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OK, now it is.
ABC has cancelled the comedy Not Dead Yet after just two seasons, TVLine has learned.
Not Dead Yet has been averaging 2.7 million total viewers and a 0.3 demo rating (with Live+7 playback), down 21% and 40% from its freshman run. Among the three sitcoms that ABC has aired this TV season, it ranks last in both measures.
The series starred Jane the Virgin vet Gina Rodriguez as Nell, a journalist on the obituary beat who can communicate with the ghosts of those she is assigned to write up. The cast also included Hannah Simone (New Girl) as Nell’s friend/coworker, Sam; Joshua Banday (Upload) as Nell’s editor, Dennis; Lauren Ash (Superstore) as Nell’s newspaper boss, Lexi; Rick Glassman (As We See It) as Nell’s roommate, Edward; and Angela Gibbs (On My Block) as Cricket, a widow with whom Nell bonds after Cricket’s dead husband appears to her. Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) joined the series-regular ensemble in the second season as Lexi’s dad/newspaper owner Duncan.
The Season 2 finale, which now serves as the series ender, aired April 24. In the episode, Garrett’s character appeared to Nell as a ghost while undergoing surgery. When he came to, Duncan at first didn’t seem to remember anything about his experience on the spiritual plane… until he recalled the feeling of riding in Nell’s Prius as a ghost.
“It sets up a very cool, exciting trajectory for Nell [about] what is life going to be like for Nell moving forward now that somebody, especially this somebody, knows her secret, something she’s kept so super close to the chest,” star and executive producer Rodriguez told TVLine.
TVLine’s Renewal Scorecard has been updated with the news. Hit the comments with your reactions!
aww i really liked this show it was funny i hope another streaming service can pick it up?
RIP Not Dead Yet
I will really miss this show. :(
Me too! The only 30-minute comedy show I watch/ed. Clever, funny, touching with a terrific cast. :(
This news makes me sad. I liked this better than Abbot or The Connors actually. It was different from the usual formulaic sitcom, and the ensemble was great.
Just started to watch season two( on episode four). Yes we are behind on all our shows (DVR has 147 recordings) as soon as my husband saw Brad Garrett he said out loud oh well this will probably get canceled
Amateur. My PVR has 553 recordings, lol. I record everything, I rarely watch anything live.
Oh no. Really enjoyed this show. Sorry to see it cancelled. Why do they always cancel good shows.
This show is gone, but the newspaper-set reboot of “The Office” is coming soon. Proving that as a slightly sad place of work for anxious sitcom characters, the print newspaper is Not Dead Yet.
Very sad. It was a great ensemble. Lauren Ash in particular was on fire this season. She’s a comedic genius and I hope she finds a new show soon.
No more Gina Rodriguez and a wonderful cast. But we get another Tim Allen show???? Sigh.
I found it late and devoured every episode quickly. Definitely going to miss it
NOOOOOOOO!!!! This show was so good and always put a smile on my face. Ugh.
Aww…that’s sad! Cute show & I was curious where it was going to go after the finale. Would have been interesting. So few good comedies on anymore.
I am kind of bummed. I liked the show, the ensemble was great. I know this site in its review of things on the bubble said the ensemble could all move on to better shows, but that might not happen (at least anytime soon).
I’d only watched the first couple of episodes but I thought it was really funny (and had a lot of potential). Since it sounds like season two left some unanswered questions I guess I won’t finish it. Darn it! Maybe a streaming platform will pick it up?
Hate to say it, but I said the same thing. I enjoy You can finish it. The only unanswered question isn’t really that big of a deal. It could have opened some interesting doors in season 3, but it was ultimately a really satisfying conclusion, not a big dramatic cliffhanger.
Ugh. . .I don’t know what the heck is at the beginning there. My phone is a mess.
Oh no! Another good one gone. This show was just starting to gel this
season. The cast was great.
The only ABC comedy I watch
I really loved this show but I actually liked season 1 better when the focus was more on the “dead” part versus becoming an office comedy. But still sad to see it go.
100% agree
I agree. Season 1 was better when she interacted with the ghosts. It seemed like the writers tried to get away from that this season but did’n’t know whether they were a workplace comedy or a buddy comedy. So, the focus was off. They spent too much time on her roommate and not enough seeing dead people. Towards the end, it went back to the ghosts and it got better and I was interested in seeing how the show would play out with Brad Garrett’s character knowing she talks to dead people.
This makes me sad. I liked this and was super excited to see what happened now that Duncan was figuring it all out.
Obituary
‘Not Dead Yet’ — February 8, 2023 – April 24,2024
The Gina Rodriguez centered show on her character Nell – a news writer assigned to writing obituaries and is visited by the people for whom she needs to write the obituary for has been cancelled after 2 brief seasons.
‘Not Dead Yet’ arrived with laughs and a lot of promise, especially with Season 1, but as with many shows with a too quirky, one dance pony premise that often pigeonholes any meaningful longevity that grows viewership. Unfortunately, this show contracted the much feared “renewal bubble” virus during Season 2 of its life on air.
The Season 2 finale aired on April 24, 2024, and as of its airing, “Not Dead Yet” was placed on life support to see if it would survive its’ illness, the “renewal bubble”, alas, on May 10, 2024, it was announced that ABC Network has removed the show from life support and “Not Dead Yet” has been cancelled. So, in honor of Nell … I will hit ‘enter’ and publish this obituary for the show and send it off into the ether of cancelled shows.
RIP … ‘Not Dead Yet’.
Very cute obit. So let’s all hope someone else picks it up. So it’s “Not Dead Yet”
Disappointed, but I honestly can’t say I’m too surprised. Season 2 felt like a departure from what made season 1 so special. The hour long finale felt like it was finally starting to find it’s way back to that sweet balance it had before, but sadly it seems it learned that lesson a bit too late. I’ll miss it.
I agree with the reasons you mentioned. Also, for me, Duncan was a terrible add to the storyline. I didn’t enjoy any part of the story that was written around him. I was a huge fan of season 1 from the 1st episode. Sadly, I didn’t have the same enthusiasm for season 2.
The 2nd season went too far off track from the original premise & centered more on relationships. While entertaining, was not as interesting as the obits/helping people pass on.
Aw, that’s disappointing, I liked it, it’s a fun series, still waiting for season 2 to come overseas
Sad to hear this but seeing the ratings each week I expected it would be cancelled. But at least we got a second, albeit shortened season.
Wrong Choice ABC. You have a gem in Not Dead Yet.
Come on! The season was ruined by the strike, so how can you go by the numbers. I really like Not Dead Yet and So Help Me Todd. Both something different than the 50 NCIS, FBI, Law & Order and Chicago shows. What are these network executives thinking? I’m done!
Quit trying to blame the strike on the numbers. People are either going to watch or they won’t. Simple as that
Loved this show along with So Help Me Todd. The network made a mistake by canceling these two good comedies.
I enjoyed it. I’m sorry to see it go.
There are so few light-hearted TV shows and Not Dead Yet was one of them. Sorry to read that it’s been cancelled. I watch only a couple ABC shows and now1less.