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2 TV ENCORE By Cassie Dresch TV Media P ucker up and smile pretty for the camera! ABC is hashtag- ging, Instagramming and friend- ing its way through the sitcom scene with a new half-hour laugher that's set to take social media from the computer screen to the TV screen. Catch the series premiere of "Selfie," airing Tuesday, Sept. 30, on ABC. Since the advent of Facebook more than 10 years ago, social networking has been taken to new heights. You can now send out mini-messages of 140 char- acters or less with Twitter, post heavily filtered photos of your goings-on through Instagram and even send 10-second picture messages on Snapchat that dis- appear into the abyss when the timer hits zero. It's a culture of oversharing that continues to grow. Americans are spending more time on social media now than ever before. On personal comput- ers and mobile devices, U.S. citi- zens logged 121.1 billion total minutes in July 2012 compared to the 88 billion minutes spent on social media in July 2011. Even Merriam-Webster is jump- ing on the tech-centric bandwag- on, adding the words "hashtag" and "selfie" to the Collegiate Dictionary to "reflect the grow- ing influence technology is hav- ing on human endeavor, espe- cially social networking." So it makes sense that ABC is tackling this trend, and it's doing it with a heavy hit of humor. "Selfie" takes the rampant nar- Graybeals Carpet 2 x 3" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" Harrison- Metzger 2 x 2" On the Cover cissism that is sometimes bred from social media and blends it with a little bit of "My Fair Lady" (1964) and "Pygmalion" (1938). While I imagine Audrey Hepburn would be absolutely stunning in any and all selfies, "Doctor Who's" Karen Gillan and "Star Trek's" (2009) John Cho add their own twist to the unrefined pupil and uptight tutor roles. Gillan stars as the self- obsessed Eliza Dooley, a woman highly focused on herself, her "tweeps" and her image. She has more than 263,000 followers who cling to her every picture and post on social networking sites, and she thrives on the attention and "instafame." After an unfortunate mishap on an airplane, Eliza real- izes she needs a bit (read: a ton!) of help to update her image and get over the cringe-worthy embarrassment. Enter Henry Higenbottam. He's a workaholic, marketing self- image guru who despises every- thing to do with social network- ing and the people who rely too much on tech connectivity to live. The character, played by Cho, decides to lend his rebranding expertise to Eliza so that she understands there's more to life than just Instagram, Candy Crush Saga and Twitter. "'Selfie' holds the most prom- ise out of any half-hour comedy this fall, thanks to some genius casting — John Cho and Karen Gillan are spot on — and of course the writing stylings of 'Suburgatory's' Emily Kapnek," said "E! Online" TV Scoop reviewer Kristin Dos Santos. "It's a premise that should not work," added fellow TV Scoop writ- er Tierney Bricker, "yet [it] totally does, thanks to Cho and Gillan's chemistry and the writing, with almost every single joke landing." As Bricker mentioned, it seems like "Selfie" shouldn't work as a TV show, especially since it's a storyline that's been done before both on screen and on stage — and with great success. The 1964 movie musical version of "My Fair Lady" starring Audrey Hepburn ("Breakfast at Tiffany's," 1961) and Rex Harrison ("Doctor Dolittle," 1967) took home eight Academy Awards. The 1956 Broadway musical the movie is based on starring Harrison and Julie Andrews ("The Sound of Music," 1965) won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Like both Dos Santos and Bricker stated, however, the writ- ing crew behind "Selfie" is sure to give it a positive, humorous spin that will ultimately cement its own separate identity. ABC's 'Selfie' puts a comedic spin on social media Emily Kapnek ("Suburgatory," "As Told by Ginger") has been writing and producing for televi- sion since the late-'90s. Her ani- mated teen comedy "As Told by Ginger" ran for three seasons and netted three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Animated Program (Less than One Hour). The recently canceled "Suburgatory" was widely well received and brought in an average of 5.5 mil- lion viewers for its final season on ABC. Without skipping a beat, Kapnek is back with ABC, and it looks like "Selfie" could be yet another success for her. ABC is tackling a new comedy project this fall, and "Selfie" sure looks like it could be a big hit. With the indelible charm and chemistry between Karen Gillan and John Cho, this modern take on "My Fair Lady" looks to carve out its own place in comedy and become "Instafamous." Catch the season premiere of "Selfie," airing Tuesday, Sept. 30, on ABC. Clockwise from left: Allyn Rachel, Colleen Smith and Amanda Jane Cooper as seen in "Selfie" D&J Liquors 3 x 2" Animal Shop 2 x 2" Corner of 4th & Market ~ Downtown Logansport ~ 574-737-8374 Pear Tree Gallery I shop at the Pear Tree for all my art needs! MAROCCO-RANS FUNERAL CHAPEL 119 E. Market St. | Logansport, IN • 574.753.6282 www.ransfuneralhomes.com Offering compassionate services during your most diffi cult time of need. • Funeral & Cremation Services • • Preplanning Options • Monument Sales • AREA RUG CLEARANCE Professional Installation Available Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 9AM-6PM; Fri. 9AM-7PM; Sat. 9AM-5PM r r s TM Great Prices! Area Rugs starting at $49! 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