Sullivan & Son

:

Season 1
  • Network: TBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 19, 2012
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
4.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 42 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 42
  3. Negative: 22 out of 42
Watch Now

Where To Watch

Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Review this tv show

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

User Reviews

view
per page
  1. meamsuperman
    Jul 27, 2012
    1
    Be warned. This show contains a terrible laugh track. Okay, all laugh tracks are terrible and I can't watch any show with one. But without it there would be no laughs at all during this show. Who approves this crap?
  2. JBM
    Aug 3, 2012
    2
    I wanted this show to work. I thought the bar setting had potential. But I bailed on it. The first episode where they should at least try to be funny was all about how wonderful thjs legacy bar was. The old dad just offered a grin to everything instead of being a diverse and crusty barkeep. But the heart of the problem is the comic center of the show, Byrne, well he can't act. His lastI wanted this show to work. I thought the bar setting had potential. But I bailed on it. The first episode where they should at least try to be funny was all about how wonderful thjs legacy bar was. The old dad just offered a grin to everything instead of being a diverse and crusty barkeep. But the heart of the problem is the comic center of the show, Byrne, well he can't act. His last dialog with his girlfriend who was leaving him was so awkward and poorly performed that I could not imaging watching this guy every week. This could have been a lot better. But it wasnt.… Expand
  3. NavyBean
    Aug 20, 2012
    1
    This show is a vanilla burp. Momentary and then gone in the wind ... nothing new to say and no one interesting to not say it. TBS continues its trend of making immemorable comic programming. George Lopez, Frank the Impersonator Guy, My Guys ... bleh, meh.
  4. remix
    Aug 23, 2012
    0
    This show is boring. The humor has been done over and over again in so many other shows, similar to it. This show and cast failed miserably in attempting to copy this old fashion, boring sitcom humor. It should definitely not be on TBS. Especially because it's in between Conan and the Office, which are very funny shows. Sullivan and Son seems as though a a grandmother in her 80'sThis show is boring. The humor has been done over and over again in so many other shows, similar to it. This show and cast failed miserably in attempting to copy this old fashion, boring sitcom humor. It should definitely not be on TBS. Especially because it's in between Conan and the Office, which are very funny shows. Sullivan and Son seems as though a a grandmother in her 80's wrote the script. It's awful, just an awful show. Please consider taking it off the air, or at least off TBS!… Expand
  5. Jamison12
    Jun 16, 2013
    4
    Another failed attempt by TBS to make their own original comedy that's good.
    The jokes are funny, but they're one liners. Not just one or two one liners but EVERY DAMN JOKE!!! I swear, Vince Vaughn just pulled that crap from an old Reddit forum. The setting seems very similar to Cheers and overall, this show just sucks.
  6. peppecr
    Sep 12, 2012
    0
    Looks and feels like a terrible re-do of Cheers. Bunch of weirdo characters, talking one at a time with unrelated one-liners. There's little continuity to the dialog. Just feels like a dirty, not as funny version of Cheers. Blah.
  7. Reviewer23
    Sep 13, 2012
    0
    Saw this show on TBS..i couldn't watch 10 minutes of it. It was that boring. When the network has to keep saying it's "very funny," you know it can't be that funny. Last episode of the season... Thank you god!
  8. DJVito
    Sep 13, 2012
    1
    Unfunny and Uninteresting, how did TBS ever pick this CR@#%PPY show up??? It makes fun of koreans with asian stereotypes which is kinda amusing. But truth be told, can't watch a t.v. sitcom that rips off cheers and frasier with a little old chinese lady mulan quips. This sitcom snoozer is ruining TBS's slogan "very funny" which should now be changed to, "VERY BORING."
  9. donxavier
    May 31, 2013
    2
    Sullivan and Son is a tired dinosaur (odd when considering this is a new show) whose plots are patched together from the most generic ideas and contrived ethnic jokes out there,things that may have been funny twenty years ago but now are just stale. Watching a few episodes of this show it felt like the writers were plumbing the archives of other sitcoms and liberated their rejected episodeSullivan and Son is a tired dinosaur (odd when considering this is a new show) whose plots are patched together from the most generic ideas and contrived ethnic jokes out there,things that may have been funny twenty years ago but now are just stale. Watching a few episodes of this show it felt like the writers were plumbing the archives of other sitcoms and liberated their rejected episode ideas to come up with the first season of this show. Not sure what executive at TBS thought this show would be a good idea, but clearly they're wrong.… Expand
  10. nickthedog26
    Jul 8, 2014
    0
    How is this show still on? It's a piece of crap! I'd rather watch reruns of the Big Bang Theory that I've seen countless times then watch a show that embarrasses any one who's on it. If you need to advertise the special guest instead of the show then your show sucks.
  11. BeckMutations
    Jul 14, 2014
    0
    This show has zero redeeming value, is a clichéd Cheers derivative and can barely muster a 'meh' when it comes to comedy. There's zero sympathy for the characters who are, frankly, all extremely poor actors. Not smartly written nor acted. I am struggling to find anything positive about this unpolished turd or a program.
  12. neptunefanatic
    Aug 14, 2014
    3
    I like the idea of the show, but the characters ruin it. I can count on one hand how many of the characters I actually think are realistic.
    It is insulting to call this a sitcom. A good sitcom does not have such forced "comedy" and terrible dialogue. They made way too many of the characters act in a stupid manner all of the time with really cheesy dialogue that is similar to the    I like the idea of the show, but the characters ruin it. I can count on one hand how many of the characters I actually think are realistic.
    It is insulting to call this a sitcom. A good sitcom does not have such forced "comedy" and terrible dialogue. They made way too many of the characters act in a stupid manner all of the time with really cheesy dialogue that is similar to the cheesiness of the new Disney shows.

    Jodi Long (plays Ok Cha) is seriously the only highlight because she is still so realistic in such a show of incredibly dumb characters.    … Expand
  13. GinaDawitch
    Aug 18, 2014
    0
    I get it.. according to the show Asians are not funny. it is so cliche' its boring. i hate the constant apologetic expression of the son, the hateful mom, the daughter who fits in nowhere, the idiots , the slut who is greatly overdone. all i can say is this : "remember the WORSE SNL skit you ever saw? well it is 10 times better than this show.. also i hate they stick it between Big BangI get it.. according to the show Asians are not funny. it is so cliche' its boring. i hate the constant apologetic expression of the son, the hateful mom, the daughter who fits in nowhere, the idiots , the slut who is greatly overdone. all i can say is this : "remember the WORSE SNL skit you ever saw? well it is 10 times better than this show.. also i hate they stick it between Big Bang thinking we are too dumb to change the channel.. WRONG!… Expand
  14. vbux
    Jul 26, 2012
    0
    I've watched a few episodes of this show, and was so shocked at how bad it was, I signed up for Metacritic.

    This show is so forced and awkward I have trouble finding any redeeming qualities about it. I was so distracted by the blatant profanity ("BullSh*t" regarding figure skating) and double middle fingers, that I rewound both scenes repeatedly to be sure I'd heard / seen what I    I've watched a few episodes of this show, and was so shocked at how bad it was, I signed up for Metacritic.

    This show is so forced and awkward I have trouble finding any redeeming qualities about it.

    I was so distracted by the blatant profanity ("BullSh*t" regarding figure skating) and double middle fingers, that I rewound both scenes repeatedly to be sure I'd heard / seen what I thought. I am by no means a prude / easily offended, or even that old. (I'm 32 years old, love Family Guy, and pretty middle of the road on most issues, no kids, work in a high tech industry)

    Despite this, I have to say, I'm amazed that TBS would air a show that is so desperate to appear relevant, that they have to resort to forced profanity and completely unnecessary middle fingers. When did it become legal to show that on basic cable? Perhaps it's not illegal, but the point is, when TBS has so many great shows (Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, etc) that don't stoop to such a trivial methods, does it make sense to air something that does?

    They need to get this crap off of the air, and not be in such a rush to add profanity (verbal or otherwise) to a show that is well within the time slice that kids can easily see it. We've got enough issues these days, without teaching our kids that its OK to be that crass.

    Horrible show, there is MUCH better on TV.    … Expand
  15. OhThatGuy
    Jul 26, 2012
    0
    I can't so much review the show as I can the commercials, which are pure torture. Even though I primarily watch shows I've recorded, I tend to flip around during commercial breaks when watching live sports. When the jokes in the commercials are this awful, the show is completely hopeless. I hope they cancel this soon and get all ads for it out of my face.
  16. metabad
    Aug 27, 2012
    3
    I've seen two episodes and then skipped the rest.
    The entire setup feels dated, like you've seen it all before.
    None of the characters that get the spotlight are funny or even interesting.
    The main characters are sympathetic, but that's it.
    It's not a terrible show, but it's far from good. Just forget about it.
  17. couchcritic78
    Aug 6, 2012
    10
    Wow, some really negative mean people on this site. I went to a taping of this, so I know that it's not a laugh track. I will say sometimes it sounds like a laugh track. But the episode I saw (hasn't aired yet) was hysterical and people were laughing. True, the first episode wasn't brilliant, but if you notice there are a lot of characters on this, so there was a lot of set-up. IWow, some really negative mean people on this site. I went to a taping of this, so I know that it's not a laugh track. I will say sometimes it sounds like a laugh track. But the episode I saw (hasn't aired yet) was hysterical and people were laughing. True, the first episode wasn't brilliant, but if you notice there are a lot of characters on this, so there was a lot of set-up. I feel that every episode is getting better than the last. And the actors are really good. Steve, the mom, the dad, the sister, his friends, his old flame, and the bar flies are all funny.

    What I like about is that it is a return to the old comedies. Many of the shows on today are cruel and mean, kind of like these reviewers comments, wonder why they don't like it. The people at the bar love each other, sure they might make fun of each other, but they do care about one another. The family dynamic is great. The diversity is great. And I for one, will keep watching, and so have millions of others. It might not be your cup of tea, but it isn't as bad as anyone claims. I've seen a lot of sitcoms that didn't make me laugh once. I'm laughing a lot at this one.    … Expand
  18. SiRyEm
    Oct 12, 2012
    7
    This show is a relief for those of us that think political correctness is a bunch of BS. It attacks stereotypes and laughs at them like people in real life do. If you pretend people don't JOKE around like this, then you live under a rock. The people that feel like this stuff is serious are boring ass snobs. Don't give me that crap about this is being racist either. If you are offended byThis show is a relief for those of us that think political correctness is a bunch of BS. It attacks stereotypes and laughs at them like people in real life do. If you pretend people don't JOKE around like this, then you live under a rock. The people that feel like this stuff is serious are boring ass snobs. Don't give me that crap about this is being racist either. If you are offended by it DON'T watch. They are jokes!… Expand
  19. mikel676
    Aug 7, 2012
    9
    The critics weren't crazy about Cheers or Seinfeld either. I wasn't crazy about Seinfeld or Cheers for the first couple of episodes and now they're my favorites. There is a major need to explore and develop the characters. The interactions a quick and unmemorable. They need to think about the interactions they have as an opportunity to build more depth and perspective. At first theyThe critics weren't crazy about Cheers or Seinfeld either. I wasn't crazy about Seinfeld or Cheers for the first couple of episodes and now they're my favorites. There is a major need to explore and develop the characters. The interactions a quick and unmemorable. They need to think about the interactions they have as an opportunity to build more depth and perspective. At first they could try focusing on a storyline about 1 or two people instead of 20. There a some really great actors/comedians on this show, they'll do well.… Expand
  20. JordanForever9
    Aug 17, 2012
    9
    This is a very good and funny TV show, you just need to give it a chance. A lot of people just watched the pilot episode and came to conclusions based on that. I think you'll need to watch at least 3-4 episodes before making a conclusion on it and I'm more than positive most people will like it and find it amusing like me once you do give it the chance. I wasn't too much of a fan of theThis is a very good and funny TV show, you just need to give it a chance. A lot of people just watched the pilot episode and came to conclusions based on that. I think you'll need to watch at least 3-4 episodes before making a conclusion on it and I'm more than positive most people will like it and find it amusing like me once you do give it the chance. I wasn't too much of a fan of the pilot either although it was alright to me, but all the other episodes have been very good. This show has tons of potential and I hope TBS will renew a 2nd season.… Expand
  21. tomtom4468
    Feb 4, 2013
    8
    One of the most hilarious shows I have ever watched. While the storyline differs from episode to episode, it continues to put me on the floor laughing with each passing episode.
  22. BogKid
    Aug 14, 2014
    8
    "Sullivan & Son" is the small B bible of anti-political correctness. Asian jokes, black jokes, Irish jokes, Arab jokes, really, no one is spared. And yet. And yet -- it is funny. Maybe I'm just not easy to offend. Maybe I think the whole world has become ridiculously sensitive to just about anything. We need at least 30 minutes of antidote to this attitude once a week. "Sullivan &"Sullivan & Son" is the small B bible of anti-political correctness. Asian jokes, black jokes, Irish jokes, Arab jokes, really, no one is spared. And yet. And yet -- it is funny. Maybe I'm just not easy to offend. Maybe I think the whole world has become ridiculously sensitive to just about anything. We need at least 30 minutes of antidote to this attitude once a week. "Sullivan & Son" is the antidote.

    I can understand (though not sympathize) with those who hate this show. But, we must see and consider all sides of any argument. Plus YOU'RE WRONG! "Sullivan & Son" is damned funny. Also a long shout-out to Judi Long playing Steve's Korean Mother. The lady is a comedic genius.    … Expand
  23. June2014
    Jul 18, 2014
    10
    I guess you either love this show or hate it, and I sure do love it! It always makes me laugh episode after episode and has some great guest stars throughout the seasons!
  24. ComedyCritic
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    I have been watching sitcoms since the early 70's and this is one that is so not funny it is a total waste of time to watch. The guest stars that are funny in other shows, are given dialogue that is painful to watch. Cheers has been done and had 10 times the character development and comic dialogue as you will see here. Please re-run old episodes of MASH or something of value

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
83
#83 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
48

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 15
  3. Negative: 3 out of 15
  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Tirdad Derakhshani
    Jul 19, 2012
    30
    Whether it's the unfunny, raunchy jokes, the acting, the writing, or the awful blocking, nothing in Sullivan & Son seems to jell. And no laugh track can change that.
    Read full review
  2. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Jul 19, 2012
    58
    Anyone really thirsty for laughs will probably come up dry.
    Read full review
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Jul 19, 2012
    60
    Plenty of material here, spoken by people we like. It's what a good cable sitcom can be.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »