'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' an escape-from-cult comedy
New Tina Fey sitcom for Netflix stars The Offices Ellie Kemper as a plucky survivor.
* UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT. Friday, Netflix.
* DIG. 10 tonight, USA.
FROM "That Girl" to "Girls," single women hoping to make it in the Big Apple aren't new to TV.
Single women moving to New York after 15 years living underground in a doomsday cult? You can count them on one finger.
There's nothing generic about the funny (and charming) "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," whose first 13 episodes premiere tomorrow on Netflix. Ellie Kemper ("The Office") stars as Kimmy, who's been through some stuff and emerged determined not to waste her life. The supporting cast includes Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock") and the always hilarious Carol Kane as Kimmy's landlady.
Created by Upper Darby's Tina Fey and fellow "30 Rock" producer Robert Carlock and originally intended for NBC, "Kimmy Schmidt" is grounded by Kemper, who conveys both the outsized emotions of a girl whose experience of the world ended abruptly in middle school and the maturity of a woman who's survived bigger challenges than any that New York City can offer.
'Dig' on USA
If there's a takeaway from USA's new limited series "Dig," it's that religion can be tough on livestock.
Not to mention people.
An ancient, international conspiracy appears to be coming to a head in Jerusalem, where a maverick FBI agent (Jason Isaacs) who's sleeping with his more by-the-book boss (Anne Heche) is drawn into the investigation of the murder of a Penn student.
Created by Gideon Raff ("Homeland") and Tim Kring ("Heroes"), "Dig" is a conspiracy theorist's treasure trove, and scary, to boot. Whether it has a chance on an already drama-packed Thursday probably depends on how much space is left on your DVR.
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