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Avg. Critic Score: 65 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
16 Iffy for 16+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 91
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    If only for the comedy glory of Sigourney Weaver as a TV network president who confuses acid reflux with gut instinct, this very smart, very funny movie about the making of a network sitcom is a cut-glass gem of a showbiz conceit. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Ruthe Stein

    Wickedly funny. Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    You'll have major fun at this movie. But what makes it something special is the way Kasdan laces the laughs with a sting. Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post | Ann Hornaday

    Often possesses the gimlet-eyed wit of "The Player" or the mock docs of Christopher Guest. Read full review

  • 70
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    Smart, funny and authentically terrifying. It's a comedy that explains how network television succeeds in being so horribly awful. Read full review

  • 70
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    At times The TV Set seems to unfold almost entirely without exaggeration. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Kevin Crust

    In general, the movie doesn't necessarily reveal anything we don't already know but delivers it in a personable, entertaining manner. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    The TV Set skewers the television industry in a manner that occasionally feels familiar and at other times is humorously incisive. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck

    Whether outsiders will find much to appreciate in The TV Set is another question because the film fails to provide the thematic resonance of similarly themed predecessors like the brilliant "Network." Read full review

  • 50
    Variety |

    Results are breezy though toothless, with too much repetition and not enough originality. Read full review

View more reviews for The TV Set on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+ Sharky, cynical look at TV world needs more bite.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this indie comedy is a candid, insider look at Hollywood -- specifically the TV industry. And nearly everyone behaves badly: Lying is par for the course, swearing is common, stupidity trumps quality, and the writer doesn't necessarily get a happy ending. There's also some sexual content, smoking, and drinking amid all the backbiting and cynicism.
  • Families can talk about what they think the TV industry is really like. How accurate do you think the movie is? How do shows get made? How do they get picked to go on the air? Does taste dictate what goes on TV, or do shows help shape the public's taste? Why are reality TV series so compelling? Are networks "dumbing down" TV?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Couples fall apart; a writer, forlorn over having sold out, begins popping painkillers. Almost all of the Hollywood players lie.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence: Nothing of note. Though it's obvious that selling out is painful. ...
  • sex false3 Sex: Sexual banter and some kissing. An actress undresses in the wardrobe trailer.
  • language false5 Language: This is Hollywood, and its inhabitants like to play it blue. "S--t" and "f--k" are de rigueur.
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Because the movie's about making TV shows, series' names are bandied about with abandon, as are some luxury products that Hollywood types tend to indulge in (Mercedes, Passat, etc.).
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Drinks abound at gatherings, smokers light up, and the lead character pops pills.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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3.0

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