Alpha House

:

Season 1
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
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Critic Reviews

  1. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Nov 20, 2013
    60
    Another of those amusing but not necessarily laugh-out-loud funny sitcoms that are so popular on premium cable channels.
  2. Slate
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    Nov 15, 2013
    60
    Alpha House is about men caught up in a crazy-making system; even with all of its concrete details, that means it feels very similar to the (for now) much funnier Veep.... Alpha House may be Amazon’s first original program, but it doesn’t feel all that original.
  3. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    Nov 15, 2013
    60
    The best reason to stick with Alpha House so far is that its ideas are stronger than its execution.... If Trudeau wants to argue, say, that today’s GOP is hypocritical, extreme, or dangerous, that’s fine--that’s satire--but it would be stronger and funnier if it engaged with a non-caricature version of the party.
  5. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Nov 18, 2013
    50
    The show is so tight--maybe too tight--that it starts to choke on its own power-tie premise in the first three episodes.
  6. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Nov 15, 2013
    50
    Alpha House feels like social studies homework. On a Saturday night.
  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Michael Starr
    Nov 14, 2013
    50
    [Alpha House is] not very memorable or notable, at least not in the pilot episode that’s been made available for review.
  8. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Erik Adams
    Nov 27, 2013
    42
    Alpha House hits a few notes of inspired satire--like the bowl of American flag lapel pins the senators keep on the kitchen counter--but Trudeau’s been more biting and much funnier elsewhere, past TV efforts like Tanner ’88 and the malaise-infected Doonesbury Special included.

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best TV Season of 2013
94
#94 Most Discussed TV Season of 2013
43
#43 Most Shared TV Season of 2013

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 35
  3. Negative: 7 out of 35
  1. rubizzy
    Jan 28, 2014
    9
    This is a great show, with 2 major let downs. The first is that each episode is much too short. Politics is a lot more involved than 20+This is a great show, with 2 major let downs. The first is that each episode is much too short. Politics is a lot more involved than 20+ minutes can allow for. Second would have to be the poor attempts at tying all of the episodes together. We get it, you are supposed to take more than one episode to run for and win elected office but surely we can spend some time doing a little more political fighting. Other than those two small complaints its a brilliant and thanks to John Goodman funny show.… Full Review »
  2. jlprice8
    Nov 20, 2013
    8
    The humor is dry and biting. Don't forget to bring your cynical face to the game, remember, Republicans are good and everyone else is wrong.The humor is dry and biting. Don't forget to bring your cynical face to the game, remember, Republicans are good and everyone else is wrong. Are there Senators like this wandering the halls of Congress? Not these particular ones, but there is a piece of every Senator represented. The writing does not contain a laugh track, as well it shouldn't. I found some things very funny that the person sitting next to me didn't even raise an eyebrow at. However, being ex-military (and formally in charge of Marine security at West African embassies) he couldn't stop laughing out loud at show #3."That's exactly how Congressmen act!" he said between tears of laughter.… Full Review »
  3. tvnewsguido
    Sep 2, 2014
    7
    I was late to the party on this one. Thanks for the snub Emmy voters, the coverage put it on my radar.

    There's a heavily left-wing    I was late to the party on this one. Thanks for the snub Emmy voters, the coverage put it on my radar.

    There's a heavily left-wing political agenda at play here but the show relies on logic (instead of snide cheap shots) to make its point.

    It's a very likable and funny cast of characters and almost every single thing about it works on multiple levels.    … Full Review »
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