Ben & Kate
FOX | Release Date: September 25, 2012
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
3
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The Hollywood ReporterTim GoodmanSep 19, 2012
Season 1 Review: Not only is the pilot a wonderful mix of hilarious moments (pretty much any time Faxon is in the picture) and subtle sentiment, but it's one of those shows where the acumen of the off-camera talent (Fox) is impressive and clear, which gives hope for long-term success. Read full review
88
People WeeklyTom GliattoOct 22, 2012
Season 1 Review: Johnson is the find of the season: She's the sunbeam that doesn't filter out dust motes. [29 Oct 2012, p.38]
83
NewsdayVerne GaySep 21, 2012
Season 1 Review: Brush aside the hyperactivity and hard sell, and you're left with a winner. Read full review
80
Philadelphia InquirerDavid HiltbrandSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: [A] cleverly written show. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: The characters, like the show, send off an ingratiatingly kooky vibe, and I look forward to getting to know them better. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesMary McNamaraSep 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate is a sweet, smart new show from Fox that may turn out to be the best new comedy of the fall season. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesLori RacklSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: It's another welcome helping of "New Girl" adorkability. Read full review
75
USA TodayRobert BiancoSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: The surprise lies in how sympathetic Johnson makes Kate while still imbuing her with her own streak of crazy, or how endearing Faxon makes Ben, a character who might otherwise wear out his welcome fairly quickly. Read full review
75
RedEyeCurt WagnerSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben & Kate is at its best when the siblings lovingly spar--usually about one of Ben's hair-brained schemes. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandSep 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: There's no laugh track, the humor is gently sophisticated and the main characters wounded but appealing. Read full review
75
HitfixAlan SepinwallSep 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: The first episode is more of a pleasant experience that holds the promise of something better down the road. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Matt Zoller SeitzSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate is enjoyable enough if you don't mind a severe case of the cutes. Read full review
70
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: Together, they [Dakota Johnson & Nat Faxon] bring a whole mess of cute. Read full review
70
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen GraySep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate has great sibling chemistry, a cute kid (Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Kate's daughter, Maggie) and an appealing premise. Read full review
70
SalonWilla PaskinSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben & Kate seems poised to be to the "20 to 30-somethings get their lives together" sub-genre what "Parks & Rec" is to workplace comedies: something willfully, wonderfully kind. Read full review
70
TimeJames PoniewozikSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: What the pilot does have is simple charm, and enough laughs to give me a gut feeling that this show can build on the setup of a brother-sister pair who, between the two of them, make approximately one functional adult. Read full review
70
VarietyBrian LowrySep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: For now, though, there's a fair amount here to like--at least enough to warrant another family gathering in front of the TV, if not under the table. Read full review
70
The Huffington PostMaureen RyanSep 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: It's the kind of show that could well settle into a nice groove once it gets a few episodes in, especially given that all the performances are top notch, including those from Lucy Punch and Echo Kellum as friends of the title duo. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAlessandra StanleySep 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate has charm, but the brother-sister dynamic has built-in limitations. Read full review
70
Denver PostJoanne OstrowSep 20, 2012
Season 1 Review: The casting and direction are solid. We'll stick with it for now to see if there's growth in the character relationships, too. Read full review
67
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: While the premise is slight, smart casting gives Ben and Kate a comedic edge. Read full review
67
Uncle BarkyEd BarkSep 19, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate can be a bit grating and certainly isn't all together great. But its small ensemble--which also includes Ben's pal, Tommy (Echo Kellum)--is clicking pretty well for starters. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineSean HigginsOct 31, 2012
Season 1 Review: In spite of Ben and Kate's charms, its propensity for subduing the idiosyncrasies of its characters in the service of a simple emotional payoff makes it disappointing. Read full review
63
New York PostLinda StasiSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: The supporting cast, Kate's British co-worker at the bar, BJ ("Do you know what BJ means in my country?") played by Lucy Punch, and Ben's best friend Tommy (Echo Kellum), are the glue that holds this bro and sister together. Or at least this show together. Read full review
60
PopMattersChris ConatonSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate has the potential to be a similar sort of low-key, hangout show [like Cougar Town and Raising Hope] that's also very funny. Read full review
50
Washington PostHank StueverSep 14, 2012
Season 1 Review: That path [Will Ferrell/Jack Black/Zach Galifianakis school of oddballery] is fairly well trod at this point, as is the "New Girl" vibe Ben and Kate reaches for. Some funny lines still manage to peek through. Read full review
40
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenSep 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate has its moments of inspired, gonzo idiocy but mostly it's like spending a half-hour with someone you can't stand. Read full review
20
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleySep 24, 2012
Season 1 Review: As it's set up here, the comedy part doesn't work if Ben isn't genuinely annoying, and the larger arc doesn't work if he isn't genuinely endearing. Read full review
10
Miami HeraldGlenn GarvinSep 25, 2012
Season 1 Review: Ben and Kate is sometimes shrill, sometimes belligerent and sometimes (well, a lot of times) merely stupid. It is never funny. Read full review
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