Franklin & Bash

:

Season 1
  • Network: TNT
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 1, 2011
Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 42 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 42
  3. Negative: 4 out of 42
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User Reviews

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  1. knisone
    Jun 3, 2011
    8
    This is a summer series! It is light, energetic, and fun. The characters have enough depth that you do not get too serious yet you do care about them. Seriously what do you expect from a cast of basically stereo-types. From the college buddies who are best friends to the office mistress trying (and succeeding) to sleep with the new guy, the eccentric boss. Nevertheless Breck Meyer and MarkThis is a summer series! It is light, energetic, and fun. The characters have enough depth that you do not get too serious yet you do care about them. Seriously what do you expect from a cast of basically stereo-types. From the college buddies who are best friends to the office mistress trying (and succeeding) to sleep with the new guy, the eccentric boss. Nevertheless Breck Meyer and Mark Paul make for a good combination for seasoned vets of the acting game. Granted they haven't achieved an Abbott and Costello height of chemistry but if the the show stays on they could. The supporting characters are interesting enough to warrant their own storyline that you actually give a crap about. The stories are going to be cliche as will the resolutions but this isn't about that. It is about the ride there. The ride on this one is "FUN" You laugh and you enjoy the hour. Isn't that what you want out of a summer series? They had a girl stripping in court on the stand no less. Seriously when was the last "FUN" legal show you have watched? Granted you could say that about Kathy Bates' show however at times (David E. Kelley) it takes itself a little too seriously. turn your brain off for an hour. Watch it,m enjoy it then turn it back on because there is still world hunger.… Expand
  2. justnother1
    Jul 27, 2011
    2
    I started watching this show bearing in mind a reviewer had called it sophomoric (is fratermorphic a word? Anyway it was both so I said goodbye and went off to watch something less juvenile.
  3. Knicksfan7
    Jun 2, 2011
    8
    I don't understand why the critics are busting on this show so much. I watched the first episode last night and I thought it was good. Franklin and Bash are hilarious. Their are alot of sex-related jokes but its sure funny. If you enjoy shows with comedy and a little drama mixed in than you should watch this show. Franklin & Bash are not your typical lawyers, they make being a lawyer lookI don't understand why the critics are busting on this show so much. I watched the first episode last night and I thought it was good. Franklin and Bash are hilarious. Their are alot of sex-related jokes but its sure funny. If you enjoy shows with comedy and a little drama mixed in than you should watch this show. Franklin & Bash are not your typical lawyers, they make being a lawyer look fun and amusing, and their good at their jobs too. Anybody who enjoys watching comedy shows should watch it. I give the first episode an 8/10.… Expand
  4. 1tvfanatic
    Jun 28, 2011
    8
    Enjoying this frat boy romp into the courtoom immensely. Great fun and the characters add edge and witty verbal sparing with the corp legal set . common man (highly educated) goes high fiving into any situation and comes out shining.
    Light , funny and yet i find something reassuring and novel about the show after I watch that makes me want to see what they will do next.
  5. MvpAndMv3
    Jun 24, 2011
    9
    I'm all for a show not taking itself and it's plot lines too seriously but the set-up is a bit silly, nevertheless I am hooked on this summer bromance series with these two great actors the good supporting cast TNT has assembled around them. I don't take my law shows too seriously and expect this show to offer a lot more laughter than heartfelt moments and efforts to intrigue me with fakeI'm all for a show not taking itself and it's plot lines too seriously but the set-up is a bit silly, nevertheless I am hooked on this summer bromance series with these two great actors the good supporting cast TNT has assembled around them. I don't take my law shows too seriously and expect this show to offer a lot more laughter than heartfelt moments and efforts to intrigue me with fake science. Light, airy, funny, and involving.… Expand
  6. YorkMan
    Mar 3, 2016
    6
    F&B was a great show, for the first and second seasons. After that the main premise had run out of legs, and what was a decent 'buddy comedy' became very contrived and lost its sparkle.
    By the time the fourth season came around, you just knew it would be the last. When one of the established characters fails to return for the third season, and then two more are written out for the    F&B was a great show, for the first and second seasons. After that the main premise had run out of legs, and what was a decent 'buddy comedy' became very contrived and lost its sparkle.
    By the time the fourth season came around, you just knew it would be the last. When one of the established characters fails to return for the third season, and then two more are written out for the fourth.... Well, you're getting to the 'Great Gazoo' stage, when the writers/producers know their original idea can't carry on much longer, and need to bring in some even more wacky and meaningless characters/storyline in an attempt to prop up the ratings

    As with most attempts in that vein..... It failed.

    My '6' rating is based on an average across the four seasons (oh what a night).

    Season One - 9/10
    Season Two - 8/10
    Season Three - 5/10
    Season Four - 2/10    … Expand
  7. steven
    Jun 10, 2011
    5
    Watched the first two episodes and I am just not feeling it. This show feels too much like The Defenders. Two lawyers doing their job under their own rules, both looking to score big on their cases. Although there is one difference between the two shows besides their locale. The Defenders has two lawyers with distinct personalities. Franklin and Bash are playing both sides of the same coin.
  8. TVTX
    Jun 6, 2011
    10
    I wanted to like this show, since I like the actors in it, but I thought it was poorly written and too juvenile for a successful show. There was too much silliness and quirkiness in all the characters. Why can't they get a better attorney show on TNT? I thought Raising the Bar was much better, but it was cancelled.
  9. rranger
    Aug 7, 2011
    9
    This is a fun, lawyer team show, that is good entertainment. The duo uses unorthodox methods to help them win cases, with a supporting cast that seems to have fun doing the show.
  10. dani
    Feb 9, 2014
    1
    I have tried very hard to like this show. I love all the actors in it and wish them the best, but the story lines make no sense, the writing is terrible, there seems to be no logic or continuity behind the characters actions and decisions. I can only hope the actors start working soon on something watchable.
  11. MovieDork
    Jul 5, 2011
    6
    I want to like this show too, because it's nice to see Mark Paul Gosselaar back on TV and I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Breckin Meyer. But the writing is "meh", the characters are "blah", and the show just doesn't grab me. I'll give it a few more episodes to see if it gets any better, but it's starting out to be as mediocre as "Leverage" has become.
  12. EddyMac
    Aug 1, 2011
    5
    Franklin & Bash is as legally accurate as Scrubs is for Medicine. It is a pure summer comedy, which is undeniably funny, but doesn't really separate itself from the likes of The Defenders. The ex-con paralegal is a very overused cliche, as is the everything-phobic Pindar. All in all, if all you want is something to laugh at, then fire away, but if you have half a brain, maybe reconsiderFranklin & Bash is as legally accurate as Scrubs is for Medicine. It is a pure summer comedy, which is undeniably funny, but doesn't really separate itself from the likes of The Defenders. The ex-con paralegal is a very overused cliche, as is the everything-phobic Pindar. All in all, if all you want is something to laugh at, then fire away, but if you have half a brain, maybe reconsider watching it.… Expand
  13. Derpicus
    Aug 26, 2011
    8
    If you like a show with wholesome family values, good clean fun, and a mature law-themed show, then Franklin & Bash is not for you. Franklin & Bash is a simple show about two lawyers who use their antics to win their (admittedly contrived) court cases, with plenty of humor along the way.

    One thing to keep in mind about Franklin & Bash though, is that if you don't like humor obviously    If you like a show with wholesome family values, good clean fun, and a mature law-themed show, then Franklin & Bash is not for you. Franklin & Bash is a simple show about two lawyers who use their antics to win their (admittedly contrived) court cases, with plenty of humor along the way.

    One thing to keep in mind about Franklin & Bash though, is that if you don't like humor obviously directed at young adult males, you probably won't like it very much. The plots and character development take a backseat to the various bits of immature (in a good way) comedy- which is a very fine line to tread, but Franklin & Bash keeps its balance as it unicycles across that line of depth and humor.

    Surprisingly, for a show that airs on a station whose motto is "We know drama", it certainly isn't very dramatic. And believe me, that's a good thing. The character depth and plot still exists, but isn't the star of the show in any sense. It's all fairly well balanced, allowing for a very fun, enjoyable time through each episode.

    As pointed out earlier however, the court cases can be a little too contrived at times. They're certainly not meant to be taken seriously, but there's still that sense of "Oh, come on, that would never work" if you think it over. Lucky for Franklin & Bash, you usually have to look past the humor and charm of the show to actually think it over. Another good aspect of Franklin & Bash is that you can re-watch some of the episodes, and catch humorous bits that you may not have caught before- making each episode worth re-watching; a rarity in many TV shows.

    Ultimately, Franklin & Bash is a show that stars immature, college-level humor, with a supporting cast of charming characters, well placed development, and unusually charming dialogue. It's not the best show ever made, but it's definitely worth the watch if you want a relaxing change from the usual, overly dramatic law shows.    … Expand
  14. sonjo18
    Aug 4, 2012
    6
    This show is good summer fun. The stories are a lot more interesting than I thought they would be, and the show is decently funny. It certainly has its flaws, but they are worth looking past because overall this show is pretty darn good.
  15. ZeroNihilism
    Sep 23, 2014
    8
    THE character of highest entertainment value is

    The Stanton (tm)

    whose actor crafts the most delightful roles. This show would be a 9 or 10 with more The Stanton episodes.

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 21
  3. Negative: 2 out of 21
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Archana Ram
    Jul 18, 2011
    50
    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
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    Jun 1, 2011
    70
    So, it's not as intrigue-heavy as "White Collar," as satiric as "The Good Guys" or as beautifully located as "Hawaii Five-O"; Franklin & Bash is smart, it's fun and it's summer.
    Read full review
  3. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Jun 1, 2011
    60
    The show is kind of amusing, at least in a summer-TV sort of way.
    Read full review
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