Bunheads (2012–2013) User Reviews

Way better than you expect

[spirit-of-1969 · 8/10 · 17 July 2012]

Look, I'm a 22-year-old male, not exactly this show's target audience. I only caught it because I was watching the hilarious train wreck that is The Secret Life of the American Teenager (god what an awful show).

I was expecting more of the same from Bunheads (I have to echo everyone else's sentiments here: that title is terrible). Instead, I found myself totally engrossed. Sutton Foster is an incredible find -- bundles of charisma, great comedic timing and the ability to pull off the dramatic stuff without being cheesy. The conflict between her and Fanny is well pitched and comedic and should carry the show far. The teens are all great actors considering their age and the fact that this is ABC Family, and have a cute camaraderie that will be fertile ground for drama later on (you can see the writers already laying the foundation for this).

The best part, though, is the show's humor. Michelle name drops Kirsten Wiig and it's a good comparison -- manic, physical but always with intelligence and heart. The writing obviously never reaches the heights (or the grossness) of Bridesmaids, but Bunheads is honestly funnier than any network comedy not airing on NBC.

If you liked Gilmore Girls, or want a family comedy-drama, or are just bored on a Monday night, I highly recommend checking out Bunheads. Even if you're a twenty-something guy...

See you later, Smash

[rjheckma · 9/10 · 17 June 2012]

With Amy Palladino and Kelly Bishop at the helm, you have a good chance that your ship is going in the right direction. Bring on the talented Sutton Foster and sail away. While the beginning had me concerned that Sutton was just another Lorelei in Broadway clothing, by the end of the pilot she sets her own character.......and does she ever. The Amy Palladino clever dialog and oblique references are still there.(Those that endeared me to Gilmore Girls which was the best comedy of the '00's). With the surprise ending of the pilot, one can only guess where the plot lines are going next, but I can't wait. Fresh and entertaining and a MUST alternative the the Bachelor and Bachelorette. Bet Lauren Graham is glued to her TV set.

Bunheads

[koleenhansen · 9/10 · 7 October 2013]

to whom may concern: I love this show I am sad they have cancel a just fun show there seem to cancel all family fun cute show bring bun heads I love Gilmore Girls I love Amy Sherman Palladio show she write family show. I prefer family show over most show on TV this day please ABC family channel bring Bunheads show back on the air. I miss deeply everyday I watch Bunheads and Gilmore Girls once a day everyday so I wish for more Bunheads episode.

please I would appreciate it ABC family or any other TV channel please pick up Bunheads and renew this wonderful TV show bring it back to the air. best wish Kaoru Tomoe

What a delightful surprise!

[queenbeemarian · 10/10 · 9 February 2013]

I can't even believe I love this show, since I have never been a dancer, but I checked it out simply for the amazing and wonderful Sutton Foster and have stayed for the rest of this talented cast. The characters are interesting and the dialogue is the best reason to stay focused. I laugh out loud A LOT every week, and that's saying something these days. Witty and clever is not the norm with most TV shows. I'm not sure what the deal is with all the haters on the reviews here, unless they can't get over the fact that this isn't the Gilmore Girls. I never was able to watch GG, so maybe it's easier to enjoy this without expectations. Anything that gives Sutton Foster exposure to a wider audience is a blessing for us all.

Refreshingly different and absolutely hilarious

[heidihaas88 · 10/10 · 17 May 2013]

I love Bunheads and I think it stands out in all the TV shows of today, I was told to keep it simple so here are reasons why you should at least give Bunheads a chance:

1. It is truly funny, we are talking quick and sassy dialog! 2. The actresses (and the fewer seen actors) are outstanding and believable, from the slightly crazy dance instructor, to the not so ballerina looking wannabe bunhead to the over-achieving nerd who waits tables.... 3. The dancers are professionally trained and don't just act as dancers 4. Sutton Foster and Kelly Bishop 5.The quirky small town setting including all the hilarious characters

If you like good dialog a pinch of drama and quirky characters you will not be disappointed!

I love this show! Sutton Foster and Kelly Bishop are amazing

[mzaiontz-934-881929 · 10/10 · 18 June 2012]

This is my first IMDb review, and well worth it, because after only watching the first episode, I have to say I love this show! It actually kind of inspired me to wanna take ballet and dance classes. I've watched the pilot episode three times now before the second episode aired. It's that good! Sutton Foster and Kelly Bishop have great chemistry, I have to say, Sutton Foster, who is normally a HUGE two time Tony Award winner, makes a great TV debut with a very strong character, and after watching the pilot episode three times I notice and catch more good parts in it. The pilot has a lot of good one liners! It's very funny. And the pilot has a shocking twist that might bring this series to a different but interesting place, I will still watch it. A lot of people are comparing this show to Gilmore Girls because the woman who created Gilmore Girls created this show, as well as Kelly Bishop playing a mother. I've only seen Gilmore Girls a few times, I didn't really get into it, but I have to say I'm into this show! I cant wait for more episodes! I hope ABC Family keeps this show on the air for a long time! My one complaint is to ABC Family, whose cable company is only Direct TV. I think more people would be able to watch this show if you would put it on a normal cable channel. I have to watch Bunheads online, so that might affect your ratings sadly. That is all.

gilmore girls with dancers-- sold!

[akayeh83-1 · 10/10 · 17 July 2012]

Yes-- 'Bunheads' is a repeat of Gilmore Girls, but with ballet dancers. I firmly believe that the conversation around casting Michelle went as follows: find someone who looks and acts exactly like Lauren Graham, but who can dance. Enter Sutton Foster-- the perfect Lorelia substitute. She's got the 'Gilmore' tempo down cold. It's almost like her only acting direction was to mimic Lauren Graham, from the inflections to the facial expressions. However-- as someone who loved 'Gilmore', this is not necessarily a bad thing. If you loved 'Gilmore' for it's quick pace, amazing whit, and sarcastic tone, this fills the void.

Even better is the fact that it features ballet. I've been a dancer all of my life and what I love about this show as compared to all of the other dance 'things' out there is that the girls are real. Not only are they real dancers, but they talk and act like real dancers. I always feel like no one ever gets the 'dancer' character right, but somehow, Amy has done it. I'm only a couple of years younger than Michelle and the transition that she's beginning to go through--almost too old to dance, but not ready to let it go--thinking teaching is the end--is something that is very real and very difficult, and I love how it's being portrayed.

Kelly Bishop, as always is incredible. She has taken the stereo-type of the 'ballet mistress', but has added heart and genuine love for her girls. While the banter between Fanny and Michelle is reflective of Lorelia and Emily, this relationship doesn't have the baggage of the Gilmores--Michelle has made the choice to stay with Fanny and doesn't seem to be treating her as an obligation or something she is constantly trying to escape (at least not yet). I'm anxious to see how their friendship continues to build.

To sum it up: if you loved Emily and Lorelai, Stars Hallow, and the fast paced smart referenced chatter of Gilmore, you will love Bunheads!

Loving it so far.

[rainbowzs · 6/10 · 12 January 2013]

I loved, loved, loved Gilmore Girls, so thought I'd give this show a whirl. On episode 3 and so far, like it! Thank you Ethan for taping it and letting me watch. Very similar vibe to Gilmore - with great writing, repartee and lovable, kooky characters. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sherman-Palladino's script is as witty as ever and love the fact that they brought in a great Broadway actress/dancer. Sutton Foster is likable and funny. Similar, yet different to Lauren Graham. Good to see Kelly Bishop back. Difficult not to compare to Gilmore Girls really, but as I love that show and they've stopped making it - I have to fill the void with something. I love ballet too, so like that addition to the story. So great that there ARE ballerinas and dancers that could also act. All those dance movies with the plastic 'acting' were depressing me. A great pick-me-up show. So you can add this to The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family as my favourite comedies!

Great new show with a lot of potential.

[itsknotfair · 10/10 · 29 May 2012]

Most pilots aren't great, but when they are, you know that you have something special. Such is the case with Bunheads. While the title leaves much to be desired, the plot and characters, not to mention the acting fulfills a need for something witty and possibly touching.

After just one episode, you get a great sense of the story and who the characters are. After watching the pilot, you will want to see what happens next.

Michelle is a professional dancer whose career has taken a dip in recent years, and fails to amaze at yet another audition. Feeling low on herself and her lackluster life, she decides to marry a kind admirer.

Upon arrival at his small town, Michelle meets his mother, a dance instructor. After butting heads at first, they discover a common ground and seem to get along.

The ballet students seem to cover a great variety of what one might expect. The thin waif who has ease and skill with dancing, but not the motivation, a girl who wishes more than anything to be more graceful than her body type will allow, and another whose larger bust proves difficult (a challenge for any dancer.)

The final moments of the first episode set up the direction for which the show will take, and leave the viewer with chills.

I found it quirky and smart and I cannot wait for what lies ahead with this series.

5/5 stars.

Not amazing but cute

[chloereist · 7/10 · 11 February 2019]

This show was the best to put on in the background when you're in a bad mood or just need something fun to watch. It's nothing intense and makes me want to move to the middle of no where and take ballet haha! Overall it's not a show I would tell people to watch but it definitely is a cute show to binge on a lazy Sunday.

Excellent!

[Suze3133 · 10/10 · 9 November 2013]

Bunheads, a very appropriate title as it does focus on a group of 4 ballerinas and their teachers. What really grabbed me from the start was the fact that it followed in the Gilmore Girls show path, in more way than one. Many lovable characters were brought in from that show but what I truly loved was that this was another quick wit, keep you on your toes dialogue. Michelle, who enters town as a stranger, becomes the center of the show quickly and keeps you on your toes (pun not intended) with her quick wit, humor yet also keeps your interest when she's in a "down" mood. That doesn't happen often. Her mother in law, played by Kelly Bishop, is eccentric yet also down to earth. A relationship that starts very rocky turns around slowly. I like that they did it in real life mode, not made them love each other within 3 shows. I found all of the characters endearing and was as hooked on it as quickly as I was to Gilmore Girls. The 4 main ballerinas, whom are high school students, are endearing. They face life's true problems just like any other high school girl. I highly suggest you watch this if you haven't yet. *if you haven't seen this show, DON'T READ THIS!* I'm still left wondering why they cut this show short. Everyone that I talked to who watched this show, loved it! I really was hoping they'd reconsider and bring it back but it's been obvious to me for a while now that isn't going to happen. It's hard to find shoes like these and was really disappointed when I learned there would be no more Bunheads. It was a great show for my daughter and I to watch together, she's now 21. It wasn't just for the high school crowd. Bummer!

Amy Sherman's new series

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 21 August 2013]

Older Vegas showgirl Michelle Simms (Sutton Foster) finally relents and accepts a marriage proposal from admirer Hubbell Flowers. She moves to Paradise, California but he quickly dies in a car accident after one day of marriage leaving her with everything including a dance studio. With his mother Fanny Flowers (Kelly Bishop), she takes on the shock of her new life. Boo Jordan, Sasha Torres, Ginny Thompson, and Melanie Segal are four of the young teens attending her class.

Amy Sherman (Gilmore Girls) created a new series. The premise is a little awkward at the beginning. Foster has plenty of energy coming from years on Broadway. The four girls are an appealing bunch with good chemistry. It never hurts to have Kelly Bishop return to Amy. Overall, everybody is likable but it doesn't have the natural flow of Gilmore Girls. It does have a fake feel although I don't buy the Shonda race complaint. It's a good show and I wish they lasted more than just one season.

Worth the binge-watch if you can overlook a few problems...

[KaylaMaster · 5/10 · 13 January 2022]

I've been "binge-watching" this series b/c I have a "girl crush" on Sutton Foster who seems to be blessed with every possible talent. She's a true triple Broadway threat, she's nice, funny, and disgustingly optimistic.

I wouldn't bother to spend so much time watching a 1 season, 10 year old series otherwise.

There's a lot to like about this series and a lot not to like. What's with the identical cadence everyone speaks in? Is this another planet? Why does everyone sound scripted, talk too fast and sound like valley girls?

The show can be funny, very touching and I LOVE ballet stories, but the story arc is implausible, contrived, forced and rushed. You feel like you're being strung along by people who don't much like you.

I'm on episode 11 and not looking forward to the cliffhanger left in perpetual uncertainty but I hope that immensely talented Broadway musical comedy performers will have more opportunities to strut their stuff rather than having to hang up their voices and their dance shoes to bow to Hollywood's often misguided agenda.

Let 'em sing! Let 'em dance! (They did a lot, and that's why I'm still watching.)

Write a better storyline and we might have had a season two!

A show ahead of it's time

[musicgirrl16 · 10/10 · 13 July 2018]

This show was the best, before it's time. It would have an audience even now. I don't know what company was in charge, The WB, CW or ABC Family? (They missed the ball) I watched the show when it came out in 2012 and now again in 2018. (Big thanks Hulu!) This could have been as big as "Jane the Virgin" or "Crazy Ex Girlfriend". I would love to see this relaunched, (that's all they're doing these days) But honestly, this was only the show it is/was because of the cast and creators (Sutton Foster and Kelly Bishop, love, love and the girls, and my favorite content creator Amy Sherman Palladino)

What a find !

[pjmac69 · 10/10 · 5 August 2021]

Absolutely the cleverest writing and acting around ! Casting beyond compare and so deserved another season. Loved how several of the Gilmore Girls cast were brought into play. Could the title have really made the difference ? If you have not seen this... believe you are missing a jewel !

great, short-lived series

[cherold · 8/10 · 3 November 2019]

I checked this out because it was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who did the Gilmore Girls. And if you're looking for another Gilmore Girls, Amy seems to want to give it to you, down to the lead, who is a very similar type to Lauren Graham. I maybe don't like her *quite* as much as Lauren, but that doesn't mean I won't in time.

There are a number of issues with the basic premise of the first episode, in which an admirer persuades a drunken showgirl named Michelle to marry him and move to his sleepy town. The guy woos her with presents, but he doesn't really know her, and while the show wants you to think he's this nice guy, my impression was he just fell in love with her looks. And because this is a guy she has pretty much zero interest in (I believe showgirls often have these sorts of hangers-on and are rarely impressed by them), it's surprising how when she sobers up the next day she doesn't put the brakes on, especially after getting to his house.

But the way the show is structured, the premise is ultimately not important, and what is important - a Lauren Graham-ish lead, a mother-in-law reminiscent of Lorelei Gilmore's mom (and played by the same actress), and a whole slew of Rory Gilmore substitutes in a dance school - becomes that Gilmore Girls sequel we've been craving, offering the same smart dialogue and engaging characters.

When I saw the first episode, I thought, based on my experience with the ABC Family channel, it would probably be a great show that got cancelled after one season. I was tragically correct.

I was on the fence

[HelloBlockbuster · 10/10 · 13 June 2021]

Sutton Foster + FreeForm + Only One Season... that last addition had me on the fence, and quite frankly so did the first two episodes. Here I am on episode 10, wondering WHY THIS WAS CANCELLED?! Definitely in the same wheelhouse as Hart of Dixie and other similar shows but with a snarky version of Liza from Younger, cuz.... Sutton Foster. This woman is quite amazing and I can't wait to see her in more!

A Promising Show

[delightful-life · 12 June 2012]

Hope you have read the story line. Beyond that: The girl (Sutton Foster) is a 30 something girl, life has passed her by in the dancing business and she is now an ordinary show girl in Las Vegas. She has a 40 something guy who sees her show all the time and is a big admirer.

He keeps courting her all the time and finally she relents and marries him, seeing that she has no further career in her present life.

The show moves along fast, and its once she reaches the guy's hometown that the real story begins.

The whole cast seems nice, especially Sutton. And the direction and editing was really tight, a very good indication that some good guys are behind this, so I think this has promise.

I can't give a full recommendation, but I am intrigued and will continue to watch.

Give it a shot, just 5 mins would be enough and you will know if you like this kind of show.

Cheers!

---------------------------

Review after seeing episode 2:

I was so disappointed. The quality has gone on a nose dive and the show has become silly. The one actor that I was rooting for, he was just eliminated all together, now all that is left is a group of really silly, artificial people with mediocre acting.

The teenage girls that they showed in episode 1, the students in the dance class, they are just horrible. I guess the point is to show them slowly evolving over the many years this show might run, but its going to be really difficult to live through their bitching and super idiotic behaviour.

Opinion - If you are someone very much into ballet, you should give this show a shot, else its just not worth our time considering that there are better shows like 'The Newsroom' running on TV right now.

Cheers!

Good show ... but ...

[toncincin · 7/10 · 4 August 2019]

I was so happy when I found this show on-demand! I'd heard good things for a long time about it (especially with the success of Sutton Foster's show Younger). Well - I wanted to REALLY REALLY like this show. Unfortunately, it's just an "I like" - without the "reallys." Why? I watched Gilmore Girls - start to finish - on Netflix. I even watched the Netflix movie. This seems to be trying to be another Gilmore Girls BUT with dancers. Even down to the females humming in the background music. For some reason, the writers wanted to turn Sutton Foster into Lauren Graham. Fail! Sutton Foster is an amazing performer - should have allowed her to make the role hers. The teenage friendships between the girls is realistic and reminds me of my daughter and her friends. The girls' affection toward "Michelle" (Sutton Foster's character) is believable. It's also nice to see a softer Kelly Bishop in this series. I found the quirky actors from Gilmore Girls to be very distracting. AND there are a lot of them. Yes - they were playing different characters - but watchers if Gilmore Girls recognize them. Quirky small towns - with quirky people - give it a rest. This story didn't need it. There was enough going on with the story without the craziness thrown in. Sorry it lasted only one season - but it was trying to be too much Gilmore Girls and NOT enough Bunheads. The story wasn't allowed to develop. I am still giving it a 7 - because the relationship stories were entertaining. The dancing beautiful.

18 episodes, not enough!!

[twinklesparkle002 · 10/10 · 23 December 2018]

It just unexpectedly ends! No conclusions!! Ugh sad face. Loved this show!

Great show, horrible name

[ltifft · 7/10 · 14 August 2013]

I just started watching this show on amazon. I have to admit it was a lot better than I anticipated. It sort feels like Gilmore Girls (many of the same actors play town people) but different scenario. The main character is a ballerina turned Vegas show girl who marries a fan she barely knows and starts a new life with him in his hometown Paradise, CA. A dance studio is the back drop of the show but it's the small town charm that sucks you in.

When I saw the promos for this show last year, I thought it was going to be really bad mainly because of the name. The fear of it being like the after school special The Secret Life of an American Teenager was also a deterrent. It wasn't until the boredom of summer programming kicked in that I decided to give it a shot on amazon prime. Hoping there will be another season.

Loved this show

[Mliss49 · 10/10 · 1 October 2018]

I took ballet for 14 yrs and this program brought back great memories. Why take it off the air? It was clean wholesome show. Maybe that's why they canned it.😢

Well golly...

[coffeeandverbs · 2/10 · 2 May 2021]

OK so...I'm a fan of Gilmore Girls. Witty banter is fun. I love Stars Hollow as an institution. You get the picture. I watched the first three episodes of this when it first came out expecting that same kind of fun, airy thing but with some theater-geek elements courtesy of Sutton Foster. Now, the reason I'm giving this two stars and not one star is because I did, indeed, get some of that.

What I also got was a reminder of what women in general think of guys like me. And by 'guys like me' I mean weird, awkward, socially inept ones who love earnestly in spite of a social scene in which being a smooth operator is often rewarded with the gift of another person's body. The male lead was one of us quiet, love-at-a-distance-but-never-give-up types. I say 'was' because he got killed in an accident almost immediately. The woman he pined for had finally agreed to marry him...and then he promptly perished. It wasn't treated as a tragedy. It was treated as an opportunity for upward mobility and empowerment for the female lead. Actual empaths were horrified. All 5 of us.

I thought that when Sutton's kindly-but-oddball suitor finally got the 'yes' from her out of desperation, this would be a musical-esque story about the value of finding love in a place you never expected. About growing to love someone. What I got instead was a reminder that to most people, it's fine to define the socially oblivious by what they lack, not by what they might have if you get to know them. Nobody reading this probably cares. If my sentiment were a popular one, the world would be in better shape than it is now. But I had to write this down for all the other "creepy" non-neurotypicals out there like myself. Silence kills. Just like a car in an Amy Sherman-Palladino show, apparently.

I'd give anything for a reboot

[mmprovera · 10/10 · 11 August 2022]

This tv show was incredible. Funny, quick, smart, beautifully done. Pure Sherman-Palladino. A gem that was not appreciated as it deserved in 2012 and that is an absolute pity. In the reboot and remake era that we're living in, this show deserves a second chance. The Paradise Dance Academy managed by Michelle Simms still has a lot of stories to tell in 2022. I am writing this review in the hopes that Amy Sherman-Palladino reads it and realizes that Bunheads did have a fan bese - here's a Spanish fan to attest for it. #BringBunheadsBack!

Brilliant TV

[lavanyaxoxo · 8/10 · 11 September 2014]

This show reminded me of Gilmore Girls, right from the first episode, before I knew it was a Palladino thing. Not in a predictable way, rather the quick wit writing unique to Amy Sherman Palladino.

Bunheads is brilliant TV, it's funny and interesting but can take on a sad angle wonderfully too. The actors are amazing, each and every one of them, and the dancing is beautiful!

Highly entertaining and heartwarming, you grow to love the characters. and feel personally involved in their lives (I'm not weird, I swear). Paradise is such a nice little town with its eccentric inhabitants.

I particularly like the female-centered cast, they pull it off brilliant. Don;t be discouraged, though, it isn't a "girly" show.

If you like ballet, witty dialogue and little towns, give this a shot. Heck, give it a shot even if you don't; you will be hooked by episode 3.

PS. I'm heartbroken that Bunheads has been cancelled.