Grease: Live
  • Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 31, 2016
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23

Critic Reviews

  1. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Samantha White
    Feb 1, 2016
    60
    No, its bubblegum script and inconsistent performances didn’t allow the special to tear down boundaries or redefine the genre. However, with innovative choices from director Thomas Kail and an enthusiastic cast, Grease: Live managed to satiate audiences and pave the way for many more iterations of its kind.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Feb 1, 2016
    60
    It’s hard to believe that Grease was once subversive; what viewers saw on television Sunday night seemed somehow cleaner and more perfunctory and cute. It was a fabulous, well-scrubbed and flawlessly executed show that could have been just a little bit greasier.
  3. Salon
    Reviewed by: Sonia Saraiya
    Feb 1, 2016
    60
    Grease: Live was so crammed with anachronisms--and so weirdly faithful to other things that should have been turned into anachronisms--that it landed somewhere between ‘50s time capsule and ‘50s themed-party, with some ‘50s-themed karaoke tossed in.... But overall, Grease: Live was a lot of fun. There were some poor decisions made by the producers, and some brilliant ones, too.
  5. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Feb 1, 2016
    60
    It lacked, for the most part, the emotional punch and sheer vocal prowess of NBC's recent staging, but the production itself redefined what a live musical could be.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Feb 1, 2016
    50
    The actors did fine, but the characters and their arcs became secondary to executing the grand scheme. This, in other words, was a show that was more about individual moments than about building a story.

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best TV Season of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 45
  3. Negative: 7 out of 45
  1. jaycee10
    Jan 31, 2016
    9
    As a Grease fan I have to say it it stayed true to the original. Great cast and cameos. Loved the set design and costumes as well. WasAs a Grease fan I have to say it it stayed true to the original. Great cast and cameos. Loved the set design and costumes as well. Was satisfied overall.… Full Review »
  2. WJS
    Jan 31, 2016
    6
    There's a certain geeky charm to this live made for TV remake of the iconic 1978 movie musical. Its well cast and performed with great energy,There's a certain geeky charm to this live made for TV remake of the iconic 1978 movie musical. Its well cast and performed with great energy, but unfortunately it just comes across as an elaborate episode of Glee. It has pretty good production values considering its live, but I don't think that it will ever replace the original. I mean there are really only one Sandy and Danny and that's Olivia Newton John and John Travolta...at least in my mind.… Full Review »
  3. nahtan1244
    Dec 23, 2016
    4
    to me is Very generous as I am not a grease lover. This production of grease was very good how could you go wrong when the man behind Hamiltonto me is Very generous as I am not a grease lover. This production of grease was very good how could you go wrong when the man behind Hamilton is behind the camera. The answer is the actors for the most part and energy did not go wrong however the way the musical was written and score was composed is what makes it bad. Don't get me wrong I like some of the songs such as grease lightening freddy my love grease is the word summer nights born to hand jive, we go together, and those magic changes were not bad but even with a handful of songs that i liked the rest is garbage. That is not to say the cast is perfect. They are mostly perfect expect for Aaron tveit and julianne hough were the only misses in the cast. the supporting cast was very good but if your leads are not as good as your supporting cast their is a problem. The addition of I need an angel was completely unnecessary and did not fit with the rest of the musicals retro feel. The character the way they were made all feel very one dimensional and the story does not seem to go anywhere or pack any good moral messages really. However even with all these negatives grease live gets a four based and Vanessa hudgens excellent performance as frenchy. The excellent showstopper that was Freddy my love and the excellent choreography of grease lighting and we go together. In conclusion the biggest probelm with grease is it's a musical with hiits and misses. It's better than mamma mia and rent but their are so many musicals that have a better story better characters a soundtracks that are not full of hits and misses. This is one of the better televised musicals to air but it did not have much competition to live up to other than the wiz live witch was way better and with that being said. I don't like grease I never will It's a mess of a musical and I do appreciate some aspects of it but even with a mostly fabulous presentation of this musical i did not turn me into a grease lover… Full Review »
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