Connecting
Connecting... is an American television sitcom co-created and co-executive produced by Martin Gero and Brendan Gall for Universal Television. The series premiered on October 8, 2020 on NBC.[1]
Connecting... | |
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Genre | |
Created by | |
Starring |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Camera setup | Single-camera |
Production companies | Wide Awake Productions Quinn's House Universal Television |
Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
Original release | October 8 – November 16, 2020 |
External links | |
Website |
In November 2020, the series was canceled after one season.[2] The remaining episodes were released on NBC.com, Peacock and Hulu.
Premise
Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the series follows the lives of a group of friends who try to stay connected via videotelephony as they navigate through the various nuances of life in a lockdown.
Cast
Main
- Otmara Marrero as Annie
- Parvesh Cheena as Pradeep
- Keith Powell as Garrett
- Jill Knox as Michelle
- Shakina Nayfack as Ellis
- Ely Henry as Rufus
- Preacher Lawson as Ben
Recurring
- Cassie Beck as Jazmin
Episodes
No. | Title [3] | Directed by | Written by [3] | Original air date [1] | U.S viewers (millions) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broadcast | ||||||||||||
1 | "Pilot" | Martin Gero | Martin Gero & Brendan Gall | October 8, 2020 | 1.67[4] | |||||||
We are introduced to a group of friends who struggle to adjust to life during the COVID Pandemic. | ||||||||||||
2 | "Day 30" | Linda Mendoza | Guy Branum | October 15, 2020 | 2.26[5] | |||||||
The friends face personal struggles and some revelations strengthen and divide the group. | ||||||||||||
3 | "Day 78" | Martin Gero | Ranada Shepard | October 15, 2020 | 0.97[5] | |||||||
Ben tries to think about how to tell Annie how he feels and the group tries to help him. | ||||||||||||
4 | "Day 82" | Linda Mendoza | Rachel Pegram | October 29, 2020 | 1.15[6] | |||||||
The group is trying to stay positive despite the ongoing pandemic. | ||||||||||||
Online | ||||||||||||
5 | "Day 90" | Martin Gero | Carl Tart | November 5, 2020 | N/A | |||||||
The group struggles with emotions as the Pandemic continues. | ||||||||||||
6 | "Day 135" | Linda Mendoza | Eddie Mujica & Shirin Najafi | November 12, 2020 | N/A | |||||||
The team continues to forge on despite tensions and emotions as the Pandemic continues. | ||||||||||||
7 | "Day 226" | Linda Mendoza | Teleplay by : Chloe Keenan Story by : Chloe Keenan & Naomi Iwamoto | November 16, 2020 | N/A | |||||||
Ben tries to get Annie to tell him how she feels. | ||||||||||||
8 | "Day 229" | Martin Gero | Teleplay by : Naomi Iwamoto Story by : Naomi Iwamoto & Chloe Keenan | November 16, 2020 | N/A | |||||||
The team revels in their happiness after Ben comes to see Annie |
Production
On June 26, 2020, it received a straight-to-series order of 8 episodes by NBC.[7]
The first star to be cast in the series was Otmara Marrero on July 22, 2020, followed by Parvesh Cheena on July 31, 2020.[8][9] The following month, Keith Powell, Jill Knox, Shakina Nayfack, Ely Henry and Preacher Lawson joined the main cast.[10] Shakina Nayfack's casting made her the first transgender person to have a starring role on a major network comedy show.[11]
Release
On September 10, 2020, NBC released the first official trailer for the series.[12] On August 27, 2020, it was announced that the series would be replacing Brooklyn Nine-Nine in NBC's previously announced Fall schedule and would premiere on October 1, 2020.[13] On September 24, 2020, the series premiere was pushed by one week to October 8, 2020.[14]
On November 2, 2020, NBC canceled the series after one season and pulled from its schedule amid dwindling viewership (with reruns of Superstore taking its place). The remaining episodes were streamed exclusively on NBC.com and Peacock.[2][15]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 67% with an average rating of 6.33/10, based on 9 reviews.[16] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
References
- "Connecting – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- Petski, Denise (November 2, 2020). "'Connecting' Pulled From NBC Schedule, Remaining 4 Episodes To Stream Online". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- "Connecting". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- Metcalf, Mitch (October 9, 2020). "Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.8.2020". Showbuzz Daily.
- Metcalf, Mitch (October 16, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.15.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- Metcalf, Mitch (October 30, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.29.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- Roots, Kimberly (June 26, 2020). "Blindspot EP's Video-Chat Comedy Connecting Ordered to Series at NBC". TVLine. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- Andreeva, Nellie (July 22, 2020). "'Connecting': Otmara Marrero To Star In NBC's Coronavirus-Era Comedy Series From Martin Gero & Brendan Gall". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- Petski, Denise (July 31, 2020). "'Connecting': Parvesh Cheena Joins NBC's Coronavirus- Era Comedy Series From Martin Gero & Brendan Gall". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- Petski, Denise (August 5, 2020). "'Connecting': Five Cast In NBC's Coronavirus-Era Comedy Series From Martin Gero & Brendan Gall". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- "Connecting's Shakina Nayfack on Making Trans History on Network TV". www.advocate.com. October 8, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- Yohannes, Alamin (September 10, 2020). "These friends are sick of isolation in first trailer for NBC comedy Connecting". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- Nakamura, Reid (August 27, 2020). "'This Is Us,' Dick Wolf's 'Chicago' Franchise, 'The Voice' Get Fall Premiere Dates at NBC". TheWrap. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- Schwartz, Ryan (September 24, 2020). "Superstore Season 6 Premiere Delayed". TVLine.
- Nemetz, Dave (November 3, 2020). "Connecting Cancelled at NBC, Remaining Episodes to Air on Peacock". TVLine. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- "Connecting...: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
- "Connecting...: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2020.