Starring: Karen Gillan (“Doctor Who,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”), John Cho (“Star Trek,” “Harold and Kumar”), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Angriest Man in Brooklyn”), Allyn Rachel (“Weeds”) and David Harewood (“Homeland”).
Genre: Single-camera comedy
Premiere Date: Tuesday, September 30, 8 p.m., ABC
Direct Competition: “NCIS” (CBS), “The Voice” (NBC), “Utopia” (Fox), “The Flash” (CW)
Premise (in 140 characters or less): A social media celebrity has a #FirstWorldProblem, makes John Cho suffer her bulls–t.
Initial Reaction: I didn’t like “Suburgatory,” which was also created by Emily Kapnek, so I wasn’t expecting much. It’s not that “Suburgatory” was bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Regardless, I’m glad I wasn’t expecting much from “Selfie.” This was the first new pilot I watched, and it remained atop my list of worsts.
Conclusion: John Cho deserves a starring vehicle. This, however, is not the vehicle I want for him. And Karen Gillan is a star in the making. This, however, is not how she’ll want to be remembered. This is a very bad pilot with few redeeming qualities. Whether or not “Selfie” builds a following, I can’t imagine a show will ever feel as dated as this one will in five, ten ––– heck, maybe in a couple of years. Credit’s owed where credit’s due, though, and Cho is as charming as one could possibly expect from someone working off an asinine script. Gillan also does a superb job portraying the hateful protagonist and proclaimed ‘selfie’ queen.
Perhaps I’m not the target audience for “Selfie,” but then again, I’ll be amazed if it finds one.
Watch Live, DVR or Skip?: Skip.
