Murderville

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 3, 2022
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
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User Reviews

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  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 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    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.    … Expand
  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 is great, but I got tired of it quick in the first episode. No for me.
  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.
  4. jamess
    Feb 5, 2022
    7
    If your all time favorite SNL sketch is the Debbie Downer Disneyland sketch, then you'll loove Murderville. Imported from a BBC series (much like Who's Line Is It Anyway, those Brits love the improv), Murderville stars a very game Will Arnett as detective Terry Seattle. Slightly grizzled, with a great cop mustache, Seattle is intrusted with a new "trainee" at the start of each episode.If your all time favorite SNL sketch is the Debbie Downer Disneyland sketch, then you'll loove Murderville. Imported from a BBC series (much like Who's Line Is It Anyway, those Brits love the improv), Murderville stars a very game Will Arnett as detective Terry Seattle. Slightly grizzled, with a great cop mustache, Seattle is intrusted with a new "trainee" at the start of each episode. That trainee just happens to be a celebrity like Conan O'Brien or Annie Murphy, who is thrown, unscripted, into a murder investigation. Three suspects are introduced and the celebrity trainee, along with the audience, has to figure out the murderer. So it has elements of improv comedy and a game show mashed together. The comedy comes from the investigation and the hoops that Arnett/Seattle puts their partners through. And of course, breaking. Or desperately trying not to break. And credit to Arnett for orchestrating the improv, forcing the celebrities to behave like a rowdy audience in an improv club. His forcing Kameel Nujami (forgive my spelling) to walk "cool", keeping upping the ante, till he walks like a lumbering fool is typical. So much fun.… Expand
  5. rxerick
    Feb 12, 2022
    7
    I really enjoyed the show, but it doesn't do anything particularly well. Decent show if you like improv. The guests were good choices and responded well to Will. I would watch a second season.
  6. drlowdon
    May 24, 2022
    8
    Each episode sees eccentric detective Terry Seattle (Will Arnett) team up with a celebrity guest to investigate a murder. The twist? The celebrity guest has no script and must improvise their way through everything that's thrown at them.

    Some episodes work better than others, but overall Murderville provides plenty of laughs, quite often for the cast as well as the viewer!
  7. KJ_20
    Mar 22, 2022
    2
    Murderville will go down as one of the 'comedy shows' with the least amount of jokes. After the few good jokes (around 2-3) are finished, for the rest of the season you are given to jokes, no interesting developments and crude humour. The worst thing is the horrible plot which makes no sense to improvise. Add to that, horrible writing and acting and you get this series.

Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Most Discussed TV Season of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Nina Metz
    Feb 16, 2022
    50
    That a duo or group of performers can collectively improvise even a semicoherent story on the fly, where none existed minutes before, is half the magic. The “Murderville” setup stymies so much of this, which is why guest selection is vital. If only everyone were working at Stone’s level.
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  2. 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.
    Read full review
  3. Paste Magazine
    Reviewed by: Clare Martin
    Feb 9, 2022
    55
    The dull production choices and misguided changes just compound the lack of creativity that comes with lifting an already established premise.
    Read full review
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