show turns out to be like riding a bike for Sherman-Palladino … Some of the best theater actors in the business come across as too big and broad when they give television a try, but Foster is utterly human, completely charming and has instant comic chemistry with Bishop. …
... isn't quite "Gilmore Girls" plus dancing, but it's pretty close, and that is not a bad thing at all. … moves at a brisk, refreshing clip and it even packs an emotional wallop or two. The relationships that are sketched out in the first hour are promising. Sherman-Palladino has long been interested in characters who are dancing as fast as they can, and in this show, she has a whole new set to play with. If we're in any luck, the four lead students at Fanny's dance school could become four very different Rorys, and that's not a bad idea to take out for a spin.
... it's fantastic. Funny, sweet, and so smart … totally worth the wait. …
... Foster, with her long history on Broadway, easily makes Michelle a cause worth rooting for. She’s radiant and soft, yet still capable of a stingingly arched eyebrow. … Pairing up with Ms. Sherman-Palladino, who has written some of television’s sharpest and most idiosyncratic female characters, is an obviously wise choice for the network. …
... 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.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... thanks to Ms. Palladino's penchant for crackling dialogue, "Bunheads" is a breezy, entertaining hour of TV. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... could just as easily become either annoying or likable. "Gilmore Girls" struck gold because of casting and because the whimsy was nonetheless credible. It will take more than the one episode ABC Family sent to critics to know which way "Bunheads" will fall. …
... Foster is likable and the cast is strong. There’s also a surprising twist at the end of the pilot that could take the show into an interesting direction. …
... has that elusive momentum that most TV series so easily fumble in their first episodes. It is filled with smart, wacky writing that can pivot effortlessly into emotion when it needs to and then pirouette back to lightheartedness just as quickly. It gets the flavor of showfolk theatrics without relying on over-the-top mugging that have defined shows such as “Glee” or “Smash.” …
9 p.m. Monday. ABC Family.
