Nowhere is it written that half-hour series have to be comedies, and yet “Dead To Me” seems adversely intent on sticking with tradition.
Labeled a “black comedy” by Netflix, the upcoming 10-episode first season is light on jokes and heavy on drama; even the darker elements in the twisty, flashback-driven mystery are treated as serious emotional turning points, rather than cringe-inducing punchlines.
Only the pacing and occasional glib comment give the sense that humor is present, for “Dead To Me” provides no indication it has a sense of humor at all.In today’s day and age, laugh-less half-hours are nothing new.
Not only have series like “Girls” and “Transparent” stretched the definition of comedy, but more recent series like “Homecoming” and “Sorry to Bother You” have ditched the descriptor all-together.
They’re not comedies.
They’re dramas, only shorter.But “Dead To Me” doesn’t work as a drama either.
Read full article