Working the Engels
NBC | GLOBAL | Release Date: March 12, 2014
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
8
Negative:
5

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
NewsdayDiane WertsJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: [The Canadian comedy all-stars] give it good vibes. But the scripts, despite mad moments of whimsy, can't keep pace with the cast's comic timing and tone. Read full review
70
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen GrayJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: It's no "Arrested Development," but Martin's still a hoot, and it's good to see Rohl in something a bit less dark. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubErik AdamsJul 10, 2014
Season 1 Review: On their own, Arthur’s lunkheaded Jimmy and Skye’s bubbly Sandy are sketched a little thin—but due to Working The Engels’ compact ensemble, they usually wind up paired with Rohl or Martin, salvaging some potentially dire storylines like “Jimmy gives grandma’s ring to a stripper” or “Sandy wants to win a mother-daughter dance contest.” Read full review
67
Uncle BarkyEd BarkJul 3, 2014
Season 1 Review: There’s a bit of a free-form Arrested Development vibe in play, but not enough to elevate Working the Engels to anywhere near that level. Read full review
63
New York PostMichael StarrJul 7, 2014
Season 1 Review: The show moves along at a nice clip, the cast is pleasant, given the predictability of their sitcom-y characters, and they mesh nicely as an ensemble. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesLori RacklJul 7, 2014
Season 1 Review: Working the Engels is a decent little sitcom made more appealing by its likeable cast. Read full review
60
Denver PostJoanne OstrowJul 11, 2014
Season 1 Review: Neither ["Welcome to Sweden" or Working the Engels] is awful, neither will make you cancel other plans.... A few bright ideas enliven the half-hour. But how many meddling mother jokes can they pile on before we’re weary? Read full review
60
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: There’s a hint of “Arrested Development” in the air, but Working the Engels is ultimately a much more common kind of dysfunctional family sitcom. Read full review
50
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardJul 10, 2014
Season 1 Review: The show’s humor is more often graceless and crass. Read full review
50
Sioux City JournalBruce MillerJul 7, 2014
Season 1 Review: The fish-out-of-water aspect intrigues but it also frustrates. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyKyle AndersonJul 2, 2014
Season 1 Review: Aggressively forgettable summer fodder with a scary absence of originality or voice. [11 Jul 2014, p.64]
40
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenJul 10, 2014
Season 1 Review: The show never allows itself to stand down from ill-fated, continuous attempts at heightened hilarity. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: In the end, this Canadian import would be okay for a summer evening if there was more to like in the characters. There just isn’t. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterAllison KeeneJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: Though the series may have some passing connection to Arrested Development in terms of setup, it isn't able to capture the depth or tone or charm that elevates a comedy out of just being mediocre to being something really great. That requires more work. Read full review
30
Los Angeles TimesMary McNamaraJul 10, 2014
Season 1 Review: Watching the cast rather heroically work their way through a series of jokes and "developments" as nondescript and rickety as the storefront law office they come to occupy, it was difficult not to despair: NBC took "Harry's Law" off the air, then gave us this? Read full review
30
The New York TimesAlessandra StanleyJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: The family dynamic is not unlike the one on “Arrested Development,” only Working the Engels leaves out the humor, inventiveness and sophistication. “Zany” is a word that mostly applies to antic comedy that isn’t funny, and that includes Working the Engels. Read full review
30
VarietyBrian LowryJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: Think of this as a very, very poor woman’s “Arrested Development,” and as thematically tired as a half-hour comedy can get. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: The show has a few moments, but it simply tries too hard overall. It is unforgivably guilty of wasting Martin's comedic gifts. Read full review
10
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushJul 9, 2014
Season 1 Review: Nothing about Engels works: the tired premise, the strained performances, the empty abyss of silence into which the groaning jokes dissipate. Read full review
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