Making History

:

Season 1
  • Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Mar 5, 2017
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
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Critic Reviews

  1. Colorado Springs Gazette
    Reviewed by: Terry Terrones
    Mar 3, 2017
    91
    This newest Fox comedy isn't quite at the Brooklyn Nine Nine's level, but Making History is incredibly fun.
  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Mar 3, 2017
    83
    Making History loses a bit of steam after its near-perfect pilot, but the four episodes made available for review illustrate an infectious playfulness and creative spirit.
  3. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Diane Werts
    Feb 28, 2017
    83
    The show spurts onto the air like ketchup spewed from an oversqueezed bottle, plopping frenzied mayhem all over everything.
  5. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Jeff Jensen
    Feb 21, 2017
    83
    A bright dumb comedy for stupid-gloomy times. [24 Feb/3 Mar 2017, p.93]
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  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Mar 3, 2017
    80
    The humor of Making History, created by a writer for “Family Guy” and “Dads,” is broad, sometimes borderline gross and pop-culture inflected. ... The jokes are also, with some regularity, funny and endearing, especially when delivered by Mr. Lester or Ms. Meester, whose portrayal of an earnest proto-feminist is the show’s best weapon.
  7. Uncle Barky
    Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Mar 3, 2017
    75
    Making History doesn’t get everything right. But the series’ principal trio commit themselves fully, with Meester particularly fresh and appealing as a transplanted colonial having the time of her life as a newly liberated woman.
  8. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Tom Long
    Mar 3, 2017
    75
    It’s all very silly, but there’s bite beneath some of the yuks.
  9. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    Mar 3, 2017
    75
    The show is fresh and amiable throughout, and Pally, Meester and Lester make for excellent time-traveling companions.
  10. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Mar 2, 2017
    75
    Created by Julius Sharpe, the sheer silliness of the show is infectious and the performances by Pally, Meester and especially Lester are terrific. John Gemberling and Neil Casey are great goofy fun as those good-time boys, John Hancock and Sam Adams.
  11. TVLine
    Reviewed by: Dave Nemetz
    Feb 28, 2017
    75
    History won’t save the world or anything, but it’s a pleasantly goofy romp through the history books.
  12. Sioux City Journal
    Reviewed by: Bruce Miller
    Mar 13, 2017
    70
    This one doesn’t bother teaching any great lessons. It looks for the laughs, makes its points and gets out.
  13. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Mar 6, 2017
    70
    What matters is the reliable humor of modern characters trying to pass for old-fashioned ones, and the old-fashioned ones acting modern.
  14. CNN
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Mar 3, 2017
    70
    As the lone comedy of the bunch, Making History feels like the more expansive concept, with the latitude to drop its central trio into a variety of settings. That's especially true if it can continue wryly using the past to effectively comment on the present.
  15. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Jen Chaney
    Mar 3, 2017
    70
    Like all good time-travel stories, Making History is smarter when it acknowledges the divide between the way things were than versus the way things are now, or, sometimes, the ways in which things haven’t progressed at all.
  16. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Mar 6, 2017
    60
    It’s a messy, feather-light romp that establishes early on that, among other things, the past smelled pretty bad.
  17. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Will Ashton
    Mar 3, 2017
    60
    Bouncy, wholehearted and totally flighty, in ways both good and bad, it might just have the stamina to keeping this past-traveling series continuing for the foreseeable future.
  18. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Mar 3, 2017
    60
    A likable but largely forgettable comedy.
  19. Los Angeles Daily News
    Reviewed by: Rob Lowman
    Mar 6, 2017
    50
    Making History may get a D in real history but is passably funny in a hit-or-miss cartoonish way.
  20. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Mar 6, 2017
    50
    In short, Making History is supposed to revolve around the character with the least at stake, which isn’t terribly interesting, and in every episode it has to find ways to get around that problem. Pally’s a very funny guy, and Dan would make a fine supporting character. But as written, he’s not dynamic enough to carry the show.
  21. Reason.com
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Mar 4, 2017
    50
    Fox's Making History at least has the decency to be a spoof.
  22. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Mar 3, 2017
    50
    The pilot has its intermittently amusing moments, but episode two, where the trio foments the American Revolution using 2016-era NRA tactics, proves stronger. A third episode involving travel to Al Capone’s Chicago, circa 1919, is fairly lackluster.
  23. Variety
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    Mar 1, 2017
    50
    Ultimately, Making History feels like an awkward combination of “Family Guy” and “Timeless,” and it doesn’t quite fit into either mold.
  24. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Mar 3, 2017
    30
    Whenever Making History strings together a little momentum (as in the second episode, where it tries to appropriate the absurdist tones of Monty Python), the gains are offset minutes later by more and more dumb jokes.
  25. The Salt Lake Tribune
    Reviewed by: Scott D. Pierce
    Mar 3, 2017
    30
    So, yeah, poop and pee jokes. Not funny. Not clever. Not worth watching.
  26. The Lincoln Journal Star
    Reviewed by: Jeff Korbelik
    Mar 6, 2017
    25
    The humor is low-brow and juvenile.

Awards & Rankings

55
#55 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

User Reviews

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User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 31
  3. Negative: 9 out of 31
  1. Dark_Dragen
    Apr 10, 2017
    2
    When I first heard of this, I thought I would like it as I like a good sic-fi, but the problem was it wasn't good. Some might thing it isWhen I first heard of this, I thought I would like it as I like a good sic-fi, but the problem was it wasn't good. Some might thing it is funny, but I for one don't, and the plot is **** and stopped watching after the second show, mainly apart for not being funny or have a good plot, but because it was only about twenty minutes long. I like my shows to be about forty-five minutes to an hour long.

    If you are into **** laughs, with no real plot and short show times, than this is for you... but sadly I don't see how people can like it. It must be a generation, as those born after 2000 seem to have a strange seance of what is funny.    … Full Review »
  2. lfhlaw
    Mar 13, 2017
    7
    Enjoyable pilot. reminds me a bit of Hot Tub Time machine but only 2 characters. One screws up the world, then realizes he screwed it up andEnjoyable pilot. reminds me a bit of Hot Tub Time machine but only 2 characters. One screws up the world, then realizes he screwed it up and needs help to fix it. Yea the characters could use fleshing out more, but hey there's only been 2 episodes so hopefully we learn more about each character. as well that helps them fit into this TV series.… Full Review »
  3. Davrosdaleks1
    Mar 12, 2017
    9
    Only 2 episodes in and this show is already a hoot. The dynamic between the 2 main leads could be worked on a little more. (They could be aOnly 2 episodes in and this show is already a hoot. The dynamic between the 2 main leads could be worked on a little more. (They could be a smidge more likable.) But the cast, both main and supporting, is funny and lively.

    With a lot of shows recently taking time travel too seriously, it's nice to see a show just have fun.    … Full Review »
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