2923 replies to this topic

[Rhodie]

http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/bunheads
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2006848/

Watch the pilot episode on iTunes or here


Trailer
2 minute First Look
Kelly Bishop as Fanny Flowers

Amy on the show:

Also buzzworthy: Bunheads, the new show from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, debuting Monday, June 11. Two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster stars as trained dancer Michelle, who became a Vegas showgirl and is approaching the end of her career with a feeling of “Well, now what the f— do I do?” as Sherman-Palladino put it to the crowd. (“Sorry, kids, sorry. Are there children [here]? This is why I’m on ABC Family, because I care about the children,” she joked. “I think it’s better that they learn all those words from me rather than on the street or in a back alley with some dirty syringes…. I’m gonna teach them the right way to say ‘F—.’” )
Without a home, money, or friends, Michelle impulsively marries a man who’s been trying to woo her with gifts and flowers. She moves to his sleepy coastal town, Paradise, Calif., where she meets her new mother-in-law (Gilmore Girls‘ Kelly Bishop), a former dancer who now runs the Paradise Dance Academy. “The two women quickly find out that they have made similar choices, bad choices in life, and they’re much more alike than you’d think,” Sherman-Palladino said.
Sherman-Palladino is confident TV audiences will fall in love with Foster. ”I’m waiting for the world to see Sutton Foster. I sound like a complete broken record, and someday, Sutton and I may be, like, in the middle of the street throwing pans at each other or something,” she joked after raving about her repeatedly. “People didn’t really know Lauren Graham, nobody knew who Melissa McCarthy was before Gilmore Girls…. I feel like that’s my big opportunity, when you find something so special and you get to be the one to completely exploit it through your own evil purposes.”

While the show is largely about Foster’s character starting over and her relationship with her new mother-in-law, it’s also a coming-of-age story for four young dancers. ”We’ve got four wonderful little Bunheads who are gonna go through their own hell,” Sherman-Palladino said. “Look, the minute you put pointe shoes on, no one’s happy. You’re in pain from that moment on until you stop dancing.”

That part of the story is inspired by Sherman-Palladino’s life. “It’s very hard to believe that I was ever dainty or thin, but I was supposed to be a dancer. My mother’s horrified by this terrible career choice that I’ve made. She’s still very upset that I’m not in Cats. It’s just a little bit based on when I was going to ballet school,” she said. “It’s a very all-encompassing thing. It brings into question all sorts of issues when you’re growing up, [like] self-esteem. ‘Gee, my ass is bigger than that one.’ ‘Four of those girls is one of me.’ And it’s a very competitive world. Not all of it’s about how much heart you have. A lot of it’s about what you woke up with in the morning.”

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/03/19/bunheads-abc-family/


Pretty damn excited for this. ASP has been away from TV for far too long and having Sutton Foster AND Kelly Bishop headlining - with Friday Night Light's Stacey "Mindy" Oristano also being on board - is just too awesome.

ETA- Reviews:


TIME's James Poniewozik - But if you write off Bunheads because it shows up in a leotard instead of a suit, you’ll be missing something special.

LA Times -ABC Family's 'Bunheads' a cute summer treat

Huffington Post/Maureen Ryan - 'Gilmore Girls' Creator Dances Back To Prime Time


NPR - 'Bunheads' Doesn't Need To Be Studied, Just Enjoyed

Slate - The new series about dancers from Amy Sherman-Palladino is delightful.

Edited by Rhodie, Jun 11, 2012 @ 2:13 PM.

[Rhodie]

Extended trailer

It looks like Alan Ruck will be playing the husband and Gilmore Girl's Rose Abdoo (Gypsie) is on the show!

[Kosmonaut]

It's so weird seeing Gypsy in a dress.

I want to want to watch this for Kelly Bishop, so I'll watch at least the first ep (depending on how awesome it/she is), but I must admit to not finding the appeal of Sutton Foster at this point. However, this is only from the trailer and she was married to Christian Borle so I'll definitely give her a chance.

[ElectricBoogalo]

Cameron!

I love Sutton Foster. I saw her in Thoroughly Modern Millie before it went to Broadway and I've loved her ever since. TV is not always the best medium for Broadway (especially singers - Kristin Chenoweth's sitcom was...not great) so I'm excited to see her in this. Funny that she and Christian are both starring in tv shows at the same time.

[randomchance]

I saw the promo for this when I was catching up on Make It Or Break It. I am so totally in. I have no idea who Sutton Foster is, but she sounded vaguely Lorelai-like on the promo.

[roswellian]

I'm definitely going to give this a try. From the trailer alone it looks like there is going to be some good, witty dialog in this show too. And I'm totally in agreeance randomchance, very Lorelai-ish lines in the trailer.

[Irlandesa]

I was not a Gilmore Girls fan but I do love Sutton Foster and Alan Ruck is just sort of the cherry on the sundae.

TV is not always the best medium for Broadway (especially singers - Kristin Chenoweth's sitcom was...not great)

Kristin's sitcom may have not worked but I thought she was terrific in The West Wing and Pushing Daisies. She just happened to be in something that was...not great. While she's not everybody's cup of tea, I'd say she has become a legitimate television actress. And Smash is full of Broadway stars being the only watchable thing about the show. And I've already enjoyed Sutton on Flight of the Conchords.

I'm always looking forward to fun summer shows so I will definitely check this out.

[nme525]

I hope Miss Patty stops by.

[Rhodie]

It's so weird seeing Gypsy in a dress.

haha, totally.



I'm really excited about the focus on developing a friendship between these two women, especially with the generational divide. It would also seem, that Amy has taken Kelly Bishop's life as the basis for the show and I find that fascinating in itself.

What does everyone else hope to get from the show?

[randomchance]

I'm hoping for lightning in a bottle (because that's always what I hope for), but I'll be happy enough if I care about the people in it and want to know what happens next.

I do wish they would have chosen a better title than Bunheads. I'm a little worried that people will skip right past it thinking it's a cartoon or something. I only know what it means because I heard it used on Dance Academy.

[ElectricBoogalo]

Kristin's sitcom may have not worked but I thought she was terrific in The West Wing and Pushing Daisies. She just happened to be in something that was...not great. While she's not everybody's cup of tea, I'd say she has become a legitimate television actress. And Smash is full of Broadway stars being the only watchable thing about the show.

I loved Kristin Chenoweth on Pushing Daisies, but my point is that star vehicles for Broadway actors don't always mesh well with the actors they're intended for. I once read something that James Marsters (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) said about how it can be difficult transitioning from stage to screen because in the theater, actors are trained to project/emote all the way to the last row but that tv/movies have cameras that allow the actors to be seen at closer range which can make their theater acting seem over the top.

The weird thing is the Broadway actors on Smash don't suffer from that issue since they're being bogged down with ludicrous storylines. I'd love to see some of them get to use their singing and dancing skills on Smash. I hope that Bunheads doesn't suffer from either of these problems. Hopefully Sutton Foster will be able to modulate her acting for the small screen. I don't need to see her dance every week, but I also hope that the dance studio doesn't just become a background/set for the drama with her mother in law. I'd love to see her actually get to dance instead of just being told she's a dancer. That's one of the most frustrating things about Smash - they have all these talented people and they aren't letting them show what they're good at!

[Whisperia]

My only real concern is that this show will feel like a watered down Gilmore Girls. I'm a little worried that Kelly Bishop, for example, will mostly be Emily Gilmore Redux. But, as long as this is better than The Return of Jezebel James was, I'm probably in.

Edited by Whisperia, Apr 15, 2012 @ 6:01 PM.

[meatball77]

It seems like it's on the wrong network. It's following the adult and not the teens, seems that it would make more sense on the CW. Although it does look like a good mother daughter show and that's who watches a lot of the shows on the network.

[Peterased]

I've read this pilot script; it's very much Gilmore Girls With Ballet. Paradise is a run-down Stars Hollow. Sutton Foster's Michelle was made in Lorelai Gilmore's image. Kelly Bishop's Fanny Flowers combines Emily Gilmore's personality with Bishop's dancing experience, and I have to guess the character was written for her. (And it makes zero sense she's only a recurring guest star; the conflict between Michelle and Fanny is a central issue of the pilot.) And the script was long so I think it's safe to say that people will be talking quickly.

I'm interested to see how the show does for ABC Family. On every other ABC Family drama, Sutton Foster would be playing a supporting role as someone's mother. And the character is definitely meant to be in her late 30s. The only other series regulars are the 4 teen dancers, but in the pilot, at least, it's very much Sutton Foster's show.

[Rhodie]

I've read this pilot script; it's very much Gilmore Girls With Ballet. Paradise is a run-down Stars Hollow. Sutton Foster's Michelle was made in Lorelai Gilmore's image. Kelly Bishop's Fanny Flowers combines Emily Gilmore's personality with Bishop's dancing experience, and I have to guess the character was written for her. (And it makes zero sense she's only a recurring guest star; the conflict between Michelle and Fanny is a central issue of the pilot.) And the script was long so I think it's safe to say that people will be talking quickly.

Interesting. I'm certainly hoping for touches of that Gilmore charm, but I think overall, I'd like the show to be its own thing seperate from that show. At the very least, would you regard the pilot script as well written with expectedly great dialogue?

Edited by Rhodie, Apr 16, 2012 @ 1:14 AM.

[Unraveled]

I saw a "trailer" for this in the movie theater. It looks like she's marrying an older man that she doesn't love to move to a small town. She ends up being the ballet teacher for girls who want to move out of the small town.

I did not know that Kelly Bishop was in this. I like Sutton Foster. I saw her live in my first ever Broadway musical (The Drowsy Chaperone). She's a great tap dancer. And she's a bit unique.

[naneki78]

I wonder if "Bunheads" will get a new name, as "Gilmore Girls" did? I get what the name represents, but it's just sort of a clunky name for a series, imho. I'm thrilled to see Kelly Bishop again! I just hope we don't totally get an 'Emily' vibe, because then I'll be comparing all the characters to GG characters and the town to SH and I'm afraid that it will come up short. Still, she is a fabulous dancer and I've always envied her those legs!!!

I want to give this one a shot, because when SherPa is on, she is on...so I'm being cautiously optimistic!

[braggtastic]

When I first saw the title, I thought it would be a show about librarians.

I'm torn since Sutton Foster is one of the best performers currently on broadway. I know it's a lot more money & less hard work doing a TV show vs singing & tapping her ass off 8x/week on bway, but I want her to stay here.

Reading the description, I never would have thought it was an ABC Family show. The only thing I've watched on that channel was Kyle XY & I don't think I've ever seen an Amy Sherman-Palladino created show (although I know the name & have enjoyed her work on Roseanne & other shows she wrote for).

Nevertheless, I will tune in out of loyalty to Sutton Foster & love the idea of her and the original Sheila from Chorus Line running a dance studio. I just hope there are no Dance Mom types on the show.

[Rhodie]

I wonder if "Bunheads" will get a new name, as "Gilmore Girls" did? I get what the name represents, but it's just sort of a clunky name for a series, imho. I'm thrilled to see Kelly Bishop again! I just hope we don't totally get an 'Emily' vibe, because then I'll be comparing all the characters to GG characters and the town to SH and I'm afraid that it will come up short. Still, she is a fabulous dancer and I've always envied her those legs!!!

I think it's way too late for that now. Marketing has ramped up and the show is being promoted with the title - it would just do more harm than good at this point. Besides, I actually really like it. :P

What was Gilmore's original title?

[Kosmonaut]

What was Gilmore's original title?

I'd like to know also. I googled and came up with zip.

[babyblackcat]

I haven't heard anything about this at all! Sounds promising, between the writer and the cast, I will definitely give it a shot.

in the theater, actors are trained to project/emote all the way to the last row but that tv/movies have cameras that allow the actors to be seen at closer range which can make their theater acting seem over the top.

The weird thing is the Broadway actors on Smash don't suffer from that issue since they're being bogged down with ludicrous storylines.

I definitely agree with the ludicrous storylines, but have to say I've noticed the Broadway acting/awkward on TV thing. Many of the characters seem too broad, no subtlety whatsoever, and I feel like I'm watching people in a play rather than people working on a play. Which is a shame, because they seem like a talented bunch, they just aren't being used well or properly directed for TV acting.

I too think the Bunheads title is a little off, but oh well. Looking forward to catching the show.

[naneki78]

What was Gilmore's original title?

I'd like to know also. I googled and came up with zip.

The Gilmore Way. I remember the advertising for it as well. The name change to Gilmore Girls just kind of happened. Sort of like Saturday Night Live, which used to be simply NBC's Saturday Night. (gah, am I showing my age or what???)

[Rhodie]

Kenny Ortega will direct episode 3 of Bunheads.

Dirty Dancing choreographer and High School Musical director Kenny Ortega is reuniting with Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Ortega, who has directed several episodes of Gilmore Girls, has been tapped to helm the third episode of Sherman-Palladino's new ABC Family ballet drama Bunheads, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. The episode is slated to air June 25.
Bunheads centers on a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves with him to a sleepy coastal town and takes an uneasy role at her mother-in-law's dance school. Sutton Foster, Kaitlyn Jenkins, Julia Telles, Bailey Buntain and Emma Dumont star in the hourlong drama. Gilmore Girls alum Kelly Bishop guest stars.

Amy Sherman-Palladino‘s new ABC Family dance drama Bunheads is dipping into the Gilmore Girls casting pool again, this time bringing on the man behind Logan Huntzberger’s big bad dad, Mitchum.

TVLine has learned exclusively that Gregg Henry has joined the series in the recurring role of Rico, a fiftysomething surfer dude who owns a local restaurant.

Edited by Rhodie, Apr 16, 2012 @ 5:20 PM.

[RachelKM]

I'm cautiously optimistic about this show. Good cast, interesting concept, and strong credentials for the creator (loved Gilmore Girls) and I danced for years, but the promos are sort of odd. With so much going for it, I'm trying to keep my expectations in check since I was burned so badly by Smash (still watching, but more out of performing arts vet obligation).

I do worry about the title. I realize it's a real term, but it's not well known outside the dance community and with the "So you wanna be bunheads, huh?" line they keep showing, it's starting to feel more like a trying too hard in joke instead of a reference. And I agree to those who aren't familiar wit the term won't know what to make of it.

Side note, just saw promos on the CW for reality ballet show called Breaking Pointe... so ABCFam and the Dub have done it again. Last year was twin swapping this year is pointe shoes. Every year must have a theme.

Edited by RachelKM, Apr 17, 2012 @ 3:10 AM.

[Rhodie]

Bunheads first look - A 2 minute clip from the premiere. Loving the use of "Ain't She Sweet."

Edited by Rhodie, Apr 17, 2012 @ 11:43 AM.

[MsTaken]

I'm so in agreement with those who cringed at the title. I hope this doesn't suffer a Cougartown-ish fate; a surprisingly good (at least IMO) show that scares potential fans away with its vaguely embarrassing, trying-too-hard name.

As a Gilmore Girls junkie who adores Kelly Bishop and thinks AS-P writes some of the very best dialogue I've ever been lucky enough to hear, I'm optimistic---but cautiously so, because I share posters' concerns that this will be a Gilmore Girls Lite, that Sutton Foster doesn't quite work for me, and that it's a terribly titled show on a strangely chosen network!

[Rhodie]

I'm so in agreement with those who cringed at the title. I hope this doesn't suffer a Cougartown-ish fate; a surprisingly good (at least IMO) show that scares potential fans away with its vaguely embarrassing, trying-too-hard name.

As a Gilmore Girls junkie who adores Kelly Bishop and thinks AS-P writes some of the very best dialogue I've ever been lucky enough to hear, I'm optimistic---but cautiously so, because I share posters' concerns that this will be a Gilmore Girls Lite, that Sutton Foster doesn't quite work for me, and that it's a terribly titled show on a strangely chosen network!

I'd argue though that in Cougar Town's case though, the name is especially awful because the show quickly evolved away from it and the premise - for the better - and it reads more like a stigmatized stamp at this point.

Bunheads actually encompasses everything the show is and will be about: dancers.

For me however, titles don't really bother; as long as it's actually worth watching, I'm in.

ETA: and from what I gather, ABC family approached Amy to come in and doctor the show from another writer. It was originally titled Strut.

Edited by Rhodie, Apr 17, 2012 @ 3:11 PM.

[randomchance]

For me however, titles don't really bother; as long as it's actually worth watching, I'm in.

I'm not complaining about it because it'll put me off personally, I worry that it won't rope in enough of an audience to keep the show on the air. I've loved so many shows that got canceled too soon that I worry about these things in advance.

But Bunheads is certainly better than Strut, except in the sense that more people might tune in if they thought it was a show about hookers.

Edited by randomchance, Apr 17, 2012 @ 7:06 PM.

[SeriouslyBored]

Sutton? Another main character called Sutton on ABC Family? Any explanation? It's not that the names is (or was) that common. I checked, only last year it breached the top 1000, #989 with 140 children given that name.

[ElectricBoogalo]

Sutton is the actress's name. Her character's name is Michelle.