Welcome to the Family (2013) User Reviews

Nothing new under the sun

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 11 October 2013]

Two families are forced together when their kids have an unplanned pregnancy. Ricardo Chavira and Mike O'Malley play the dads, and they don't get along. Mary McCormack is one of the moms who also has an unexpected pregnancy. Justina Machado is the other mom. The actors playing the teens aren't anything special. The dads' constant bickering is very distracting. Although punching balls is always funny. Mary McCormack has a little more to do, and looks slightly better by comparison.

There is nothing new in this show. At least they don't have the annoying laugh track. But other than getting punched in the nuts, there isn't much to laugh at. The teens aren't funny at all. The dads are barely tolerable. Only Mary McCormack is watchable.

The emphasis seems to be about the adults. I think that misses the comedic point. It seems much more logical and funny if they center the show on the kids. They have lots more to deal with. You can introduce their friends. The parents are better off as co-stars. When push comes to shove, there is no rules to say that in-laws have to be in each other's lives 24-7. But there are reasons that parent-kid relationship is 24-7.

The critics are wrong, and seriously misguided.

[zachbernheisel · 13 September 2013]

Every review I have read for this show has been completely negative. I really don't understand what people didn't like. I thought it was pretty good. Mike O'Malley is a really good actor, and the cast seems to be having a fun time.

Every critic is calling it a "culture clashing" show. They could not be more wrong. Yes, there are two families, one latino and one white, but that is not the point. The cultures aren't clashing, O'Malley and Ricardo Chavira's characters are clashing. They don't like each other, but race has nothing to do with it. Class has a little bit to do with it, but it's mainly a show about two people who can't stand each other, but now they're in laws. Everyone is calling it an All in the Family ripoff, but at most it's an Odd Couple-ripoff, which there have already been about a million of. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I've heard people say it's a racist show? How? There was nothing racist about it. I've heard people call it "broad comedy". But there's no laugh track, physical humor, or over the top performances! If anything, it might be a little bit too low-key. I liked it a lot, and I am not normally a big fan of family comedies.

Bottom line, it's not great, but it's good. Ignore the critics, check it out for yourself.

Got Hulu then watch Pramface

[pensman · 3/10 · 28 September 2013]

Another unmitigated steal from British TV. in the original--Pramface--the girl is smart, headed for university and is two years older than the one night stand who gets her pregnant; but he wants to do the right thing. Her family is rich; his, working class. But the humor is genuine and the laughs at times will bring tears to your eyes. This ripoff is a cheap copy where everything is both forced and follows unimaginative writing. Pramface is cutting edge in its own way; this is tepid as weak tea. And even though I like Mike O'Malley there is no way you can accept his character is a doctor who has the maturity of a clown. Sorry, but this show is a pass.

Pure Dribble

[Zakredding · 1/10 · 13 October 2013]

The show clearly doesn't bring anything new to the table. The humour is poor and I failed to find any of it funny.

What made things worse as one of the other reviewers has said (adslgr- alhtes) they then resort to pathetic attempts at humour which are frankly just offensive. The scene where the two dads (who are two grown adult men) decide that they are going to punch each other in the nuts is just ridiculous. Not only would this never happen but it shows just how desperate for laughs they are when they have to try and get laughs from such a stupid and dangerous action.

I am glad it is going to be cancelled. I have a lot of time for the guy that played one of the dads (he was in Glee as Kurt's dad) but the material for this show is just plain crap.

Non-stop humor and lots of fun in this modern, non-nuclear family comedy! Hope another network picks it up!

[forever-dreaming-215-973132 · 10/10 · 20 October 2013]

I loved this show - quick and funny episodes. My mom, my boyfriend and I each laughed nearly constantly throughout the first two episodes we've seen.

Two teenagers, one who barely got her credits to graduate (Molly), the other who is valedictorian and Stanford-bound (Junior), learn they are going to have a child. The moms are supportive and try to keep the dads in line (one is a Latino boxer, the other a Caucasian orthodontist, who are immediately at heads with each other). There are jokes made about everything from overreacting to what not to during pregnancy, to patriarchal aspects of society and the need for feminism, to simply various aspects of family life as the two families try to figure out their role in helping their teenage son and daughter in their upcoming pregnancy.

It's an interesting dynamic to see two teenagers pregnant and in love, two supportive mothers who have become friends, and two dads who can't get along with each other. How this affects Molly's parents plan to be empty-nesters, how it affects Junior's acceptance into Stanford, and simply how things are going to work is interesting to watch, especially with the various levels of conflict amongst family members, wives trying to get their husbands to be kind and civil, and the humor mixed in made for a great, care-free, half-hour comedy to watch.

There was also no fake laughter in the show, which I preferred.

It really was a great show and I would recommend it to anyone. I hope another network picks it up.

A Major Turkey

[WRITER629 · 1/10 · 11 October 2013]

Simply put, this show is not funny on any level. For one reviewer to even mention it in the same breath as All In The Family or The Odd Couple shows how little that reviewer knows about either of the those two well-written shows.

Every contrivance possible is thrown into this mess of a pilot episode; the only thing missing is the kitchen sink.

Despite the hard work of the cast, WTTF is beyond lame. It lacks anything resembling creativity and is dreary in its execution. Speaking of execution, I hope this show is sent to its rightful place: cancellation.

Cancellation- Well Deserved

[jimequity99 · 1/10 · 19 October 2013]

I would have never watched this show, if not for the bad reviews already out there, I had to watch the episodes on line which were available. After watching the first two, I am more surprised that this abomination was cast after someone might have read the script. There is barely a laugh in the first two episodes, in fact I felt bad for the actors who were hamming up the tired old gags for a laugh. Both male leads play it so that you can't help but to not like either of them. This is unfunny, terribly acted, and an unlikable cast from top to bottom, everyone, and everything that happens is stolen from everything else you have ever watched before.

Welcome to the same old recipe!

[Dr_Sagan · 7 October 2013]

A bunch of new family sitcoms is out this season. Mom, Dads, The MJ Fox show etc. etc. and ...Welcome to the family.

This is another predictable quirky comedy, like many others, with a plot device already seen many times elsewhere: An unpredictable pregnancy brings to union two (not so different in this case) families. The 2 fathers-in-law had an unfortunate meeting before the sudden news, so they are starting with the wrong foot, but this is not a big deal and ultimately the 2 families are perfect match for each other.

Personally I like the pace of this better than the others. Doesn't seem like is shot in a studio but more like in actual houses and has a hint of a movie production although is certainly more fast-paced than that.

The cast isn't stellar. I already forget the faces of the actors except Mary McCormack, who I was trying to remember "Who is this woman who looks like Maria Bello". Performances are OK I guess.

Also a big plus: There isn't a laugh track to "force" you to laugh.

I was about to put it a generous " 6 " for the pilot but I cut one point after seeing next week's trailer and a scene which involves 2 grown men (the fathers in-law) punching each others in the nuts.

Anyway, not a series that you will bring up in a conversation and recommend to others to see, but its not as bad as some other newcomers this season.

Overall: If you spare some time to kill, consider checking it out.

Offensive Pilot

[hi-hellotoyou · 3 October 2013]

This show sucks in so many ways. The white dad is ugly and his wife is not. Can we pair up actors with the same looks? Also, I am SICK of the ethnic thing……..move on already! Yes, the Mexicans are smart and the white people are dumb – I get that is what you are promoting! The white girl is stupid and the Mexican boy is smart and cultured. This is just another propaganda show!

Sadly, the show was well made and I might have liked it if it not all the punches were played against the Caucasian couple! (I guess I can't post this unless I have ten lines so I will just keep adding stuff until I get ten lines.) You took off Mike and Molly for this? Mike and Molly had nice plot line, Welcome to the Family does not.