Band of Brothers

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 9, 2001
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
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Critic Reviews

  1. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Noel Holston
    Aug 15, 2013
    60
    Band of Brothers thus finds itself in a tricky no- man's land. It's too colloquial and too specific to be valuable in a larger historical sense, like the classic "World at War" series or any of the World War II documentaries that are a History Channel staple. Yet, it's too lacking in dramatic focal points to succeed fully as entertainment like "Private Ryan" or any of the dozens of World War II movies ("Battle Cry," "Battleground") that Hollywood turned out in the late 1940s and '50s. [7 Sept 2001, p.B02]
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  2. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    Aug 15, 2013
    60
    Television doesn't get any more visceral than this, and you will not soon forget images of the sky exploding into a rainstorm of parachutes, planes, and fire over Normandy, or American soldiers stumbling across a German death camp tucked in the forest...But as episodic television storytelling, Band of Brothers is less successful, marred not only by loose plot threads and war cliches but also by an excess of indistinct characters. [7 Dec 2001, p.C1]
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  3. Orlando Sentinel
    Reviewed by: Hal Boedeker
    Aug 14, 2013
    60
    Not knowing the characters better and not being able to tell them apart are constant hindrances. Weak on the human dimension, Band of Brothers adds up to a punishing experience. [9 Sept 2001, p.4]
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  5. Time
    Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    Jun 28, 2013
    60
    This is war as it happened, brutal and random, and in re-creating it Brothers captures viscerally the extraordinary sacrifice of a generation of ordinary men. ... But unlike [Saving Private Ryan], which bared its fictional GIs' souls, Brothers fatally neglects to turn its cast into distinguishable characters.
  6. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Tom Shales
    Aug 15, 2013
    50
    A glorious bungle. It has been produced on a dauntingly massive scale (by no less than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, those old war hands) and is at times visually astonishing...Unfortunately it also suffers from disorganization, muddled thinking and a sense of redundancy. [8 Sept 2001, p.C01]
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best TV Season of 2001
1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2001
2
#2 Most Shared TV Season of 2001

User Reviews

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User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 382 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 351 out of 382
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 382
  3. Negative: 17 out of 382
  1. Athandel
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    An excellent achievement in television storytelling. The amount of time and dedication put into this show by the team at Dreamworks and HBO isAn excellent achievement in television storytelling. The amount of time and dedication put into this show by the team at Dreamworks and HBO is stunning.… Full Review »
  2. Brosman
    May 29, 2013
    10
    Bar none the best HBO miniseries made to date, only rivaled but not beaten by The Pacific which came out a few years later. My favoriteBar none the best HBO miniseries made to date, only rivaled but not beaten by The Pacific which came out a few years later. My favorite movie/series ever. Just pure gold.… Full Review »
  3. jakub02
    Jan 20, 2012
    10
    Perfect from the opening theme to the last minute. An absolute must-see. Great script, well-written characters, impressive attention toPerfect from the opening theme to the last minute. An absolute must-see. Great script, well-written characters, impressive attention to detail. No need to explain more.… Full Review »
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