Franklin & Bash

TNT | Release Date: June 1, 2011
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
12
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyJun 5, 2012
Season 2 Review: That whole dance [season one] was great fun. But now that they have their expensive offices, the writers must figure out what to do with them. Read full review
60
Miami HeraldGlenn GarvinJun 1, 2011
Season 1 Review: The show is kind of amusing, at least in a summer-TV sort of way. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyMay 31, 2011
Season 1 Review: It's a lawyer show with no aspirations to examine the legal universe. If it has any antecedent, it would be "My Cousin Vinny." So it's wise not to try to parse the nuances too closely here. Better to enjoy a steady stream of pop-culture banter and an attitude reminiscent of sophomore year in college. Read full review
58
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardJun 1, 2011
Season 1 Review: TNT bills Franklin & Bash as a dramedy, but it is more accurately a comedic bromance laced with pop-culture jokes and a dash of legal jargon to trick you into thinking you spent an hour on something of substance. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyArchana RamJul 18, 2011
Season 1 Review: The emphasis on the Animal House-style antics over the actual case of the week isn't the problem; it's that the shenanigans are a little too "bro" for their own good. Read full review
50
The New York TimesMike HaleJun 1, 2011
Season 1 Review: Franklin & Bash has some of the ingredients of perfectly adequate summer filler: it's handsomely shot; the writing, line by line, is as good as or better than that of most of the cable competition; and there are appealing actors like Malcolm McDowell, Reed Diamond and Ms. Davis in supporting roles. The problem is that Franklin and Bash themselves are resolutely uninteresting. Read full review
50
PopMattersMichael LandweberJun 1, 2011
Season 1 Review: The only thing connecting how Franklin and Bash act inside and outside the courtroom is a general willingness to wing it and hope for the best. But they're not as charming as the show thinks they are, and their triumphs don't seem so great. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandJun 1, 2011
Season 1 Review: F&B will rise or fall almost entirely on the basis of how likable you find Gosselaar and Meyer, not to mention the wisecrack-stuffed dialogue. Read full review
50
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen GrayMay 31, 2011
Season 1 Review: Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar go the buddy-comedy route in Franklin & Bash, a new lawyer show the network's calling an "offbeat drama"--though it's hard to think of something whose beats are this predictable as off-anything. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushJun 1, 2011
Season 1 Review: Your enjoyment of Franklin & Bash may depend on your tolerance for frat-boy antics and smarmy whimsy. Read full review
40
The Huffington PostMaureen RyanJun 1, 2011
Season 1 Review: The problem is that the cases that the lead duo take on aren't offbeat enough, and Gosselaar's appealing qualities aren't enough to make up for Franklin & Bash's other shortcomings. Read full review
40
HitfixAlan SepinwallMay 31, 2011
Season 1 Review: It tries to coast on banter that's not particularly snappy, and on a snickering dependence on sex-related gags and plots. Read full review
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