• Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 28, 2011
Season #: 3, 2, 1
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 25
  2. Negative: 2 out of 25
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Critic Reviews

  1. Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Sep 26, 2011
    100
    A genuinely funny and immediately likable sitcom.
  2. Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    Sep 12, 2011
    91
    I love the suburban satire, which is old territory made fresh again. [Jane] Levy, from "Shameless," is tart and sympathetic, and [Cheryl] Hines is a revelation as a rabidly superficial mom.
  3. Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Sep 27, 2011
    83
    There's enough sincerity lurking convincingly beneath the snark, and Levy is so good in both aggressive and vulnerable modes, that I have faith the show will find a way to humanize Tessa's new environment while still bringing the laughs.
  4. Reviewed by: Henry Goldblatt
    Sep 26, 2011
    83
    Not quite an Easy A, but certainly an easy B+.
  5. Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Oct 6, 2011
    80
    What Surburgatory lacks in novelty, it compensates for with a steady stream of gags, splashes of nuance (and nuance's vivid opposite), the comedic flow of Ana Gasteyer and Chris Parnell as the Altmans' neighbors, and an undercurrent of sweetness.
  6. Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Sep 28, 2011
    80
    The dialogue has a nice snap, the jokes come from just to the left of where you expect them to, and the players are all first-rate.
  7. Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Sep 28, 2011
    80
    Suburgatory is fall's most consistently funny comedy pilot.
  8. Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    Sep 28, 2011
    80
    Yes, satirizing the suburbs is an age-old theme in entertainment, but Suburgatory feels like it's thought through what specifically there is to say about the burbs of 2011. And so far, I like the way it says it.
  9. Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Sep 28, 2011
    80
    You'd never accuse Suburgatory of subtlety, but it's a fun place to visit, even if you'd never want to live there. It's also a hoot.
  10. Reviewed by: Liz Kelly Nelson
    Sep 28, 2011
    80
    It delivers laughs, for sure, but with a brainy, subversive and sometimes absurdist edge.
  11. Reviewed by: Jonathan Storm
    Sep 27, 2011
    80
    A hilarious family fish-out-of-water tale that fits seamlessly Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on 6ABC between The Middle and Modern Family.
  12. Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Sep 27, 2011
    80
    Suburgatory is an interesting little sitcom in that all on its own the show deserves your attention for the merits [nuance, snark, sweetness] mentioned above.
  13. Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Sep 28, 2011
    75
    Sisto is surprisingly sweet as a befuddled dad. Everyone seems to want the next Emma Stone. Levy isn't there yet, but given time she might grow into a solid comic actress.
  14. Reviewed by: Linda Stasi
    Sep 28, 2011
    75
    With a snarky running dialogue from Tessa (Jane Levy), the laughs are as easy and as sophisticated as she is. Or as she thinks she is--and that's the key.
  15. Reviewed by: Lori Rackl
    Sep 27, 2011
    75
    On the whole, Suburgatory delivers more hits than misses, largely thanks to its cast.
  16. Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Sep 21, 2011
    75
    Suburgatory displays a polished sense of humor and a better cast than it deserves, which makes it worth a look.
  17. Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    Sep 28, 2011
    70
    A clever send-up of life in the land of triple strollers from Emily Kapnek ("Parks and Recreation," "Hung") with just enough heart to keep viewers living there from wanting to slit their wrists.
  18. Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Sep 27, 2011
    67
    For now, Levy is an OK mix of insolence and vulnerability, Hines is her usual hoot and Sisto shows signs of being nimble on his feet in an arena where he's still learning the ropes.
  19. Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    Sep 28, 2011
    63
    There's no question that some of the jokes are funny, or that it's nice to see Sisto in a role that lets him lighten up.
  20. Reviewed by: Curt Wagner
    Sep 27, 2011
    63
    None of this, of course, is cutting edge new. But if you buy into the show's out-there fantasy of the suburbs--and I do, because I fear them--then you'll be amply entertained.
  21. Reviewed by: Michelle Welch
    Sep 28, 2011
    60
    The result is a show that's more ABC Family than Tina Fey.
  22. Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Sep 27, 2011
    50
    "Suburgatory" falls flat--a flatness that will be accentuated by the smart suburban comedies that bookend it.
  23. Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Sep 26, 2011
    50
    As is, the pilot created by Emily Kapnek ("Hung") and directed by Michael Fresco finds some warmth in the father-daughter bond and labors rather feebly to expose Hines' character in a less-than-harsh light, but the too-familiar start doesn't bode well for consistently tapping into such elements.
  24. Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Sep 27, 2011
    30
    The series begins with a tenuous premise, uses it to leap to an inaccurate dichotomy and supports that with tired, unfunny stereotypes.
  25. Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Sep 28, 2011
    20
    Basically, Suburgatory is a random collection of clichés drawn from such suburb-bashing works as Valley Girls, Stepford Wives, Clueless and Cougar Town, assembled without a scintilla of wit or human empathy.
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 120 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 90 out of 120
  2. Negative: 7 out of 120
  1. Oct 19, 2011
    9
    I really do like this. It's a nice concept and it's carried out very well. Jane Levy is great and Cheryl Hines is always fantastic. A greatI really do like this. It's a nice concept and it's carried out very well. Jane Levy is great and Cheryl Hines is always fantastic. A great show for those interested. Full Review »
  2. Sep 28, 2011
    10
    Pretty hilarious so far. What I consider a fresh story, father (George) and daughter (Tessa) pack up and move to suburbia after dad findsPretty hilarious so far. What I consider a fresh story, father (George) and daughter (Tessa) pack up and move to suburbia after dad finds condoms in daughters night stand. It's Mean Girls-esque in the way that Tessa is a fairly normal city girl surrounded by plastic people. Only instead of a couple girls it's pretty much the entire town. Good lines, good characters and hopefully a good future. Full Review »
  3. Oct 5, 2011
    8
    Quickly becoming the best new comedy on ABC's fall lineup. Shows like this don't last long, hopefully this one gets a chance to grow. Funny,Quickly becoming the best new comedy on ABC's fall lineup. Shows like this don't last long, hopefully this one gets a chance to grow. Funny, clever, and tongue-in-cheek. Full Review »