Pilot Review: A to Z and Selfie

I guess pilot review is a bit of a misnomer as both of these shows have been picked up for series, but I guess to get a jump on the fall competition, some companies have put up their pilots to view before premieres begin hitting next month. Figured since we took them for a spin, will give minor reviews on these shows and their potential.

The premise of the show seems somewhat novel. A take on the new age self-centered nature of the social media world. The show stars Karen Gillan as Eliza Dooley, a self-centered “instafamous” sales merchant who undergoes a tragic social event on a plane, and is looking to rehab her image with the help of John Cho’s stuffy marketing executive, Henry. While it seems like she is seeking his help, he may learn something in the process and come out of his shell.

Like I said, the premise seemed novel, and I could see it working as a 90 minute rom-com or something, but as for a pilot it didn’t make for an interesting show. In the 20+ minutes or so, I didn’t laugh once. Maybe also broke a smirk twice or so throughout the whole ordeal. The thing with making your leads unlikable so you can fix them is… well you make your leads unlikable. Neither Gillan nor Cho seem to have the charisma or the cattiness to overcome this shortcoming in the pilot. I also found that the two leads lacked any real chemistry, though that could develop over time, or maybe they won’t be romantic interests though the show does seem to hint at that.

Review 2 (Out of 7) – There isn’t much to sink your teeth into with this pilot, but it isn’t completely horrible!

It’s difficult to take the personal preferences and history out of things, no matter how critical you want to be. I say that because A to Z rubs me a bit like the recently concluded “How I Met Your Mother” which ended in a way that left many fans, myself included, a bit bitter. It doesn’t help that the lead female on this show, Crisitin Milioti, also played the titular mother on the show.

That said, even with my own personal feelings, this show offered up enough charm and wit in its first episode to overlook most of the similarities. I guess the biggest, and best, difference is the show gives a timeline on their relationship from the opening monologue. We know that they date for just under 9 months, but not what happens after this time. A simple enough hook to get me invested in their relationship and the first season arc.

The other difference is the titular hook, in this case a relationship from A to Z. The pilot episode deals with A for Acquaintances, which has our two leads, Andrew and Zelda, getting to know each other and see if either would pursue a relationship. They also have some colorful friends, who I think will make for some fun comedic bits throughout the show’s run. Though, I hope they evolve as well.

Review 5 (Out of 7) – The show wears its heart on its sleeve, and better for it. It doesn’t seem to want to hide too much from the audience, and invested enough from the pilot to want to get to know these characters more.

Hopefully this becomes a trend, and more companies put their pilots up online early to get some feedback and early buzz.