The half-hour sitcom, created, written, executive produced and starring standup comedian Jim Gaffigan, debuts on TV Land Wednesday at 10 p.m. Gaffigan plays a fictional version of himself, a comedian with a wife (played by Ashley Williams) and five kids living in New York City. The following are reviews from TV critics around the web, compiled by B&C.
“Mr. Gaffigan has a sizable following from years of stand-up comedy, and his fans will certainly be well served by the new series, which depicts a fictionalized version of his domestic life. [...] Mr. Gaffigan may not be the greatest actor, but he has a genial charm, which is the first prerequisite to making a show like this work.”
— Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times
"Jim Gaffigan takes what’s worked before (most recently for Louis C.K. and his multi-hyphenate F/X effort Louie) and does…very little that’s new. That’s not necessarily a problem, especially for those viewers looking for something much less abrasive than C.K. often provides. But based on the one episode (the second) made available prior to the premiere, and despite a lengthy gestation period, The Jim Gaffigan Show doesn’t especially distinguish itself within its familiar template."
— Keith Uhlich, Hollywood Reporter
“Some of the episodes almost rise to the level of inspired farce, and like Gaffigan, the series has an affable quality to it; still, the premise generally feels a lot slimmer than its star is, as those around the self-deprecating comic constantly remind him.”
— Brian Lowry, Variety
“The comedy is gentle, a bit musty here and there, but the show grows on you. One reason is that everyone is so gosh darn likable.”
— David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle
“Gaffigan has perfected his shtick, mixing deep sarcasm and negativity with a fine-line inoffensiveness. It works as a stage presence, but not so much as a TV character.”
— Hank Stuever, Washington Post
“Gaffigan chooses not to play it safe. He tweaks both his nice-guy image and the family-sitcom formula just enough to make his show feel new - yet he retains the sense of familiarity that beckons viewers and keeps them watching.”
— Molly Eichel, Philadelphia Inquirer
“I can't remember laughing out loud so consistently at a situation comedy maybe, um, ever.”
— Diane Werts, Newsday
