Pretty Little Liars

:

Season 1
Season #: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
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Critic Reviews

  1. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    80
    A new ABC Family series built around four teenage friends and an ominous hint of supernatural forces that mean no good, makes most popular vampire romances look anemic.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Linda Stasi
    75
    The ridiculously expensive wardrobes, the fabulous hair and makeup, plus a high school with not a single fatty is well, yes, the stuff of teen fantasy. And that is exactly what Pretty Little Liars is: a glamorous, spooky, adolescent fantasy.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Ginia Bellafante
    70
    What the show lacks in this kind of irreverence it makes up for in plain old addictive soapiness.
  5. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    67
    This is a series with no redemptive value. It barely qualifies as entertainment, but sexy summer trash will always find an audience. That's the inescapable truth at the heart of Pretty Little Liars.
  6. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    63
    Fun enough, but the nastiness could be applied more heavily.
    All this critic's reviews
  7. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    60
    Pretty Little Liars is one of those shows that manages to mildly, and perhaps unintentionally, spoof its genre while fully participating in it, and that's not a bad thing at all.
  8. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Storm
    60
    The mystery makes Pretty Little Liars more entertaining than the tedium of Gossip Girls, and many parents might actually enjoy watching along with their young adults, who can explain why this sort of thing is so alluring to them.
  9. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Paige Wiser
    50
    Pretty Little Liars doesn't have the sense of humor -- or the wardrobe -- of "Gossip Girl." In fact, a surprising number of scenes call for bikinis. But the ongoing mystery (not to mention a secret referred only to "the Jenna thing") may prove irresistible to young people.
  10. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Randee Dawn
    50
    Sure, there's a lot here that sustains more eye-rolling than interested stares, but a little patience might be warranted. Only with future episodes can Liars prove whether it's "Desperate Housewives" for tweens or just another trashy, pretty little error.
  11. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    40
    Pretty Little Liars is entitled to its version. If only it could have resisted some of the other cliches.
  12. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    40
    Written by I. Marlene King ("Just My Luck"), Tuesday's premiere is a generally predictable introduction that too often plays like a bad "Saturday Night Live" parody of a teen soap.
  13. Variety
    Reviewed by: Andrew Barker
    40
    Appropriately for a pilot with so many threads, there's little time invested in establishing basic character before delving into their particular peccadillos.
  14. Slate
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    40
    While no one beyond the show's target audience--teens in need of something to squeal over until Gossip Girl returns next season--would claim that Pretty Little Liars has a voluminous body, I must concede that it has a lustrous shine.
  15. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: LG
    16
    It hits every ''racy'' teentertainment mark so hard (everyone's hair is so full - of secrets!) that it feels like the only thing missing is a visit from the ghosts of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best TV Season of 2010
11
#11 Most Discussed TV Season of 2010
2
#2 Most Shared TV Season of 2010

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 305 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 252 out of 305
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 305
  3. Negative: 26 out of 305
  1. KatrinaCortez
    Jan 1, 2011
    10
    As a teenager, I find it catchy and interesting. I think the fact that it has a mix of genres makes it different. Sure, it can be a littleAs a teenager, I find it catchy and interesting. I think the fact that it has a mix of genres makes it different. Sure, it can be a little cliche and generally predictable but the subplots are basically unique. Let`s take the relationships as an example. I mean, most High school drama series nowadays make us believe that our relationships in high school are the "real" ones. It may not be for an adult crowd but a lot of us teenagers enjoy watching this show.… Full Review »
  2. vipmagnifique
    Jul 9, 2012
    10
    A story about teenage girls, pretty looking, popular and naughty. Sorry, haven't we seen something similar already on the market? No, we haveA story about teenage girls, pretty looking, popular and naughty. Sorry, haven't we seen something similar already on the market? No, we have not, even if it looks like we have. This series is something really special. It is about the thrust, friendship and of course, keeping secrets. Simple, isn't it. I would say so, but when you start watching this series you realise that it isn't. Life of a teenager, even if he/she looks handsome/pretty can be complicated and hard to live. That kind of life are tasting also four teenage girls who have lost a good friend last summer. They didn't really lost her, she disappeared and now they have finally found her body, she is dead. Is she, why are those four friends still getting text messages from her, signed -A ? Looks scary and complicated? I can only tell you that it will get worse. Other facts and things will you have to discover yourself by watching it. You won't be sorry for it. -A… Full Review »
  3. tuxedo92
    May 18, 2012
    5
    This show only serves to reinforce the most negative stereotypes about teenage girls in America. They have absolutely no intentions ofThis show only serves to reinforce the most negative stereotypes about teenage girls in America. They have absolutely no intentions of thinking about others before they act, and they admonish the use of (pardon my french) general **** to serve their own purposes. That said, the story is somewhat interesting (when I wasn't asleep, my girlfriend kept trying to explain it to me), but the characters fall short of being interesting or even remotely salvageable in character. If there is any kind of retribution and rebirth type of narrative in the coming seasons, I imagine it will fall short of being even slightly sincere. In brief, there are no likable characters, the narrative is spotty and confusing, however, the show serves its purpose in that it only relates any kind of interesting story or characterization to girls between the ages of 14 and 18.… Full Review »
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