Sun Records

:

Season 1
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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Critic Reviews

  1. Reason.com
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Feb 17, 2017
    90
    Some viewers—particularly Presley fans, who study their idol's history with the fervid devotion of Biblical scholars—will likely be at least a bit put off by Sun Records' tangential detours from reality. But most will be able to put it aside, because Sun Records is just too damn much fun to watch to get hung up in the details. The stories are magnetic, and so are the performances.
  2. The Huffington Post
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Feb 22, 2017
    80
    It isn’t afraid to spend time in critical and somewhat obscure areas. It also enlivens the drama with sharply drawn non-musical characters.
  3. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Glenn Gamboa
    Feb 21, 2017
    75
    Sure, it’s understandable that CMT wants to make the mini series interesting to non-music fans, but a little more music is what would take Sun Records from good to great.
  5. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Leah Greenblatt
    Feb 21, 2017
    75
    The show has fun stacking its cast of future legends. But next to the soapy melodrama of Nashville or the cocaine-dusted '70 Gomorrah of HBO's doomed Vinyl, Records feels oddly sedate--rolling along, and only moderately rocking. [24 Feb/3 Mar 2017, p.91]
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  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Feb 23, 2017
    70
    Entertaining. ... While the musical numbers are all beautifully realized--everything seems to be performed live--the miniseries is more drama than musical; and as a drama it’s more a sampler of Early Scenes from Great Lives than a deep or driven narrative.
  7. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Feb 23, 2017
    58
    When it comes to Sun Records, the hook is there, but it can’t sustain the beat.
  8. Yahoo TV
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Feb 23, 2017
    40
    Repetitious (okay, we get it: Sam Phillips had an unhappy marriage and made out with Marion as frequently as possible) and clumsy in its lurch from one disparate subplot to another, Sun Records is such a slow burn, it’s kind of a fizzle.
  9. Variety
    Reviewed by: Sonia Saraiya
    Feb 21, 2017
    40
    The show is far more invested in being a lightweight, soapy set of biopics--there’s a lot of meet-cutes in charmingly ‘50s spots, like the roller rink or the high school gym--that is more about playacting with a sanitized version of the ‘50s than it is about the history of this moment. It doesn’t help that Sun Records is devoid of plot.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 5 out of 17
  1. ryanfield
    Mar 9, 2017
    10
    I'm totally enjoying this series. The performances are excellent and it moves fairly quickly. The cast is really great, especially the guy whoI'm totally enjoying this series. The performances are excellent and it moves fairly quickly. The cast is really great, especially the guy who plays Eddy Arnold.… Full Review »
  2. dmdivito
    Apr 6, 2017
    10
    Really love the show so far. Such a great cast! Look forward to the show every week. Hope it continues the stories of all the characters andReally love the show so far. Such a great cast! Look forward to the show every week. Hope it continues the stories of all the characters and is on the air for a long time to come. It's great to see how they all got their start.… Full Review »
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