SNAPSHOT
“[Julie and the Phantoms] stars Madison Reyes as Julie, a talented singer who’s feeling uninspired after her mother died. But then three musicians come into Julie’s life and convince her to join their band, giving her a chance to rediscover her voice…and maybe fall in love along the way.” (synopsis (c) IO9 Gizmodo)
I am a sucker for any TV series with a quirky premise.
I am less of a sucker for a series with a poorly-executed quirky premise but there’s about Julie and the Phantoms to make you hope they get it right.
For a start, it observes that most important of rules when it comes to an offbeat basis for a TV show – keep it heartfelt and ensure the humanity is front and centre all the way through.
That way, no matter how strange things get and let’s face it, three teenage boy ghosts appearing from the ’90s to a grieving daughter of a loving mum with loads of musical load but a grief-sapped drive to succeed, is gleefully strange, you can still relate to the innate truth in it.
Which seems to be, ghost musicians only appearing to other besides Julie (who attracts the undying love of one of the guys because of course she does) when music is being played aside, that grief takes a lot out of us and that getting back to life in some form does take something extraordinary.
In this case, clearly ghosts. Oh, to listen in to her therapy sessions!
Julie and the Phantoms drops its first season on 10 September.