The TV Set
THINKFilm | Release Date: April 6, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
4
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
If only for the comedy glory of Sigourney Weaver as a TV network president who confuses acid reflux with gut instinct, this very smart, very funny movie about the making of a network sitcom is a cut-glass gem of a showbiz conceit. Read full review
91
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Weaver is hilarious and horrifying. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy Burr
A tart, smart, closely observed satire of the television industry. Read full review
80
SlateDana Stevens
The TV Set is a little wonder of a movie, as smart and sad and true as any comedy I've seen this year. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Sigourney Weaver is a riot in the cynical Faye Dunaway network boss role. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
Could almost be a Christopher Guest bridging project--it's essentially Guest's The Big Picture for TV instead of film, though it's structured in the low-key, rambling, observational manner of Guest's later ensemble comedies. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
You'll have major fun at this movie. But what makes it something special is the way Kasdan laces the laughs with a sting. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
Wickedly funny. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
It's deftly calibrated and acted with relish: Kasdan is really good! Read full review
70
Village VoiceScott Foundas
The TV Set is wry and true about the messy tangle of art, commerce, and family, as talented creative types try to stay true to themselves and put food on the table. The movie is also a treasure trove of inspired comic personalities. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
In general, the movie doesn't necessarily reveal anything we don't already know but delivers it in a personable, entertaining manner. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
At times The TV Set seems to unfold almost entirely without exaggeration. Read full review
70
The New YorkerDavid Denby
Kasdan is shrewd and funny about such things as the ease with which powerful people can mimic, when they need to, the forms of sincerity and concern. The satire is unrelenting but not too broad; it stays close to common observation. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Smart, funny and authentically terrifying. It's a comedy that explains how network television succeeds in being so horribly awful.
70
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Often possesses the gimlet-eyed wit of "The Player" or the mock docs of Christopher Guest. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
A pointed satire of the dumbing down of network TV with a sour tone and a broad execution. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleToddy Burton
Full of sharp comedy, the writing and directing is skillful and reminiscent of Kasdan's first two feature-directing efforts, "The Zero Effect" and "Orange County." Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
The TV Set skewers the television industry in a manner that occasionally feels familiar and at other times is humorously incisive. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
In a way, The TV Set suffers from the same syndrome as the industry it's parodying: bland and compromised, it feels as if it's been fine-tuned and focus-grouped within an inch of its life. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneSid Smith
For all its bright writing, TV Set is contrived and predictable, another morality lesson from a poisoned pen telling us what we've heard before. Read full review
60
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
This is a tepidly amusing film that will offend no one, including those it claims to skewer. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
Whether outsiders will find much to appreciate in The TV Set is another question because the film fails to provide the thematic resonance of similarly themed predecessors like the brilliant "Network." Read full review
50
VarietyJay Weissberg
Results are breezy though toothless, with too much repetition and not enough originality. Read full review
40
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Various news stories have noted the movie's accuracy, which I don't doubt, but the blanket antipathy makes for a wearying and predictable story. Read full review
38
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Insipid, formulaic and suitable for the dumbed-down sensibilities of lowest-common-denominator couch potatoes. Read full review
38
New York PostKyle Smith
Satire is merciless; it demands that mocker be superior to mockee. Read full review
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