Merry Happy Whatever

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Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Nov 28, 2019
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 1 out of 2
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Critic Reviews

  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Daniel Fienberg
    Dec 2, 2019
    40
    To say that you've seen basically every key incident in Merry Happy Whatever in a previous holiday film or TV episode would be understating how preprogrammed every episode feels. ... At least the result is festively mediocre.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Dec 2, 2019
    37
    A stunningly tepid, broad, cheap-looking and cheesy throwback sitcom.

User Reviews

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User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. metabad
    Dec 5, 2019
    4
    I usually don't watch this made-for Christmas stuff, so I'm not sure how much help I am for you.
    So, it's not a movie, it's a series and I    I usually don't watch this made-for Christmas stuff, so I'm not sure how much help I am for you.
    So, it's not a movie, it's a series and I looked into it because I saw that Brent Morin and Hayes MacArthur are in it.
    You might know Morin and one of the female leads, Bridgit Mendler from the show 'Undateable'.

    Without too much details, in a nutshell, it wants to be kind of traditional like watching a nineties show you like, to make you feel cozy but also bringing something new-ish to the table, but I won't spoil it for you. It's new-ish for a mainstream audience, of course.
    It doesn't really work, the show feels dated nonetheless probably due to the fact it feels thoroughly manufactured for the event it is meant to fit. The characters are mostly either one note or poorly fleshed out.
    The show has a laugh track that feels way off when you see the things happening on screen. Loud laughter to amusing 'jokes' at best.

    Now, for those who want more details, I'll give you this without spoilers:

    Dennis Quaid as Don Quinn, the rigid, patriarchical control freak who wants to celebrate Christmas exactly how it's always been done and Brent Morin as Matt, the wannabe future son in law of youngest daughter Emmy (Bridgit Mendler) as a struggling musician who is of course not good enough for the father. As expected Morin tries too hard to please him an makes mistake after mistake. Would you have guessed that?

    The oldest daughter (Patsy) depicted nervous and hysterical, a very dated female stereotype.
    The others are likable, Hayes MacArthur (Sean) and the two in-laws or quinn-laws/outlaws (Joy, Todd) as they call themselves.
    I especially liked Elizabeth Ho as Joy, Sean's wife. She's the most fun in this show. Adam Rose as Todd, Patsy's husband is fun, too. I'd like to see Elizabeth Ho in a good sitcom.
    MacArthur, Ho and Rose play characters that actually feel like real people, but sadly they're one-note.
    And unexpectedly, it's Ashley Tisdale who surprises as a woman who, after a breakup with her husband, goes on an emotional journey to find out who she is. So, at least one character who goes through a plausible transformation.

    That doesn't sound bad but it's all overshadowed by the cringeworthy, hackneyed interactions between Matt and Don and the totally expected events that pull Matt and Emmy apart to create some tension in the relationship. This is a major part of the show and it is something you've seen many times before and that sucks the life out of the show.
    But there's more, Don has a crush on a nurse at the hospital, so we have to deal with that, too.

    As I said, the show has a laugh track. Fits that nineties vibe you're supposed to feel.
    The problem is, this show isn't funny enough to warrant any kind of laughter.
    You hear laughter for no apparent reason, the supposed jokes are lame and the laughter virtually never matches the 'funniness' of the jokes and the punchlines.
    Most times you hear the laughter you shake your head disbelieve but sometimes it's just irritating.

    I can't recommend it, but if you really want to look into it, watching one episode is enough. You'll see what you'll get in the entire show.
    A gallon of egg-nog might help watching it, together with friends.
    I, for one, regret wasting my time with it.    … Full Review »
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