Not Dead Yet - What We Know So Far

ABC has been a network stalwart for several years, with classic shows like "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" in their roster, alongside modern hits like "The Rookie" and "Big Sky" and competitive reality shows like "Jeopardy," "Shark Tank," and "Wheel of Fortune!"

This has meant that audiences have always looked forward to new shows that get picked up by the network. The 2022-2023 season was no different in that regard, with "The Rookie" getting a spinoff in the form of "The Rookie: Feds," and Milo Ventimiglia and Hilary Swank both getting leading vehicles at the network.

However, those are not the only new shows on the network this season, as there is another show that has received a series order. Titled "Not Dead Yet," ABC has been sparse with their information about the series, as it isn't a spinoff from an existing show. Here's what we know about "Not Dead Yet" so far.

"Not Dead Yet" is based on the book "Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up" by author Alexandra Potter. However, it's not a direct adaptation. The novel follows a woman named Nell Stevens who moves from Los Angeles to her hometown of London following the loss of her relationship and business. She shares an apartment with a previously unknown individual and gets a job writing obituaries. In the course of this job, she meets Cricket, a widow in her 80s, and the two become friends, helping Nell come out of her shell (per Goodreads).

"Not Dead Yet" follows a similar story, with the main character (also named Nell Stevens) getting a job writing obituaries, and she has to move in with a roommate following the loss of her relationship and business. However, in the TV show, Nell is American, not British, and moves to an American city that has not been specified, taking the obituary writing job to try to restart her journalism career. Furthermore, Nell sees dead people, as she discovers early one morning when she spots an older man in her bedroom who informs her that she's the only one who can see him. A character named Cricket is also in the TV show, though her relationship to Nell is not specified yet (via Variety).

"Not Dead Yet" hails from David Windsor and Casey Johnson, who have previously worked together on a number of shows, including "This Is Us," "The Real O'Neals," "Galavant," "Trophy Wife," and "Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23." Both writers got their start on the TV show "Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place," which is notable for being an early starring role for Ryan Reynolds.

Gina Rodriguez, best known for her work in the titular role of the CW series "Jane the Virgin," has been cast as Nell, with Martin Mull playing an unspecified character who haunts her (YouTube). Angela E. Gibbs, who has previously been seen in "The Fosters" and "Hacks," has also been cast as Cricket. Rick Glassman will also be playing Nell's roommate Edward, who is also her landlord, while Josh Banday plays Dennis, Nell's boss at the newspaper and an old friend of hers.

Rounding out the cast to date are Jessica St. Clair and Mary Elizabeth Ellis. St. Clair plays Annabel, an old friend of Nell's who now has a yoga studio of her own, while Ellis plays Fiona, another old friend of Nell's who now has a family and is feeling the constraints of her life (via Deadline).

"Not Dead Yet" has already received a series order from ABC, which consists of 13 episodes. While it hasn't been officially confirmed as a half-hour sitcom series yet, the pilot episode is being directed by Dean Holland, whose expertise lies in sitcoms, having previously worked on shows such as "The Good Place," "Single Parents," "Splitting Up Together," and "Home Economics."

The show got its series order at the same time as "Alaska Daily" and "The Rookie: Feds," both of which have already made their premieres on ABC (per Variety). This means that "Not Dead Yet" will be premiering in the regular midseason slot of Winter 2023, which means January or February 2023.

ABC has, along with "Not Dead Yet," two dramas set for midseason premieres; "Will Trent," based on the detective series by Karin Slaughter, and "The Company You Keep," starring Milo Ventimiglia (via TV Guide). With both shows set to be hour-long, it's likely they will make their premieres on Monday and Tuesday nights, which are the current airing slots for the reality series "Bachelor in Paradise." This means "Not Dead Yet" is likely to air on Wednesday nights, replacing one of the four sitcoms ABC currently has on during that night; "The Conners," "The Goldbergs," "Abbott Elementary," and "Home Economics."