Murderville

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 3, 2022
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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Where To Watch

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Critic Reviews

  1. Primetimer
    Reviewed by: Aaron Barnhart
    Feb 15, 2022
    90
    Murderville isn’t remotely a murder mystery, or even a parody of a murder mystery. But it offers a fresh take on improvisational comedy, one of the few underrepresented subgenres in today’s television landscape.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Lorraine Ali
    Feb 3, 2022
    80
    “Murderville” isn’t afraid to be an imperfect, silly mess, which is why it’s the perfect escape for messy times.
  3. Decider
    Reviewed by: Joel Keller
    Feb 3, 2022
    80
    Murderville isn’t a show you watch for any sort of story; you watch it to see how the guest stars react to what’s going on around them. And you watch it to laugh. And you’ll laugh a lot.
  5. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Kathryn VanArendonk
    Feb 2, 2022
    80
    Arnett’s flexibility and playfulness are key to making Murderville work, but strong celebrity casting is what keeps its fairly predictable shtick from getting boring. Murderville manages to be as adaptable as its players.
  6. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Feb 2, 2022
    75
    Breezy and creatively goofy six-part series.
  7. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    Feb 1, 2022
    75
    The new Netflix comedy series, “Murderville,” isn’t wall-to-wall laughs, but it has enough funny moments that it’s worth a look. The material is lukewarm, but the comic talent is outstanding, and it’s fun watching the actors working off one another, improvising bits.
  8. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Nick Allen
    Feb 2, 2022
    70
    A show like “Murderville” is essentially hit and miss by default, in that some sequences are clearly more successful in getting a good reaction that others. But it has enough comic spark, and it's clever in how it indulges our constant fixation with the competency of solving crimes, while winding up its own absurd plots.
  9. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Brian Tallerico
    Feb 1, 2022
    67
    The verdict is that there’s a ton of potential as long as the show attracts talents like Nanjiani, O’Brien, and even Murphy. Arnett is undeniably funny and the writing in the non-improvised aspects of the show can be clever enough.
  10. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Quinci LeGardye
    Feb 1, 2022
    67
    When everything melds together on Murderville, with the guests feeling like part of the troupe instead of a name air-dropped in, it’s a very enjoyable watch. When the celebs aren’t a great fit, it’s up to Arnett and the cast to keep everything going, and they often do.
  11. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Tim Surette
    Feb 1, 2022
    65
    It's funny but not brilliant, making it an easy weekend binge if you want to pass three hours.
  12. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Feb 4, 2022
    62
    It’s occasionally but not frequently funny.

Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Most Discussed TV Season of 2022

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 7 out of 19
  1. teatom
    Feb 6, 2022
    3
    Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love the show, I simply didn't enjoy a single thing about it.
    Whilst Arnett tries hard and delivers his    Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love the show, I simply didn't enjoy a single thing about it.
    Whilst Arnett tries hard and delivers his scripted material well, the premise never really worked in any of the episodes I watched, swinging between cringe worthy discomfort, and simple boredom.
    The first episode, for example, has Conan as the unscripted guest, and throughout the entire episode he is constantly taking everything that Arnett says personally and in return giving no humour, a masked smile and trite responses. Stone, similarly, doesn't want to engage and gives the audience nothing other than 'I don't want to be here but I'll respond if I must' "improv".
    "Okay, but surely the comedians must be better" I hear you say, but no, not really. Nanjiani is like Conan, a fixed smile throughout, with a look like he'd rather be anywhere else, barely hidden, whilst giving zero invention to the cause.
    Ken Jeong, at least, seems to want to be there, but even his episode gives nothing to the audience to enjoy, beyond a few of Arnett's scripted moments. Perhaps surprisingly, Marshawn Lynch (being english, this is someone I'd never heard of but he's apparently a rugby player, or something) gives the best performance of any guest, being either an extremely quick wit or else coming prepared with a wealth of one-liners, up his sleeve. Unfortunately, even a good guest doesn't elevate the show very much and rather highlights the major flaw with the show, in that it's an incredibly structured buddy-cop set up. This is a cliche that has run and run for so long, now, that even unscripted spoofs of the genre are so plodding and predictable that it's even a dull background watch.
    If murderville does make it back for a second season, the best thing that could happen for the audience is a complete scenario change. This one is played out.    … Full Review »
  2. UncleWillard
    Feb 10, 2022
    2
    I really liked the idea behind this, but in the end, it's just a showcase to trot out guest stars. It's like Who's Murder Is It. Improv isI really liked the idea behind this, but in the end, it's just a showcase to trot out guest stars. It's like Who's Murder Is It. Improv is great, but I got tired of it quick in the first episode. No for me.… Full Review »
  3. MetacriticOnur
    Feb 5, 2022
    3
    bad
    [ bad ]

    adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
    not good in any manner or degree.
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