The NBC streaming service Peacock plans to bring back Adam Devine to headline a Pitch Perfect reboot TV series, but does the show’s premise lack the heart that made the films so great? The new television show will take place years after the events of Pitch Perfect and focus on Bumper Allen’s attempt to revive his music career in Germany, where one of his songs has become a hit.
Devine’s character Bumper Allen was the selfish, egotistical leader of the college A cappella group, The Treblemakers. The Treblemakers were the top rivals of the Barden Bellas in the first film. Bumper is remembered for continuously criticizing Fat Amy for her weight (which ends up being a twisted sort of flirtation) and for abandoning the rest of his A cappella team before finals to be a backup singer for John Mayer. This annoying side character was slightly redeemed by his romantic subplot with Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) in Pitch Perfect 2, but he did not reprise his role in Pitch Perfect 3. This begs the question: why bring back Bumper now?
The premise of a Pitch Perfect television show built around one of its most obnoxious characters is an odd choice. Even if the show had been about the lovable nerd Benji or Beca’s ex Jesse, it still would be missing the point of why the movies were so popular. The movies were a resounding success not just because they were unique and funny but also because they still carried out a classic underdog, found-family narrative. A mix of A capella music, genuine humor, and a cast full of talented women (including Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, and Anna Camp), Pitch Perfect was a unique kind of movie that audiences had never seen before. Interest in a reboot of such a successful concept is not surprising, but if Pitch Perfect found such popularity because it was unique, then its reboot must bring something new to the table to be worthy of any attention.
The question is: can the insufferable opportunist Bumper Allen bring a fresh twist to the old sing-song A cappella theme? Bumper was essentially the antagonist of Pitch Perfect since he manifested the misogyny the Barden Bellas had to overcome. He was an entitled, arrogant leader, and even though the Treblemakers lost finals without him, it would be easy to argue that they were a stronger team in his absence. The Barden Bellas sang together because of mutual passion in the spirit of competition, but Bumper was always scrambling for any sliver of fame, even at the expense of his team. Based on what is known about the show thus far, it would seem that not much has changed about the character if he is willing to move to Germany for a chance at fame and fortune.
This doesn’t mean that the TV show’s story reboot can’t begin redeeming Bumper’s character, perhaps making him more likable or at least more relatable. Even so, this won’t negate the fact that the TV show seems to be missing the point of the movies by its very premise. Pitch Perfect was an underdog story about music and sisterhood at heart. It was funny and unique, something that the reboot can only attempt to live up to, especially since the original plot line ran itself to a logical conclusion. Unless the new show can find a way to make Bumper a more sympathetic character and somehow instill in him the essence of what made the movies so great, it will most likely struggle to find its audience. Pitch Perfect was an instant smash-hit when it came out in 2012, so it is no wonder studios want to continue to profit from its success. However, creating a show around Bumper Allen seems like the wrong choice.
