This American Life: Season 1
  • Network: Showtime
  • Series Premiere Date: Mar 22, 2007
  • Season #: 1 , 2
This American Life Image
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: This spinoff of the popular public radio show (well, as popular as a public radio show can get) hosted by Ira Glass adds visuals to the program's usual mix of storytelling and reporting, revolving around a single theme each week.
  • Genre(s): News, Documentary

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Doug Elfman
    100
    It's really kind of a glorious little miracle, a half-hour series of little pictures of simple, complex and unfamous Americans breathing everyday lives, with a twist of kookiness, while they search for the Meaning of Everything and The Big Picture.
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Randee Dawn
    80
    "Life" makes the ordinary extraordinary and along the way makes the world seem wider, bigger and an eternally more interesting place to be.
  3. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    80
    "This American Life" lost none of its authenticity in transition from radio to Showtime.
  4. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    60
    “This American Life” really begins to show its TV potential in episode three, when the show stops trying so hard to be perfect and lets its storytelling sprawl.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. OthoS
    10
    This American Life translates beautifully to TV, although I miss the radio program's reliance on Glass' dulcet tones. I think that Maureen Ryan of the Trib gave it a lukewarm review simply so that she wouldn't look like parochial by praising a Chicago-originated program. It's okay, Maureen, Chicago is a big city. We're fairly sophisticated here. it doesn't matter what the New York Times says. You can like the show without looking like the television reviewer for the Des Moines Register.… Expand
  2. CB
    10
    It's the best show on TV and RADIO.
  3. buzzc
    10
    perfect.
  4. snortch
    10
    While the movies let me down sooo often, I am now discovering that TV seems to have the most compelling stuff. TAL on TV is really really great. I thought that I wouldnt like being shown the imagery, but this is a perfect translation from radio to TV. Don't get me wrong...I still really enjoy the little pictures that develop in my head when listening on the radio...but this is shot in a way that is not heavy handed. There are still many dots left to connect. I really enjoyed the last act of episode 2. Haunting and poignant as the photographic equipment slides up and down and left to right. Well Done!… Expand

See all 10 User Reviews

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