Key & Peele: Season 1
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Salon
    Reviewed by: Roger Catlin
    Jan 31, 2012
    80
    There's great energy and real laughs, and with any support at all from the network, this could mint as many new catchphrases as Chappelle.
  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Jan 31, 2012
    50
    All told, it's a respectable niche addition but won't make anyone old enough to remember "In Living Color" apt to forget it.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Jan 31, 2012
    60
    Some of it is moderately profane. Some pushes traditional boundaries of taste, though in today's comedy world these guys aren't even close to the edge.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Jan 31, 2012
    80
    [The taped linking] bits feel a little forced compared to the sketches, which are consistently smart and smartly acted and flow easily from ordinary premises to weird conclusions.
  5. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Jan 31, 2012
    80
    Its hits outpace its misses--by a mile. That's not often the case with sketch comedy shows. Just as important, the humor is consistently smart.
  6. Hitfix
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Jan 31, 2012
    83
    We have two likable and funny guys and a lot of untapped material. That's an excellent start.
  7. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    Jan 31, 2012
    70
    A pretty good sketch show.
  8. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Sarah Rodman
    Jan 31, 2012
    70
    Like all comedy, whether the duo always sticks the landing will depend on the viewer.
  9. The Huffington Post (formerly AOL TV)
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    Jan 30, 2012
    80
    It's certainly worth keeping up with Key & Peele, given how strong and confident those outings are.
  10. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Jan 30, 2012
    75
    Key and Peele are sufficiently talented and versatile to carry off a half-hour show on their own.
  11. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Keith Staskiewicz
    Jan 30, 2012
    91
    While the show is not yet as boundary-pushing as Chappelle's, it is funny, and that should never be taken for granted.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 4 out of 14
  1. Hateorade502
    2
    The fact that this show can get such high reviews is a sad indication of the bleak landscape that is television comedy today. The only reason I haven't given this show a zero, is because the second season seems to have balanced the black comedy cliches with the blatant white pandering to a more tolerable level. Anyone who believes it is "racist" to compare this show with Chapelle's Show is simply naive. Comedy Central has been trying to recapture the success of Chapelle's Show since Chapelle left, and this is simply the most successful yet. Most were such failures that you were never even aware they existed. David Allen Greer, enough said. While the sketches are convoluted, and giggle inducing at best, the real weakness in this show are the awkward and forced "comedy" bits in between. The hosts seem a bit more natural in delivery during the second season, but the material is still far from original or funny. One of the reasons Chapelle found such success was his attitude. He made sketches because he liked them and thought they were funny, the show was just an outlet. The same with Tosh.0, Comedy Centrals only other original success in recent history. Everything Key and Peele do seems forced and the sketches are marketed to the lowest common denominator, using race related material as a crutch rather than a tool of innovation.
    Unfortunately, I don't see this show going anywhere in the near future. If one day a sketch comedy can show half as much potential as Chapelle's show, this will be seen for the mediocre culture parody it is and will finally be rendered obsolete by actual competition. We can only hope.    … Full Review »
  2. fskribbles
    0
    I don't see what people see in this show. I gave it a chance and watched three episodes, but I didn't laugh or smirk a single time. I would put this into the same category as all of Tyler Perry's productions - that is, incredibly stupid black comedy.… Full Review »
  3. MiaMiaMIa
    0
    They LOVE to make fun of white people. What a double standard! The type of "comedy" they're doing has been done a million times before and these two are walking cliches of a black comedian. Such a shame they can't be more original with their material.… Full Review »
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