How to Make It in America
HBO | Release Date: February 14, 2010
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
60
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
10
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
NewsdayVerne Gay
Season 1 Review: Pleasurable, amusing, well conceived and written, though perhaps just a little shy on character development (New York excepted). Give this one time - these guys feel like they're worth getting to know, and the show as well. Read full review
88
Slant MagazinePhillip MaciakSep 30, 2011
Season 2 Review: Like Dunham's film or IFC's Portlandia, this show prioritizes its faithfulness to the cultural moment. And, anchored by gorgeous production design and the pop naturalism of its performances, How to Make It in America dramatizes this particular cultural moment with uncommon style and a little grace as well. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf Smith
Season 1 Review: Even without the Hollywood glamour, though, the New York series may turn out to be the superior product, grounded as it is in Mr. Greenberg's compelling, layered character, with a strong mind and vulnerable heart. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 1 Review: Everyone in "How to Make It" isn't a winner. But the show looks to be just that. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: Creator Ian Edelman keeps his characters on the right side of caricature and avoids the kind of melodramatic confrontations their relations might typically suggest. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyKen Tucker
Season 1 Review: With a strong assist from Luis Guzmán as Cam's loan-shark cousin, Make It doesn't have a lotta laughs, but it's got charm and a feel for the atmosphere of downtown art galleries, parties, and business hustling. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: "How to Make It in America" is, like "Entourage," more entertaining than actually funny. You're not going to burst out laughing at anything, but there are plenty of comic moments. Read full review
75
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: The authentic New York locales and voices really make this new half-hour dramedy fly. Read full review
70
The Huffington PostMaureen RyanSep 30, 2011
Season 2 Review: It's nice to see that in the first three episodes of the eight-episode second season, the plots, such as they are, have a little more discipline and focus than they did in season 1. Read full review
70
Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
Season 1 Review: While HBO’s new "How to Make It in America" is light on plot, characterization and humor, it’s got atmosphere to spare. And for a few episodes, that may be enough. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley
Season 1 Review: The series takes off when secondary characters fill in the blank spots. Read full review
70
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: I think How to Make It in America has a lot going for it, if show creator Ian Edelman can keep from indulging in New York hipster cliches. Read full review
70
TimeJames Poniewozik
Season 1 Review: while I can't say that it's a great HBO comedy yet--it is not, really, even strictly a comedy in the ha-ha-hilarious sense--it's likeable and absorbing and made me want to stick around for more. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineAdam Keleman
Season 1 Review: As a portrait of struggling Manhattanites, How to Make It effectively hones in on that hope-filled effervescence historically associated with the idealized American dream. Read full review
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