ABC | Release Date: September 27, 2002
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
10
Negative:
7
80
Newark Star-LedgerMatt Zoller SeitzAug 19, 2015
Season 1 Review: All this should seem precious and dumb, but it doesn't, thanks to the cast's deadpan intelligence and some sharp, self-aware writing (the characters' names often refer to characters in fiction by J.D. Salinger ). Best of all, Travis fails to wrap everything up in a neat, happy way; the second episode, which is much better than the first, essentially starts all over again, picking up on the time-travel mayhem Travis wreaked a week earlier. [27 Sept 2002, p.59]
80
VarietyMichael SpeierAug 19, 2015
Season 1 Review: Poignant and smart, and its cast is a pleasant lot that mixes unknowns with vet thesps Bess Armstrong and Jeffrey Tambor. The upside is strong --- it's sweet and sentimental --- but the downside is a fate similar to critical faves "Freaks and Geeks" and "My So-Called Life," two skeins that won raves but no ratings. [27 Sept 2002, p.6]
63
San Diego Union-TribuneRobert P. LaurenceAug 19, 2015
Season 1 Review: Not that That Was Then is poorly done. The production is polished, and performances are excellent throughout, particularly those of Jeffrey Tambor as the self-absorbed father and Tyler Labine as Pinkus, Travis' manic pal...But the atmosphere is awfully heavy, self-consciously sober. [27 Sept 2002, p.E-7]
63
Boston HeraldMarisa GuthrieAug 19, 2015
Season 1 Review: Occasionally bogged down by hokey dialogue, the drama is ultimately redeemed by a veneer of hope and some wonderful performances, notably Jeffrey Tambor as Travis' cynical bookmaker father and Labine as his follicle-challenged best friend.