Emerald City

:

Season 1
  • Network: NBC
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 6, 2017
Metascore
47

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 31
  3. Negative: 10 out of 31
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Critic Reviews

  1. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    Jan 5, 2017
    37
    It’s hard to keep the story straight, as new and old characters mingle and the mostly anemic performances weaken the show's hold on our attention.
  2. TVLine
    Reviewed by: Dave Nemetz
    Jan 3, 2017
    33
    While it displays some dazzling visual flair and is plenty ambitious in its scope, like a certain famous Scarecrow, this ponderous revamp doesn’t seem to have much of a brain at all.
  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jan 9, 2017
    30
    The entire thing feels too canny, too much the result of a marketplace gamble, and that’s especially dispiriting in light of the fact that all ten episodes are directed by Tarsem Singh, an extravagant visual stylist whose work tends to have a music-video-fashion-show-nightmare vividness even when the story makes no sense and isn’t trying to.
  5. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Jan 6, 2017
    30
    All the trappings of “The Wizard of Oz” without any of the charms.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Meredith Blake
    Jan 5, 2017
    30
    Emerald City is a turgid attempt at fantasy burdened by the weight of its own pretensions.
  7. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Brian Tallerico
    Jan 4, 2017
    30
    The writing doesn’t work. And scenes within the title location are in even more need of a rewrite.
  8. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    Jan 4, 2017
    30
    A labored, humorless attempt to turn “The Wizard of Oz” into a “Game of Thrones”-like epic.
  9. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Gail Pennington
    Jan 6, 2017
    25
    The plotting is goofy, the tone is relentlessly dark and the pacing is excruciatingly slow. Worst, the characters are hard to care about.
  10. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Jan 6, 2017
    25
    I wanted to check out the moment Dorothy Gale was waterboarded.
  11. Yahoo TV
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Jan 6, 2017
    20
    We soon begin to see the method behind this show’s storytelling: If there’s a way to pump more pretentious gas into the story, Emerald City will find it.

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
19
#19 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 102 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 102
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 102
  3. Negative: 24 out of 102
  1. Mediasavvy
    Jan 11, 2017
    10
    I loved this show. It's visually rich, with a strong cast, great performances and informed, nuanced writing. While it's being sold as aI loved this show. It's visually rich, with a strong cast, great performances and informed, nuanced writing. While it's being sold as a 'reinvention' it actually has more in common with the original Frank Baum books than Garland's 'Wizard of Oz'. The original books are dark and creepy and set a tone of uncertainty, unfairness and unexpectedness that this TV show mines well. You don't truly know what will happen next, in Frank Baum's original books or this retelling.

    Ignore the Hollywood pundits on this show. Some creep in NBC clearly has it out for this show and is using a game of Chinese whispers to kill it.

    Ignore those critics or TV watchers who compare this show to the Wizard of Oz. This show has nothing to do with that movie and that movie had little to do with Frank Baum's books: very little, in tone, content or theme. This show is more in keeping with Baum's vision, than MGM's silly movie ever tried to do.

    I thank the producers for updating the story (making Dorothy a Latina, for starters), because a great story should not be trapped by the blinkered bigotries of the past. It should evolve as we do. I think they did a great job of keeping it creepy, making every plot turn unexpected and painting such a beautiful visual fantasy landscape to work with. The cast is strong, the colors are rich and the modernizing touches only enhance the thematic ambitions of the original WRITTEN work. Normally, I'd give this show a 9, but since someone in Hollywood has it out for this show, I'll give it a 10 and hope it lives long enough to earn that last point. The script and performances show a nuanced understanding of their subject and the leads carry their roles far better than most of the dreck on TV.

    Forget the Wizard of Oz. Explore this show's universe as if it were written today. I think you will really enjoy it. If you actually read Baum's work, you won't be disappointed either...............................    … Full Review »
  2. Davrosdaleks1
    Jan 8, 2017
    8
    Well, I liked it. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect, but it is entertaining. I definitely think it's better than Tin Man. The visuals areWell, I liked it. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect, but it is entertaining. I definitely think it's better than Tin Man. The visuals are excellent, the structure of the fantasy world is distinctive, and I thought the characters drew you in. Personally, I'm interested in seeing where this goes. Also, as a fan of the original books, its nice to see them use elements from the other books rather than get all their inspiration from the movie.… Full Review »
  3. BDGallof
    Jan 8, 2017
    2
    "Listen, we need a Game of Thrones show"
    "No problem!"
    "But like Once Upon A Time..." "No problem!" "...with some LOST quirks and    "Listen, we need a Game of Thrones show"
    "No problem!"
    "But like Once Upon A Time..."
    "No problem!"
    "...with some LOST quirks and questions...."
    "No problem!"
    "...an make it disjointed and boring...this is NBC after-all."
    "No problem!"    … Full Review »
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