# Bunheads (2012)

> A Las Vegas showgirl lands in a sleepy coastal town and an uneasy job at her mother-in-law's ballet school.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/38690

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Amy Sherman-Palladino
- Network: ABC Family
- Cast: Sutton Foster, Kelly Bishop, Julia Goldani Telles, Bailey De Young, Emma Dumont, Kaitlyn Jenkins, Alan Ruck, Stacey Oristano
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2006848/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: witty, sardonic, warm, breezy, quirky

## Synopsis

Bunheads (2012-2013) is an American dramedy created by Amy Sherman-Palladino for ABC Family. Sutton Foster plays Michelle Simms, a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man and moves to his sleepy coastal town, where she takes an uneasy teaching role at the ballet school run by her formidable mother-in-law Fanny Flowers (Kelly Bishop). Alan Ruck plays Hubbell Flowers, the husband caught between his mother and his new wife, while Julia Goldani Telles plays Sasha Torres, a gifted, driven student whose ambitions push against the school's rigid rules. The engine of the show is Michelle's struggle to find her footing in an unfamiliar life, balancing her own performing past against the demands of teaching a roomful of restless teenage dancers and the town's quirky residents. Each episode is built from brisk arguments, pointed jokes and small domestic crises, with the dance studio serving as a stage for the characters' rivalries and tender alliances. The single season of eighteen episodes ran on a sleepy-yet-chaotic small-town rhythm, its tone sitting between sardonic wit and sincere warmth. Its rapid-fire dialogue and affectionate eccentrics will appeal to viewers who enjoy the work of Gilmore Girls and Glee, and fans of Flashdance will find its dance-world ambitions familiar. The show remains a cozy, talky, character-driven comedy about starting over in an unexpected place.

## Shows like Bunheads

- [Somebody Somewhere (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/88842)
- [Fame (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/1697)
- [Dance Academy (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/29926)
- [Physical (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/99080)
- [Popular (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/2994)
- [Flesh and Bone (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55573)
- [Tiny Pretty Things (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/94384)
- [Single Drunk Female (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/112954)
- [Shake It Up (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30558)
- [Ginny & Georgia (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/97853)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt
