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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed shows.
American Inventor
EMAILPRINTSERIES: ABC, Thursday 9:00p (60 minutes)
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 20 votes
Read user comments
Rate this show >
Show Info
Genre(s): Reality (Competitive)
Created By:
Simon Cowell
Peter Jones
First Air Date: March 16, 2006
Summary
Starring Matt Gallant (host)
This American Idol-like competition (not surprisingly, from the producers of American Idol) pits amateur "inventors" and their creations against one another in a multi-week competition. At least there's no singing.
Episode Guide & More Info: More about this show at TV.com
Also On The Web: Official Show Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
I was often moved by the dedication and heart on display.
Read Full Review >Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Despite all its contrived reality melodrama, ''American Inventor" features a steady stream of entertainingly kooky and cool creations.
Read Full Review >Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker
The results suggest that everyone involved looked at American Idol too closely. And this time around, everyone is startlingly off-key.
Read Full Review >Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen
Tonight's premiere is often a huge time-waster, but when it's not boring viewers with the umpteenth meet-the-judges segment and sticks to introducing wacky inventors, it's kind of a hoot.
Read Full Review >New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
How un-innovative is this series about innovation? Let me count the ways.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm
[Its] intolerable length helps to illuminate the cynicism of these competition shows.
Read Full Review >Houston ChronicleMike McDaniel
A bloated disappointment that spends more time on the judges than the inventors and their inventions.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland
The joke goes from bad to grim within minutes.
Read Full Review >Washington PostTom Shales
An appalling amalgam of humiliating ridicule, primitive humor and heartbreaking pathos, "American Inventor" flies in on wings of sap.
Read Full Review >Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
The worst unscripted outing to hit the airwaves in many a moon.
Read Full Review >NewsdayVerne Gay
"American Inventor," ... is unspeakably awful, and makes not just a travesty of the type of television that "American Idol" so dramatically popularized, but an unintentional parody of it as well.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this show is 5.0 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Larry gave it an8:
I honestly do not see why it is so underrated, i mean isn't watching people introduce cruddy inventions funny?
rob d gave it a6:
wrap dispenser..mom had one just like it in the 70's tea...need I say anything...bike hanger...buy a hook for a couple of bucks...bra looks like a good sell even if not picked.racer may be a flop.... I'm voting for the angle even with fake tree looks like a great idea too me!!!!
Matt C gave it a3:
I have a hard time trying to watch this show. I understand that these judges are entrepreneurs but they seem to laugh at every unworthy invention. Many of the early inventions that come through are brilliant in my opinion but they still laugh at them because they don't fully understand them. In my eyes, it only makes them look like jerks and it drags the show around tremendously. This is the reason I dislike this show and It's likely that I'll never watch a full season. I would also like to say that George Foreman is the most brilliant judge out of the 4 of them because he understands most of the inventions. While the others laugh at the less worthy inventions for whatever reason George Foreman does not. He walks children out to their parents and he seems like a caring individual. I understand that they can only let so many inventors into the competition but it seems silly to laugh and grief the ones they don't accept.
brenda f gave it a10:
the next under-rated show to come out on top!
Hallie gave it a10:
My really good friend was on this show.She did not win the money but had a great time anyways. I think she waas on the show earlier this month. This was when I first got started in this show and now that I have watched it a few times, I really do like it a lot!!!o that is why I rated it a 10!!!!
[Anonymous] gave it a10:
i love this show!!!!!....it is realy awesome!!!
alfred c gave it a9:
it's ientertaining, but has very bad timing, it's facing off with smaville or supernatural, the show can't possibley believe it can beat smallville or supernatural , it's not even in the running if it tries to compare itself to those 2 shows. people have history with those shows.
