Not Dead Yet

As for Rodriguez, taking on a premise just slightly more implausible than the wild and beloved Jane the Virgin, she brings essential buckets of charm to Nell’s mopey outlook on life.

“Not Dead Yet” is not striving for realism, but rather thoughtful escapism. We are talking about a friendly ghost show here after all. Thankfully, the lesson-of-the-week format doesn’t venture into after-school-special because the show takes its characters’ problems seriously, never condescending but rather approaching each person with empathy.

Rodriguez makes an irresistible lead, backed by sharp performances from Glassman, Hannah Simone as Nell’s work wife, and Lauren Ash as the paper’s nepo-baby editor. It’s not a fantastic show, but it’s punchy enough to hold your attention.

“Not Dead Yet” is only mildly amusing, not laugh-out-loud funny.

A solid idea that would benefit from a narrower focus in the early going.

Finding a way toward helping us know Nell as more than just the charmingly portrayed object of ghostly interest might begin to kick-start this vaguely promising but poorly executed sitcom.

Not Dead Yet wastes the talents of Rodriguez and the rest of the cast in a show that’s shockingly unfunny.