Magic City

:

Season 1
  • Network: Starz
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 6, 2012
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 27
  3. Negative: 5 out of 27
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Critic Reviews

  1. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Apr 6, 2012
    60
    While some aspects of the Magic City characters and their relationships are handled sloppily, others are too on the nose.
  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Mar 30, 2012
    60
    While the big-finned Cadillacs and old pop songs create an aura of pre-"Mad Men" nostalgia, the show is conventional in most other respects.
  3. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Apr 6, 2012
    58
    Like the look of the ladies, the show is gorgeous, but it needs to reveal some substance.
  5. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    Apr 6, 2012
    50
    Magic City is a little slow at getting under our figurative skin.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Alessandra Stanley
    Apr 5, 2012
    50
    This glossy tribute is enjoyable; it is just not memorable.
  7. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    Apr 5, 2012
    50
    It may be possible that, after The Sopranos, the Godfather films and the collected works of Martin Scorsese, there is still more to say about mobsters. But nothing in Magic City would lead you to believe that's true. Looks good, though. If only that were magic enough.
  8. Hitfix
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Apr 5, 2012
    42
    As a narrative achievement, though, Magic City is a mess, filled with paper-thin characters and clichéd dialogue and storylines. If not for the appealing lead performance by Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Ike, large stretches of the series would be unwatchable, even with all the lovely visuals.
  9. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Mar 29, 2012
    42
    Sleepy, listless, dull. But it has a great set; the beach and clouds on the horizon are alluring.
  10. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Apr 6, 2012
    40
    Glazer has built a beautiful edifice here, but he still needs to get some life into the place.
  11. Salon
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    Apr 6, 2012
    40
    What's really disappointing about Magic City is that if it weren't so desperate to be "Mad Men" in Miami Beach or The Jewish Godfather it could be an energetic, escapist hour of television.

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Best TV Season of 2012
68
#68 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
29
#29 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 39
  3. Negative: 4 out of 39
  1. mdefil232
    Apr 30, 2012
    10
    I love this show. I live in Miami Beach and most of the residents here know about Magic City and like it. It has me captivated. Ben Diamond isI love this show. I live in Miami Beach and most of the residents here know about Magic City and like it. It has me captivated. Ben Diamond is my favorite character. This is the first show I've regularly watched since the Sopranos. I like the time period element a lot! Very surprised to see some negative reviews. Everyone I know loves it.… Full Review »
  2. NoahCoward
    Apr 5, 2012
    5
    This show is OK. It's enjoyably splashy to look at, plenty of beautiful naked woman and other attractive romanticized images....

    Everything    This show is OK. It's enjoyably splashy to look at, plenty of beautiful naked woman and other attractive romanticized images....

    Everything about the plot seems vaguely familiar: a little bit of Godfather 2, Hiram Roth; a lot of the recently cancelled LUCK from HBO and a lot of Boardwalk Empire...

    Bottom line is that STARZ doesn't seem able to get it right. Their shows are too broad, not subtle enough, and not as smart as AMC or HBO. Maybe they cater to a less sophisticated audience but they don't seem able to produce a smart or original product.    … Full Review »
  3. stormD23
    Mar 31, 2012
    8
    It's a good show with a lot of promise... The depiction of the era is as spot on as your gonna get, from the Cadillacs to the great musicalIt's a good show with a lot of promise... The depiction of the era is as spot on as your gonna get, from the Cadillacs to the great musical score, from the style to the setting, everything seems to come together nicely to form a solid idea of what it was like to live in the late 1950's. The acting is as good as your gonna get and the premise of Mad Men meets Sopranos is compelling. Unfortunately, though, critics and viewers will probably not be able to get past the Mad Men comparisons, since everyone seems to be one sided when it comes to period dramas. Its a shame cause it really is a great show, but i'm almost certain that it's dead on arrival.… Full Review »
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