FOX | Release Date: March 20, 2000
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
7
Negative:
1
90
Denver PostJoanne OstrowDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: Clearly, this is not a cookie-cutter network offering; it's bold, at times difficult, and aiming for greatness. [20 March 2000]
88
USA TodayRobert BiancoDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: A razor-sharp sitcom that celebrates the human capacity to survive dysfunction. Apparently, that which doesn't destroy us makes us funnier. [20 March 2000]
88
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesCharlie McCollumDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: A dark but wildly funny comedy. [19 March 2000]
80
Los Angeles Daily NewsDavid KronkeDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: Some of the jokes here will jolt you from the typical sitcom complacency - no slack-jawed viewing allowed here - and if each episode doesn't quite find a moment of redemption after mining these hearts of darkness, they leave you amused enough that you can continue soldiering on in your own imperfect life. [20 March 2000]
80
Season 1 Review: Titus deftly carries off the delicate trick of creating comedy out of a background of tragedy and chaos, and for that it deserves a look. [20 March 2000, p.E-7]
80
The OregonianJim HaysDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: "Titus" -- the series -- is manic and makes its home on the black side of comedy. It's clearly not for everyone. But it also turns convention on its ear and takes big risks that sometimes produce laugh-out-loud payoffs. [20 March 2000]
80
St. Louis Post-DispatchGail PenningtonDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: This is a subversively smart show, and better still a shockingly funny one. Adults who enjoy the edginess of "Malcolm in the Middle" could find a new favorite here. [19 March 2000, p.F1]
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerJohn LevesqueDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: The danger lies down the road, if Titus the creator runs out of real-life fodder for Titus the character. At that point, "Titus" could become a sitcommy caricature of itself. But, in the early going, Titus is on the money when he says, "Anything is funny if the setup is right. [20 March 2000]
75
Detroit Free PressMike DuffyDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: Of course, it helps immensely that Christopher Titus's flamboyantly roguish father, Ken, is portrayed with genuine rascal charisma by Stacy Keach. An actor known mostly for his dramatic roles, Keach's exuberant comic performance is a cockeyed revelation. He could easily become the show's break-out personality. [19 March 2000, p.1L]
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: Clever, funny and troubling. [20 March 2000, p.1E]
67
Dallas Morning NewsEd BarkDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: The show is both derivative and distinctive, proving that standup comics can still adapt their acts to the sitcom form if it's the right comic and the right act. [20 March 2000]
63
Chicago Sun-TimesPhil RosenthalDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: It's well-written enough, even stylish at times. It's just not very funny. [20 March 2000, p.45]
60
VarietyMichael SpeierDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: An edgy but spotty comedy in desperate need of a moral compass. The dysfunction part is a riot, but do viewers really need more sophomoric jokes about alcoholism and lesbians? [20 March 2000]
50
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: With its emphasis on dysfunction, Titus allows for dramatic moments that actually ring true. But they're few and far between in this show punctuated by flashbacks that interrupt the narrative flow. Titus suffers from a TV version of Attention Deficit Disorder, similar to the tangents on Fox's "Family Guy" but a lot less funny. [20 March 2000]
50
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: The material in Titus, supposedly based on Titus's real experiences, never rises above the kind of abrasive, working-class-guy humor that is already wearing thin on "The Drew Carey Show" and "Norm." It doesn't help that the show has an obnoxiously brash laugh track. [20 March 2000]
40
Washington PostTom ShalesDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: Second-rate comedian stars in third-rate situation comedy! Stop the presses! Hold the phone! [20 March 2000, p.C01]
40
Orlando SentinelHal BoedekerDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: You have to hope the show is therapeutic for Titus, because it has little entertainment value. [19 March 2000, p.F1]
30
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan StormDec 2, 2019
Season 1 Review: Titus' shtick might be funny in a nightclub, but it's a droning, sour note of meanness on TV, so much so that Fox decided to move the pilot, where we get an intimate introduction to Titus and his family, to the show's second week. [20 March 2000, p.D05]